scholarly journals Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and piRNAs

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 840-840
Author(s):  
Emily Niemitz
Keyword(s):  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance

How do histone modifications contribute to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in C. elegans?

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1019-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel M. Woodhouse ◽  
Alyson Ashe
Keyword(s):  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Histone Methyltransferases ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Gene Regulatory

Gene regulatory information can be inherited between generations in a phenomenon termed transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI). While examples of TEI in many animals accumulate, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has proven particularly useful in investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon. In C. elegans and other animals, the modification of histone proteins has emerged as a potential carrier and effector of transgenerational epigenetic information. In this review, we explore the contribution of histone modifications to TEI in C. elegans. We describe the role of repressive histone marks, histone methyltransferases, and associated chromatin factors in heritable gene silencing, and discuss recent developments and unanswered questions in how these factors integrate with other known TEI mechanisms. We also review the transgenerational effects of the manipulation of histone modifications on germline health and longevity.

scholarly journals Chromatin Modifiers SET-25 and SET-32 Are Required for Establishment but Not Long-Term Maintenance of Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance

Cell Reports ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 2259-2272.e5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel M. Woodhouse ◽  
Gabriele Buchmann ◽  
Matthew Hoe ◽  
Dylan J. Harney ◽  
Jason K.K. Low ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Term Maintenance ◽  
Chromatin Modifiers

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Bošković ◽  
Oliver J. Rando
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Dna ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Epigenetic Information ◽  
Environmental Perturbations ◽  
Multicellular Organisms

Inheritance of genomic DNA underlies the vast majority of biological inheritance, yet it has been clear for decades that additional epigenetic information can be passed on to future generations. Here, we review major model systems for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the germline in multicellular organisms. In addition to surveying examples of epivariation that may arise stochastically or in response to unknown stimuli, we also discuss the induction of heritable epigenetic changes by genetic or environmental perturbations. Mechanistically, we discuss the increasingly well-understood molecular pathways responsible for epigenetic inheritance, with a focus on the unusual features of the germline epigenome.

scholarly journals What Is Lost in the Weismann Barrier?

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Abigail P. Bline ◽  
Anne Le Goff ◽  
Patrick Allard
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Environmental Context ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Basic Tenet ◽  
Weismann Barrier ◽  
Historical Origins

The Weismann barrier has long been regarded as a basic tenet of biology. However, upon close examination of its historical origins and August Weismann’s own writings, questions arise as to whether such a status is warranted. As scientific research has advanced, the persistence of the concept of the barrier has left us with the same dichotomies Weismann contended with over 100 years ago: germ or soma, gene or environment, hard or soft inheritance. These dichotomies distract from the more important questions we need to address going forward. In this review, we will examine the theories that have shaped Weismann’s thinking, how the concept of the Weismann barrier emerged, and the limitations that it carries. We will contrast the principles underlying the barrier with recent and less recent findings in developmental biology and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance that have profoundly eroded the oppositional view of germline vs. soma. Discarding the barrier allows us to examine the interactive processes and their response to environmental context that generate germ cells in the first place, determine the entirety of what is inherited through them, and set the trajectory for the health status of the progeny they bear.

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