Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Adv Genet. 2012;77:33-57. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-387687-4.00002-7.
Social experiences can have a persistent effect on biological processes leading to phenotypic diversity. Variation in gene regulation has emerged as a mechanism through which the interplay between DNA and environments leads to the biological encoding of these experiences. Epigenetic modifications-molecular pathways through which transcription is altered without altering the underlying DNA sequence-play a critical role in the normal process of development and are being increasingly explored as a mechanism linking environmental experiences to long-term biobehavioral outcomes. In this review, evidence implicating epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, in the link between social experiences occurring during the postnatal period and in adulthood and altered neuroendocrine and behavioral outcomes will be highlighted. In addition, the role of epigenetic mechanisms in shaping variation in social behavior and the implications of epigenetics for our understanding of the transmission of traits across generations will be discussed.
社会经历会对生物过程产生持久影响，从而导致表型多样性。基因调控的变化已经成为一种机制，通过这种机制，DNA 和环境之间的相互作用导致这些经历的生物学编码。表观遗传修饰——一种改变转录而不改变基础 DNA 序列的分子途径——在正常的发育过程中起着关键作用，并且越来越多地被探索作为将环境经历与长期生物行为结果联系起来的一种机制。在这篇综述中，将强调表明表观遗传因素（如 DNA 甲基化和组蛋白修饰）在出生后和成年期发生的社会经历与改变的神经内分泌和行为结果之间存在联系的证据。此外，还将讨论表观遗传机制在塑造社会行为变异性方面的作用，以及表观遗传学对我们理解代际传递特征的意义。
