In recent years, it has come to our attention that genetic inheritance isn't quite as simple as crossing some punnet squares. Some genes actually have the ability to be switched off in response to environmental signals, and then be passed on through generations. This feat is known as epigenetic inheritance. Now, scientists at UMD have discovered a specific mechanism for this transfer in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, one that stuck around for 25 generations.
To do this, they tracked the production of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) on a specific gene in the nerve cells. dsRNA has the ability to move through cells and silence matching genes. In addition to moving from somatic cell to somatic cell, they found that the protein also traveled into the germ cells and affected genes there. This allowed for the modification to be present in forthcoming generations.
I found this article very interesting mainly because of the possible impact the finding could have. If the reason for this occurrence is to adapt to environmental changes, than it is possible that evolution could be occurring at a much faster pace than previously thought. Further research on this mechanism in humans, which is a big leap, could also enhance the efficacy of RNA interference gene therapy for genetic diseases.
Main article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150202212449.htm
Second Article: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/scientists-discover-how-epigenetic-information-could-be-inherited
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