Starvation-Induced Transgenerational Inheritance of Small RNAs in C. elegans

Abstract

SUMMARY Evidence from animal studies and human famines suggests that starvation may affect the health of the progeny of famished individuals. However, it is not clear whether starvation affects only immediate offspring or has lasting effects; it is also unclear how such epigenetic information is inherited. Small RNA-induced gene silencing can persist over several generations via transgenerationally inherited small RNA molecules in C. elegans, but all known transgenerational silencing responses are directed against foreign DNA introduced into the organism. We found that starvation-induced developmental arrest, a natural and drastic environmental change, leads to the generation of small RNAs that are inherited through at least three consecutive generations. These small, endogenous, transgenerationally transmitted RNAs target genes with roles in nutrition. We defined genes that are essential for this multigenerational effect. Moreover, we show that the F3 offspring of starved animals show an increased lifespan, corroborating the notion of a transgenerational memory of past conditions.

Environmental toxicant induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of ovarian pathology and granulosa cell epigenome and transcriptome alterations: ancestral origins of polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary ovarian insufficiency

“…The majority of transgenerational studies have examined sperm transmission of epigenetic changes due to limitations in oocyte numbers for efficient analysis. Although DNA methylation has been investigated more extensively, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) expression has also been shown to be involved in epigenetic transgenerational inheritance [17,18]. Differentially expressed ncRNAs have been shown to correlate with increased disease susceptibility originating from the ancestrally exposed male germline [19].…”

Mutation of C. elegans demethylase spr-5 extends transgenerational longevity

“…Longevity is regulated by genetic and environmental factors [9] and has recently been shown, in C. elegans, to be regulated by transgenerational epigenetic inheritance [10,11]. How epigenetic information is inherited in these instances and how it regulates longevity is still unknown.…”

Le nouveau paradigme de l’origine développementale de la santé et des maladies (DOHaD)

“…SYNTHÈSE REVUES disciplinaire, qui seule permettra d'imaginer de nouvelles approches, de découvrir des mécanismes encore insoupçonnés et de développer des stratégies de prévention adaptées, cohérentes et efficaces chez les sujets à risque. Quant à la transmission aux générations suivantes de susceptibilité à des maladies chroniques ou d'une rési-lience, par le biais de mécanisme(s) épigénétique(s) qui sont encore mal étayés, elle n'est pas encore démontrée très clairement chez l'humain, mais les preuves s'accumulent chez le rongeur, les nématodes, la drosophile et surtout les plantes [54][55][56][57][58]. Jusqu'à présent un nombre important de revues portent sur les effets inter-ou transgénérationnels [15][16][17]59].…”