{"title":"Small RNAs Worm Up Transgenerational Epigenetics Research.","authors":"Alla Grishok","doi":"10.3390/dna1020005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>DNA is central to the propagation and evolution of most living organisms due to the essential process of its self-replication. Yet it also encodes factors that permit epigenetic (not included in DNA sequence) flow of information from parents to their offspring and beyond. The known mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance include chemical modifications of DNA and chromatin, as well as regulatory RNAs. All these factors can modulate gene expression programs in the ensuing generations. The nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> is recognized as a pioneer organism in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance research. Recent advances in <i>C. elegans</i> epigenetics include the discoveries of control mechanisms that limit the duration of RNA-based epigenetic inheritance, periodic DNA motifs that counteract epigenetic silencing establishment, new mechanistic insights into epigenetic inheritance carried by sperm, and the tantalizing examples of inheritance of sensory experiences. This review aims to highlight new findings in epigenetics research in <i>C. elegans</i> with the main focus on transgenerational epigenetic phenomena dependent on small RNAs.</p>","PeriodicalId":72835,"journal":{"name":"DNA","volume":"1 2","pages":"37-48"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8556531/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"DNA","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/dna1020005","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2021/9/29 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
DNA is central to the propagation and evolution of most living organisms due to the essential process of its self-replication. Yet it also encodes factors that permit epigenetic (not included in DNA sequence) flow of information from parents to their offspring and beyond. The known mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance include chemical modifications of DNA and chromatin, as well as regulatory RNAs. All these factors can modulate gene expression programs in the ensuing generations. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is recognized as a pioneer organism in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance research. Recent advances in C. elegans epigenetics include the discoveries of control mechanisms that limit the duration of RNA-based epigenetic inheritance, periodic DNA motifs that counteract epigenetic silencing establishment, new mechanistic insights into epigenetic inheritance carried by sperm, and the tantalizing examples of inheritance of sensory experiences. This review aims to highlight new findings in epigenetics research in C. elegans with the main focus on transgenerational epigenetic phenomena dependent on small RNAs.
由于其自我复制的基本过程,DNA 是大多数生物体繁殖和进化的核心。然而,它也编码了一些因子,这些因子允许表观遗传信息(不包括在 DNA 序列中)从亲代流向子代及更远的地方。已知的表观遗传机制包括 DNA 和染色质的化学修饰以及调控 RNA。所有这些因素都能调节后代的基因表达程序。线虫秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)被认为是跨代表观遗传研究的先驱生物。秀丽隐杆线虫表观遗传学的最新进展包括:发现了限制基于 RNA 的表观遗传持续时间的控制机制、抵消表观遗传沉默建立的周期性 DNA 主题、对精子携带的表观遗传的新机理认识,以及感官经验遗传的诱人实例。这篇综述旨在重点介绍优雅小鼠表观遗传学研究的新发现,主要关注依赖于小 RNA 的跨代表观遗传现象。