Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia.
Nat Rev Genet. 2012 Jan 31;13(3):153-62. doi: 10.1038/nrg3188.
It is known that information that is not contained in the DNA sequence - epigenetic information - can be inherited from the parent to the offspring. However, many questions remain unanswered regarding the extent and mechanisms of such inheritance. In this Review, we consider the evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the gametes, including cases of environmentally induced epigenetic changes. The molecular basis of this inheritance remains unclear, but recent evidence points towards diffusible factors, in particular RNA, rather than DNA methylation or chromatin. Interestingly, many cases of epigenetic inheritance seem to involve repeat sequences.
已知，那些不在 DNA 序列中的信息——表观遗传信息——可以从亲代遗传给子代。然而，关于这种遗传的程度和机制仍有许多问题尚未得到解答。在这篇综述中，我们考虑了通过配子进行跨代表观遗传遗传的证据，包括环境诱导的表观遗传变化的情况。这种遗传的分子基础尚不清楚，但最近的证据表明是可扩散因子，特别是 RNA，而不是 DNA 甲基化或染色质。有趣的是，许多表观遗传遗传的情况似乎都涉及重复序列。
