3 ms·

> and thus not inherited trans-generationally I'm not sure what you're referring to here? There appears to be quite a significant body of literature on epigene

> and thus not inherited trans-generationally I'm not sure what you're referring to here? There appears to be quite a significant body of literature on epigenetic inheritance -- just to pick a few: [1,2,3,4]. The term "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance" even has its own wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenerational_epigenetic_inheritance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenerational_epigenetic_i... [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/ng1199_314 https://www.nature.com/articles/ng1199_314 [2] https://www.nature.com/articles/nrg1834 https://www.nature.com/articles/nrg1834 [3] https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05917 https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05917 [4] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.02.045 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.02.045

deleted 7y ago
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klmr 7y ago
Yes, I’m well aware of TEI, it being my former field of research. However, as your link (4) shows there are all kinds of caveats, and usual epigenetic inheritance isn’t transgenerational (in fact, it’s a ubiquitous, “mundane” biological mechanism to maintain cellular state). Your first example — agouti mouse coat colour — is essentially the only firmly established example of TEI in mammals. And, as I explained in another comment, TEI tends to attenuate over generations, and it probably functions very differently in non-mammalian organisms. To date, the existence of pervasive TEI in mammals remains a point of contention. Outside of the agouti locus there’s almost no high-quality, replicated evidence for its existence, and the hypothesis is fundamentally hindered by the lack of a plausible mechanism [1]. Most epigenetics research focuses on other things, and there’s general scepticism that TEI in mammals is all that important [2]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2016/mar/02/rats-epigenetics-maybe-our-great-grandmothers-arent-responsible-for-our-alcoholism-after-all https://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/201... [2] https://twitter.com/ewanbirney/status/1014494822525296640 https://twitter.com/ewanbirney/status/1014494822525296640
- cbkeller 7y ago
  Ok, thanks for clarifying! Is that part of why you got out of the field?
  - klmr 7y ago
    It was a reason, yes. But more generally I started a new job at the time (~ 2 years ago) that took me out of biological research altogether for the moment.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

klmr 7y ago

Yes, I’m well aware of TEI, it being my former field of research. However, as your link (4) shows there are all kinds of caveats, and usual epigenetic inheritance isn’t transgenerational (in fact, it’s a ubiquitous, “mundane” biological mechanism to maintain cellular state). Your first example — agouti mouse coat colour — is essentially the only firmly established example of TEI in mammals. And, as I explained in another comment, TEI tends to attenuate over generations, and it probably functions very differently in non-mammalian organisms. To date, the existence of pervasive TEI in mammals remains a point of contention. Outside of the agouti locus there’s almost no high-quality, replicated evidence for its existence, and the hypothesis is fundamentally hindered by the lack of a plausible mechanism [1]. Most epigenetics research focuses on other things, and there’s general scepticism that TEI in mammals is all that important [2]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2016/mar/02/rats-epigenetics-maybe-our-great-grandmothers-arent-responsible-for-our-alcoholism-after-all https://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/201... [2] https://twitter.com/ewanbirney/status/1014494822525296640 https://twitter.com/ewanbirney/status/1014494822525296640

cbkeller 7y ago
Ok, thanks for clarifying! Is that part of why you got out of the field?
- klmr 7y ago
  It was a reason, yes. But more generally I started a new job at the time (~ 2 years ago) that took me out of biological research altogether for the moment.