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Meza-Menchaca T, Albores-Medina A, Heredia-Mendez AJ, Ruíz-May E, Ricaño-Rodríguez J, Gallegos-García V, Esquivel A, Vettoretti-Maldonado G, Campos-Parra AD. Revisiting Epigenetics Fundamentals and Its Biomedical Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7927. [PMID: 39063168 PMCID: PMC11276703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In light of the post-genomic era, epigenetics brings about an opportunity to better understand how the molecular machinery works and is led by a complex dynamic set of mechanisms, often intricate and complementary in many aspects. In particular, epigenetics links developmental biology and genetics, as well as many other areas of knowledge. The present work highlights substantial scopes and relevant discoveries related to the development of the term from its first notions. To our understanding, the concept of epigenetics needs to be revisited, as it is one of the most relevant and multifaceted terms in human knowledge. To redirect future novel experimental or theoretical efforts, it is crucial to compile all significant issues that could impact human and ecological benefit in the most precise and accurate manner. In this paper, the reader can find one of the widest compilations of the landmarks and epistemic considerations of the knowledge of epigenetics across the history of biology from the earliest epigenetic formulation to genetic determinism until the present. In the present work, we link the current body of knowledge and earlier pre-genomic concepts in order to propose a new definition of epigenetics that is faithful to its regulatory nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuluz Meza-Menchaca
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ciencias Médico-Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Veracruzana, Médicos y Odontólogos s/n, Col. Unidad del Bosque, Xalapa 91010, Mexico; (A.J.H.-M.); (A.E.); (G.V.-M.)
| | - Arnulfo Albores-Medina
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico;
| | - Alma Jaqueline Heredia-Mendez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ciencias Médico-Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Veracruzana, Médicos y Odontólogos s/n, Col. Unidad del Bosque, Xalapa 91010, Mexico; (A.J.H.-M.); (A.E.); (G.V.-M.)
| | - Eliel Ruíz-May
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Cluster BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología A. C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, Congregación el Haya, Xalapa 91073, Mexico;
| | - Jorge Ricaño-Rodríguez
- Centro de Eco-Alfabetización y Diálogo de Saberes, Universidad Veracruzana, Zona Universitaria, Xalapa 91090, Mexico;
| | - Verónica Gallegos-García
- Facultad de Enfermería y Nutrición, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78210, Mexico;
| | - Adriana Esquivel
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ciencias Médico-Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Veracruzana, Médicos y Odontólogos s/n, Col. Unidad del Bosque, Xalapa 91010, Mexico; (A.J.H.-M.); (A.E.); (G.V.-M.)
| | - Giancarlo Vettoretti-Maldonado
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ciencias Médico-Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Veracruzana, Médicos y Odontólogos s/n, Col. Unidad del Bosque, Xalapa 91010, Mexico; (A.J.H.-M.); (A.E.); (G.V.-M.)
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Shahmohamadloo RS, Fryxell JM, Rudman SM. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.15.589575. [PMID: 38659883 PMCID: PMC11042258 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Understanding processes that can produce adaptive phenotypic shifts in response to rapid environmental change is critical to reducing biodiversity loss. The ubiquity of environmentally induced epigenetic marks has led to speculation that epigenetic inheritance could potentially enhance population persistence in response to environmental change. Yet, the magnitude and fitness consequences of epigenetic marks carried beyond maternal inheritance are largely unknown. Here, we tested how transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) shapes the phenotypic response of Daphnia clones to the environmental stressor Microcystis. We split individuals from each of eight genotypes into exposure and control treatments (F0 generation) and tracked the fitness of their descendants to the F3 generation. We found transgenerational epigenetic exposure to Microcystis led to reduced rates of survival and individual growth and no consistent effect on offspring production. Increase in trait variance in the F3 relative to F0 generations suggests potential for heritable bet hedging driven by TEI, which could impact population dynamics. Our findings are counter to the working hypothesis that TEI is a generally adaptive mechanism likely to prevent extinction for populations inhabiting rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- René S. Shahmohamadloo
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Seth M. Rudman
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States
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3
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Mc Auley MT. An evolutionary perspective of lifespan and epigenetic inheritance. Exp Gerontol 2023; 179:112256. [PMID: 37460026 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade epigenetics has come to the fore as a discipline which is central to biogerontology. Age associated epigenetic changes are routinely linked with pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease; moreover, epigenetic clocks are capable of correlating biological age with chronological age in many species including humans. Recent intriguing empirical observations also suggest that inherited epigenetic effects could influence lifespan/longevity in a variety of organisms. If this is the case, an imperative exists to reconcile lifespan/longevity associated inherited epigenetic processes with the evolution of ageing. This review will critically evaluate inherited epigenetic effects from an evolutionary perspective. The overarching aim is to integrate the evidence which suggests epigenetic inheritance modulates lifespan/longevity with the main evolutionary theories of ageing.
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Karin O, Miska EA, Simons BD. Epigenetic inheritance of gene silencing is maintained by a self-tuning mechanism based on resource competition. Cell Syst 2023; 14:24-40.e11. [PMID: 36657390 PMCID: PMC7614883 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Biological systems can maintain memories over long timescales, with examples including memories in the brain and immune system. It is unknown how functional properties of memory systems, such as memory persistence, can be established by biological circuits. To address this question, we focus on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in Caenorhabditis elegans. In response to a trigger, worms silence a target gene for multiple generations, resisting strong dilution due to growth and reproduction. Silencing may also be maintained indefinitely upon selection according to silencing levels. We show that these properties imply the fine-tuning of biochemical rates in which the silencing system is positioned near the transition to bistability. We demonstrate that this behavior is consistent with a generic mechanism based on competition for synthesis resources, which leads to self-organization around a critical state with broad silencing timescales. The theory makes distinct predictions and offers insights into the design principles of long-term memory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Karin
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0WA, UK; Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Eric A Miska
- Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Benjamin D Simons
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0WA, UK; Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.
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Shreesha L, Levin M. Cellular Competency during Development Alters Evolutionary Dynamics in an Artificial Embryogeny Model. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:e25010131. [PMID: 36673272 PMCID: PMC9858125 DOI: 10.3390/e25010131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Biological genotypes do not code directly for phenotypes; developmental physiology is the control layer that separates genomes from capacities ascertained by selection. A key aspect is cellular competency, since cells are not passive materials but descendants of unicellular organisms with complex context-sensitive behavioral capabilities. To probe the effects of different degrees of cellular competency on evolutionary dynamics, we used an evolutionary simulation in the context of minimal artificial embryogeny. Virtual embryos consisted of a single axis of positional information values provided by cells' 'structural genes', operated upon by an evolutionary cycle in which embryos' fitness was proportional to monotonicity of the axial gradient. Evolutionary dynamics were evaluated in two modes: hardwired development (genotype directly encodes phenotype), and a more realistic mode in which cells interact prior to evaluation by the fitness function ("regulative" development). We find that even minimal ability of cells with to improve their position in the embryo results in better performance of the evolutionary search. Crucially, we observed that increasing the behavioral competency masks the raw fitness encoded by structural genes, with selection favoring improvements to its developmental problem-solving capacities over improvements to its structural genome. This suggests the existence of a powerful ratchet mechanism: evolution progressively becomes locked in to improvements in the intelligence of its agential substrate, with reduced pressure on the structural genome. This kind of feedback loop in which evolution increasingly puts more effort into the developmental software than perfecting the hardware explains the very puzzling divergence of genome from anatomy in species like planaria. In addition, it identifies a possible driver for scaling intelligence over evolutionary time, and suggests strategies for engineering novel systems in silico and in bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshwin Shreesha
- UFR Fundamental and Biomedical Sciences, Université Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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Vogt G. Environmental Adaptation of Genetically Uniform Organisms with the Help of Epigenetic Mechanisms-An Insightful Perspective on Ecoepigenetics. EPIGENOMES 2022; 7:1. [PMID: 36648862 PMCID: PMC9844400 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes7010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms adapt to different environments by selection of the most suitable phenotypes from the standing genetic variation or by phenotypic plasticity, the ability of single genotypes to produce different phenotypes in different environments. Because of near genetic identity, asexually reproducing populations are particularly suitable for the investigation of the potential and molecular underpinning of the latter alternative in depth. Recent analyses on the whole-genome scale of differently adapted clonal animals and plants demonstrated that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs are among the molecular pathways supporting phenotypic plasticity and that epigenetic variation is used to stably adapt to different environments. Case studies revealed habitat-specific epigenetic fingerprints that were maintained over subsequent years pointing at the existence of epigenetic ecotypes. Environmentally induced epimutations and corresponding gene expression changes provide an ideal means for fast and directional adaptation to changing or new conditions, because they can synchronously alter phenotypes in many population members. Because microorganisms inclusive of human pathogens also exploit epigenetically mediated phenotypic variation for environmental adaptation, this phenomenon is considered a universal biological principle. The production of different phenotypes from the same DNA sequence in response to environmental cues by epigenetic mechanisms also provides a mechanistic explanation for the "general-purpose genotype hypothesis" and the "genetic paradox of invasions".
