Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: Adaptation Through the Germline Epigenome?

Abstract

Epigenetic modifications direct the way DNA is packaged into the nucleus, making genes more or less accessible to transcriptional machinery and influencing genomic stability. Environmental factors have the potential to alter the epigenome, allowing genes that are silenced to be activated and vice versa. This ultimately influences disease susceptibility and health in an individual. Furthermore, altered chromatin states can be transmitted to subsequent generations, thus epigenetic modifications may provide evolutionary mechanisms that impact on adaptation to changed environments. However, the mechanisms involved in establishing and maintaining these epigenetic modifications during development remain unclear. This review discusses current evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, confounding issues associated with its study, and the biological relevance of altered epigenetic states for subsequent generations.

Keywords::

• epigenetic inheritance
• epigenetics
• evolution
• germline
• transgenerational epigenetic inheritance

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank K Hogg for manuscript review and comments.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by funding from the Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences funding granted to PS Western and the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. L Prokopuk is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. PS Western and JM Stringer are supported by National Health and Medical Research Grants 1043939 and 1051223 awarded to PS Western. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences funding granted to PS Western and the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. L Prokopuk is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. PS Western and JM Stringer are supported by National Health and Medical Research Grants 1043939 and 1051223 awarded to PS Western. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscrip.