Transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic traits

2019 ◽  
pp. 213-224
Author(s):  
John C. Lucchesi
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Histone Methylation ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Transgenerational Inheritance ◽  
Early Postnatal Development ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

Aberrant nutrition during pregnancy or in early postnatal development can result in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, defective cognition or psychopathologies in adult life. In some cases, the epigenetic modifications responsible for these effects can be transmitted to descendants who have not been exposed to the same environmental factors as their parents. Examples range from the transgenerational inheritance of conditions caused by physiological stress and exposure to endocrine disruptors, and behavioral and psychiatric effects. Transgenerational inheritance has been correlated with changes in DNA or histone methylation. The transmission of methylated DNA signals faces the problem of reprogramming in the germline. A few of the signals that protect imprinted regions for demethylation have been identified. Small non-coding RNAs such as piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and fragments of tRNAs are clearly involved at some level in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. This is particularly the case in organisms such as flies and worms that lack DNA methylation.

scholarly journals Intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in reef-building corals

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Jin Liew ◽  
Emily J. Howells ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Craig T. Michell ◽  
John A. Burt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Intergenerational Transmission ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Cpg Methylation ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Transgenerational Inheritance ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Methylation Patterns ◽  
Hypermethylated Genes

MainThe notion that intergenerational or transgenerational inheritance operates solely through genetic means is slowly being eroded: epigenetic mechanisms have been shown to induce heritable changes in gene activity in plants1,2and metazoans1,3. Inheritance of DNA methylation provides a potential pathway for environmentally induced phenotypes to contribute to evolution of species and populations1–4. However, in basal metazoans, it is unknown whether inheritance of CpG methylation patterns occurs across the genome (as in plants) or as rare exceptions (as in mammals)4. Here, we demonstrate genome-wide intergenerational transmission of CpG methylation patterns from parents to sperm and larvae in a reef-building coral. We also show variation in hypermethylated genes in corals from distinct environments, indicative of responses to variations in temperature and salinity. These findings support a role of DNA methylation in the transgenerational inheritance of traits in corals, which may extend to enhancing their capacity to adapt to climate change.

scholarly journals When is incomplete epigenetic resetting in germ cells favoured by natural selection?

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1811) ◽  
pp. 20150682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Uller ◽  
Sinead English ◽  
Ido Pen
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Generation Time ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Heterogeneous Environments ◽  
Stochastic Noise ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Adaptive Role

Resetting of epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, in germ cells or early embryos is not always complete. Epigenetic states may therefore persist, decay or accumulate across generations. In spite of mounting empirical evidence for incomplete resetting, it is currently poorly understood whether it simply reflects stochastic noise or plays an adaptive role in phenotype determination. Here, we use a simple model to show that incomplete resetting can be adaptive in heterogeneous environments. Transmission of acquired epigenetic states prevents mismatched phenotypes when the environment changes infrequently relative to generation time and when maternal and environmental cues are unreliable. We discuss how these results may help to interpret the emerging data on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in plants and animals.

scholarly journals Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance Factors Localize to Spatially and Temporally Ordered Liquid Droplet Assemblages

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Wan ◽  
Brandon D. Fields ◽  
George Spracklin ◽  
Carolyn Phillips ◽  
Scott Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Rna Binding ◽  
Liquid Droplet ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Liquid Droplets ◽  
P Granules ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Regulatory Systems ◽  
Processing Pathways ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

AbstractEpigenetic information can be inherited for multiple generations (termed transgenerational epigenetic inheritance or TEI) 1,2. Non-coding RNAs have emerged as important mediators of TEI, although the mechanism(s) by which non-coding RNAs mediate TEI remains poorly understood. dsRNA-mediated gene silencing (RNAi) in C. elegans is a robust example of RNA-directed TEI3–5. To further our understanding of RNA-directed TEI, we conducted a genetic screen in C. elegans to identify genes required for RNAi inheritance. Our screen identified the conserved RNA helicase/Zn finger protein ZNFX-1 and the Argonaute protein WAGO-4. We find that WAGO-4 and ZNFX-1 act cooperatively in inheriting generations to maintain small interfering (si)RNA expression over generational time. ZNFX-1/ WAGO-4 localize to a liquid droplet organelle termed the P granule in early germline blastomeres. Later in development, ZNFX-1/WAGO-4 appear to separate from P granules to form independent foci that are adjacent to, yet remain distinct, from P granules. ZNFX-1/WAGO-4 labeled foci exhibit properties reminiscent of liquid droplets and we name these foci Z granules. In the adult germline, Z granules assemble into ordered tri-droplet assemblages with P granules and another germline droplet-like foci termed the Mutator foci. This work identifies a conserved RNA-binding protein that drives RNA-directed TEI in C. elegans, defines a new germline foci that we term the Z granule, demonstrates that liquid droplet formation is under developmental control, and shows that liquid droplets can assemble into spatially ordered multi-droplet structures. We speculate that temporal and spatial ordering of liquid droplets helps cells organize and coordinate the complex RNA processing pathways underlying gene regulatory systems, such as RNA-directed TEI.

scholarly journals Trichloroethylene exposure alters dimethylated histone three lysine four in protein kinase A signaling pathway chromatin of rat sperm†

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 875-877
Author(s):  
Angela R Stermer ◽  
Shelby K Wilson ◽  
David Klein ◽  
Susan J Hall ◽  
Kim Boekelheide
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Transgenerational Inheritance ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Epididymal Sperm ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Differential Region ◽  
Generation Sequencing ◽  
Kinase A

Abstract Histone three lysine four dimethylation (H3k4me2) in sperm is conserved across species and is linked to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. To test whether H3K4me2 is a target for transgenerational inheritance of toxicity, a daily gavage bolus exposure of trichloroethylene (TCE) (1000 mg/kg/day) was given to rats for 14 weeks, then epididymal sperm were isolated and native chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) of H3K4me2 was performed. Differential region analysis determined there were 2608 significantly differential H3K4me2 regions after TCE exposure, 477 were significantly increased and 2131 were significantly decreased. Z-score enrichment of differential regions determined there were significantly decreased H3k4me2 in the coding and regulatory regions of genes in the PKA signaling pathway. These changes account for TCE induced spermatozoal toxicity and show H3K4me2 is a target for paternal inheritance of toxicity.

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: resolving uncertainty and evolving biology

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhay Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Information Propagation ◽  
Transgenerational Inheritance ◽  
Epigenetic Memory ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Fundamental Challenge ◽  
Experimental Findings

AbstractTransgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animals has increasingly been reported in recent years. Controversies, however, surround this unconventional mode of heredity, especially in mammals, for several reasons. First, its existence itself has been questioned due to perceived insufficiency of available evidence. Second, it potentially implies transfer of hereditary information from soma to germline, against the established principle in biology. Third, it inherently requires survival of epigenetic memory across reprogramming, posing another fundamental challenge in biology. Fourth, evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance has also been under debate. This article pointwise addresses all these concerns on the basis of recent empirical, theoretical and conceptual advances. 1) Described here in detail are the key experimental findings demonstrating the occurrence of germline epigenetic inheritance in mammals. 2) Newly emerging evidence supporting soma to germline communication in transgenerational inheritance in mammals, and a role of exosome and extracellular microRNA in this transmission, is thoroughly discussed. 3) The plausibility of epigenetic information propagation across reprogramming is highlighted. 4) Analyses supporting evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance are briefly mentioned. Finally, an integrative model of ‘evolutionary transgenerational systems biology’ is proposed to provide a framework to guide future advancements in epigenetic inheritance.

scholarly journals Environmentally-Induced Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: Implication of PIWI Interacting RNAs

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Casier ◽  
Antoine Boivin ◽  
Clément Carré ◽  
Laure Teysset
Keyword(s):  
Small Rnas ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Disease Development ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Transgenerational Inheritance ◽  
Epigenetic Memory ◽  
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Sporadic Disease

Environmentally-induced transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is an emerging field. The understanding of associated epigenetic mechanisms is currently in progress with open questions still remaining. In this review, we present an overview of the knowledge of environmentally-induced transgenerational inheritance and associated epigenetic mechanisms, mainly in animals. The second part focuses on the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a class of small RNAs involved in the maintenance of the germline genome, in epigenetic memory to put into perspective cases of environmentally-induced transgenerational inheritance involving piRNA production. Finally, the last part addresses how genomes are facing production of new piRNAs, and from a broader perspective, how this process might have consequences on evolution and on sporadic disease development.

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.

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