Transgenerational inheritance of methylation patterns

Question 1

Initial results from Social spiders show inheritance of 3-5% of methylation patterns

Answer 1

Settepani (in review)

Question 2

Use of animal studies to look at vertical transmission of methylation patterns

Answer 2

Aiken et al. 2015

Question 3

Guineapig gransons had inc. bloodpressure and ventricular wall thickness when grandmothers had period of starvation during pregnancy

Answer 3

Bertram et al. 2008

Question 4

Transgenerational memory of stress in plants leading to increased combination (& adaptation potential) in subsequent generations

Answer 4

Molinier et al. 2006

Question 5

Environmental contamination by endocrine-disruptors
can have epigenetic effects and promote disease in subsequent generations. Any diminution in attractiveness as a result of exposure could compromise reproductive success.
This effect can be sex-specific: female rats three generations removed from exposure prefer males who do not have a history of exposure, whereas similarly epigenetically imprinted males do not exhibit
such preference.
Thsi suggests that EDC consequences are not just transgenerational but can be ‘‘transpopulational’’, because in many mammalian species, males are the dispersing sex.
This result indicates that epigenetic inheritance of EDC action represents an unappreciated force in sexual selection. Our observations provide direct experimental evidence for a role of epigenetics as a determinant factor in evolution.

Answer 5

Crews et al. 2007

Question 6

Prenatal maternal stress induced by natural disaster (1998 quebec ice storm) results in inherited methylation patterns by offspring in many tissues, mainly related to immune function

Answer 6

Cao-Lei et al. 2014

Question 7

Multigenerational effects of parental prenatal exposure to Chinese famine 1959-61 famine on adult offspring cognitive function

Answer 7

Li et al. 2015

Question 8

Paternal diet effects on daughters – influences methylation of sperm, and therefore offspring: In this study, High-fat-diet fathers led to daughters with increased body weight, adiposity, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

Answer 8

Shea-Fang et al. 2010

Question 9

Male and female rhesus monkeys had different vulnerabilities to early adverse conditions, with females faring worse - The selective changes in BDNF levels in females could help explain the greater vulnerability to depression related disorders of females reported in humans. Both genders had markedly negative effects, impaired stress response etc.

Answer 9

Cirulli et al. 2009