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter Vogt
- Faculty of Biosciences, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Juliane Veigl S. Do heritable immune responses extend physiological individuality? HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 44:67. [PMID: 36427106 PMCID: PMC9700645 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-022-00549-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Immunology and its philosophy are a primary source for thinking about biological individuality. Through its discriminatory function, the immune system is believed to delineate organism and environment within one generation, thus defining the physiological individual. Based on the paradigmatic instantiations of immune systems, immune interactions and, thus, the physiological individual are believed to last only for one generation. However, in recent years, transgenerationally persisting immune responses have been reported in several phyla, but the consequences for physiological individuality have not yet been explored. In this article, I will introduce an invertebrate immune system that is RNA-based and operates through a heritable silencing/licensing paradigm. I will discuss how such a perspective on immune systems can illuminate our conceptions of individuality. I will particularly introduce an account of immunological individuality that is not restricted to one generation.
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Kundariya H, Sanchez R, Yang X, Hafner A, Mackenzie SA. Methylome decoding of RdDM-mediated reprogramming effects in the Arabidopsis MSH1 system. Genome Biol 2022; 23:167. [PMID: 35927734 PMCID: PMC9351182 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02731-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plants undergo programmed chromatin changes in response to environment, influencing heritable phenotypic plasticity. The RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway is an essential component of this reprogramming process. The relationship of epigenomic changes to gene networks on a genome-wide basis has been elusive, particularly for intragenic DNA methylation repatterning. Results Epigenomic reprogramming is tractable to detailed study and cross-species modeling in the MSH1 system, where perturbation of the plant-specific gene MSH1 triggers at least four distinct nongenetic states to impact plant stress response and growth vigor. Within this system, we have defined RdDM target loci toward decoding phenotype-relevant methylome data. We analyze intragenic methylome repatterning associated with phenotype transitions, identifying state-specific cytosine methylation changes in pivotal growth-versus-stress, chromatin remodeling, and RNA spliceosome gene networks that encompass 871 genes. Over 77% of these genes, and 81% of their central network hubs, are functionally confirmed as RdDM targets based on analysis of mutant datasets and sRNA cluster associations. These dcl2/dcl3/dcl4-sensitive gene methylation sites, many present as singular cytosines, reside within identifiable sequence motifs. These data reflect intragenic methylation repatterning that is targeted and amenable to prediction. Conclusions A prevailing assumption that biologically relevant DNA methylation variation occurs predominantly in density-defined differentially methylated regions overlooks behavioral features of intragenic, single-site cytosine methylation variation. RdDM-dependent methylation changes within identifiable sequence motifs reveal gene hubs within networks discriminating stress response and growth vigor epigenetic phenotypes. This study uncovers components of a methylome “code” for de novo intragenic methylation repatterning during plant phenotype transitions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-022-02731-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardik Kundariya
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 362 Frear N Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Robersy Sanchez
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 362 Frear N Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Xiaodong Yang
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 362 Frear N Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,School of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Alenka Hafner
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 362 Frear N Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Plant Biology Graduate Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sally A Mackenzie
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 362 Frear N Bldg, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Legüe M, Caneo M, Aguila B, Pollak B, Calixto A. Interspecies effectors of a transgenerational memory of bacterial infection in Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2022; 25:104627. [PMID: 35800768 PMCID: PMC9254006 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The inheritance of memory is an adaptive trait. Microbes challenge the immunity of organisms and trigger behavioral adaptations that can be inherited, but how bacteria produce inheritance of a trait is unknown. We use Caenorhabditis elegans and its bacteria to study the transgenerational RNA dynamics of interspecies crosstalk leading to a heritable behavior. A heritable response of C. elegans to microbes is the pathogen-induced diapause (PIDF), a state of suspended animation to evade infection. We identify RsmY, a small RNA involved in quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a trigger of PIDF. The histone methyltransferase (HMT) SET-18/SMYD3 and the argonaute HRDE-1, which promotes multi-generational silencing in the germline, are also needed for PIDF initiation. The HMT SET-25/EHMT2 is necessary for memory maintenance in the transgenerational lineage. Our work is a starting point to understanding microbiome-induced inheritance of acquired traits, and the transgenerational influence of microbes in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Legüe
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2366103, Chile
| | - Mauricio Caneo
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2366103, Chile
| | - Blanca Aguila
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2366103, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Microbiología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Andrea Calixto
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2366103, Chile
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10
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Braun M, Shoshani S, Teixeira J, Mellul Shtern A, Miller M, Granot Z, Fischer SE, Garcia SMA, Tabach Y. Asymmetric inheritance of RNA toxicity in C. elegans expressing CTG repeats. iScience 2022; 25:104246. [PMID: 35494247 PMCID: PMC9051633 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleotide repeat expansions are a hallmark of over 40 neurodegenerative diseases and cause RNA toxicity and multisystemic symptoms that worsen with age. Through an unclear mechanism, RNA toxicity can trigger severe disease manifestation in infants if the repeats are inherited from their mother. Here we use Caenorhabditis elegans bearing expanded CUG repeats to show that this asymmetric intergenerational inheritance of toxicity contributes to disease pathogenesis. In addition, we show that this mechanism is dependent on small RNA pathways with maternal repeat-derived small RNAs causing transcriptomic changes in the offspring, reduced motility, and shortened lifespan. We rescued the toxicity phenotypes in the offspring by perturbing the RNAi machinery in the affected hermaphrodites. This points to a novel mechanism linking maternal bias and the RNAi machinery and suggests that toxic RNA is transmitted to offspring, causing disease phenotypes through intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Maternal origin of expanded CUG repeats induces RNA toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans offspring Offspring of affected hermaphrodites show molecular and phenotypic disease phenotypes The RNAi machinery is directly related to the maternal inheritance of RNA toxicity Altering the RNAi machinery in affected hermaphrodites rescues toxicity in offspring
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Braun
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Shachar Shoshani
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Joana Teixeira
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00790 Finland
| | - Anna Mellul Shtern
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Maya Miller
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Zvi Granot
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Sylvia E.J. Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Susana M.D. A. Garcia
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00790 Finland
- Corresponding author
| | - Yuval Tabach
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
- Corresponding author
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11
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Chen X, Rechavi O. Plant and animal small RNA communications between cells and organisms. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:185-203. [PMID: 34707241 PMCID: PMC9208737 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Since the discovery of eukaryotic small RNAs as the main effectors of RNA interference in the late 1990s, diverse types of endogenous small RNAs have been characterized, most notably microRNAs, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). These small RNAs associate with Argonaute proteins and, through sequence-specific gene regulation, affect almost every major biological process. Intriguing features of small RNAs, such as their mechanisms of amplification, rapid evolution and non-cell-autonomous function, bestow upon them the capacity to function as agents of intercellular communications in development, reproduction and immunity, and even in transgenerational inheritance. Although there are many types of extracellular small RNAs, and despite decades of research, the capacity of these molecules to transmit signals between cells and between organisms is still highly controversial. In this Review, we discuss evidence from different plants and animals that small RNAs can act in a non-cell-autonomous manner and even exchange information between species. We also discuss mechanistic insights into small RNA communications, such as the nature of the mobile agents, small RNA signal amplification during transit, signal perception and small RNA activity at the destination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Chen
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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12
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Zagoskin MV, Wang J, Neff AT, Veronezi GMB, Davis RE. Small RNA pathways in the nematode Ascaris in the absence of piRNAs. Nat Commun 2022; 13:837. [PMID: 35149688 PMCID: PMC8837657 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28482-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Small RNA pathways play key and diverse regulatory roles in C. elegans, but our understanding of their conservation and contributions in other nematodes is limited. We analyzed small RNA pathways in the divergent parasitic nematode Ascaris. Ascaris has ten Argonautes with five worm-specific Argonautes (WAGOs) that associate with secondary 5’-triphosphate 22-24G-RNAs. These small RNAs target repetitive sequences or mature mRNAs and are similar to the C. elegans mutator, nuclear, and CSR-1 small RNA pathways. Even in the absence of a piRNA pathway, Ascaris CSR-1 may still function to “license” as well as fine-tune or repress gene expression. Ascaris ALG-4 and its associated 26G-RNAs target and likely repress specific mRNAs during testis meiosis. Ascaris WAGO small RNAs demonstrate target plasticity changing their targets between repeats and mRNAs during development. We provide a unique and comprehensive view of mRNA and small RNA expression throughout spermatogenesis. Overall, our study illustrates the conservation, divergence, dynamics, and flexibility of small RNA pathways in nematodes. The parasitic nematode Ascaris lacks piRNAs. Here the authors compare Argonaute proteins and small RNAs from C. elegans and Ascaris, expanding our understanding of the conservation, divergence, and flexibility of Argonautes and small RNA pathways in nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim V Zagoskin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.,RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA. .,RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. .,UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Ashley T Neff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Giovana M B Veronezi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Richard E Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA. .,RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
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13
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Li C, Gent JI, Xu H, Fu H, Russell SD, Sundaresan V. Resetting of the 24-nt siRNA landscape in rice zygotes. Genome Res 2022; 32:309-323. [PMID: 34949668 PMCID: PMC8805726 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275981.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The zygote, a totipotent stem cell, is crucial to the life cycle of sexually reproducing organisms. It is produced by the fusion of two differentiated cells-the egg and sperm, which in plants have radically different siRNA transcriptomes from each other and from multicellular embryos. Owing to technical challenges, the epigenetic changes that accompany the transition from differentiated gametes to totipotent zygote are poorly understood. Because siRNAs serve as both regulators and outputs of the epigenome, we characterized small RNA transcriptomes of zygotes from rice. Zygote small RNAs exhibit extensive maternal carryover and an apparent lack of paternal contribution, indicated by absence of sperm signature siRNAs. Zygote formation is accompanied by widespread redistribution of 24-nt siRNAs relative to gametes, such that ∼70% of the zygote siRNA loci do not overlap any egg cell siRNA loci. Newly detected siRNA loci in zygote are gene-proximal and not associated with centromeric heterochromatin, similar to canonical siRNAs, in sharp contrast to gametic siRNA loci that are gene-distal and heterochromatic. In addition, zygote but not egg siRNA loci are associated with high DNA methylation in the mature embryo. Thus, the zygote begins transitioning before the first embryonic division to an siRNA profile that is associated with future RdDM in embryogenesis. These findings indicate that, in addition to changes in gene expression, the transition to totipotency in the plant zygote is accompanied by resetting of the epigenetic reprogramming that occurred during gamete formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxin Li
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Jonathan I Gent
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Hengping Xu
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Hong Fu
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Scott D Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
| | - Venkatesan Sundaresan
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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14
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Molecular insights into transgenerational inheritance of stress memory. J Genet Genomics 2021; 49:89-95. [PMID: 34923165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence to show that environmental stressors can regulate a variety of phenotypes in descendants through germline-mediated epigenetic inheritance. Studies of model organisms exposed to environmental cues (e.g., diet, heat stress, toxins) indicate that altered DNA methylations, histone modifications, or non-coding RNAs in the germ cells are responsible for the transgenerational effects. In addition, it has also become evident that maternal provision could provide a mechanism for the transgenerational inheritance of stress adaptations that result from ancestral environmental cues. However, how the signal of environmentally-induced stress response transmits from the soma to the germline, which may influence offspring fitness, remains largely elusive. Small RNAs could serve as signaling molecules that transmit between tissues and even across generations. Furthermore, a recent study revealed that neuronal mitochondrial perturbations induce a transgenerational induction of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response mediated by a Wnt-dependent increase in mitochondrial DNA levels. Here, we review recent work on the molecular mechanism by which parental experience can affect future generations and the importance of soma-to-germline signaling for transgenerational inheritance.
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15
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Anastasiadi D, Venney CJ, Bernatchez L, Wellenreuther M. Epigenetic inheritance and reproductive mode in plants and animals. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:1124-1140. [PMID: 34489118 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance is another piece of the puzzle of nongenetic inheritance, although the prevalence, sources, persistence, and phenotypic consequences of heritable epigenetic marks across taxa remain unclear. We systematically reviewed over 500 studies from the past 5 years to identify trends in the frequency of epigenetic inheritance due to differences in reproductive mode and germline development. Genetic, intrinsic (e.g., disease), and extrinsic (e.g., environmental) factors were identified as sources of epigenetic inheritance, with impacts on phenotype and adaptation depending on environmental predictability. