Heterochromatin plays a fundamental role in gene regulation, genome integrity, and
silencing of repetitive DNA elements. Histone modifications are essential for the …

Understanding the evolutionary and ecological roles of'non-genetic'inheritance (NGI) is
daunting due to the complexity and diversity of epigenetic mechanisms. We draw on insights …

In recent years it has become evident that RNA interference-related mechanisms can
mediate the deposition and transgenerational inheritance of specific chromatin modifications …

RNA interference (RNAi) was discovered at the end of last millennium, changing the way
scientists understood regulation of gene expression. Within the following two decades, a …

Heterochromatin that depends on histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) renders
embedded genes transcriptionally silent,–. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces …

Inherited information is transmitted to progeny primarily by the genome through the gametes.
However, in recent years, epigenetic inheritance has been demonstrated in several …

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are RNA effectors with key roles in maintaining genome
integrity and promoting fertility in metazoans. In Caenorhabditis elegans loss of piRNAs …

Stable epigenetic changes appear uncommon, suggesting that changes typically dissipate
or are repaired. Changes that stably alter gene expression across generations presumably …

Knowledge of non-genomic inheritance of traits is currently limited. Although it is well
established that maternal diet influences offspring inheritance of traits through DNA …

Environmental factors can trigger cellular responses that propagate across mitosis or even
generations. Perturbations to the epigenome could underpin such acquired changes …