All articles tagged with #epigenetic inheritance
Researchers show that vitamin B12 in the diet of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus can induce a predatory mouth form that is passed to offspring through egg nutrients, demonstrating diet-driven epigenetic inheritance. The effect depends on dose and is linked to methionine, with folate not producing the same result; while this reveals a mechanism in worms, there is no evidence it applies to humans.
A study reveals that paternal exercise influences offspring's endurance and metabolic health through sperm microRNAs, which mediate epigenetic inheritance by modulating embryonic gene expression related to mitochondrial function, highlighting the importance of paternal lifestyle on future generations.
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered how plants pass along chemical markers, known as epigenetic inheritance, that control the activation of transposons or "jumping genes." The researchers identified the protein DDM1, which helps place regulatory marks on DNA strands to keep transposons inactive. They found that DDM1 displaces specific histones, which are packing proteins that wrap around DNA, to expose sites needing methylation. The study also revealed that a histone found only in pollen acts as a placeholder during cell division, preserving epigenetic controls across generations. This research may have implications for agriculture, food supplies, and understanding how similar proteins maintain DNA methylation in humans.