In a recent study featured on the cover of Genes & Development, Dr. Songtao Jia from Department of Biological Sciences and Dr. Zhiguo Zhang from the Institute of Cancer Genetics have revealed important insights into epigenetic inheritance - a process wherein gene expression patterns are transmitted across generations without altering the DNA sequence. This process underlies many intriguing phenomena such as the distinct personal traits between identical twins and the impact of certain life experiences, such as famine, on the behaviors of subsequent generations.
Central to the process of epigenetic inheritance are histones, proteins that package DNA into chromatin. The histones in parental cells, which contains post translational modifications characteristic of each genomic region, serve as templates for the duplication of chromatin structure on daughter strands after DNA replication. Using innovative assays of fission yeast heterochromatin to measure inheritance and advanced technology named eSPAN to trace the distribution of histones during DNA replication, the research groups definitively demonstrated, for the first time, the critical role of accurate parental histone segregation for stable inheritance of chromatin structure.
Dr. Yimeng Fang, a graduate student in the Biological Science PhD program who has recently defended her thesis and is the co-first author of the study, comments, "Our study not only deepens our understanding of hereditary traits but also holds promising implications for fields ranging from medicine to agriculture. By unlocking the secrets of epigenetic inheritance, we may one day be able to better understand and treat a wide range of diseases associate with dysregulation of this process."
For more information, please visit: https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/38/3-4/189.full.
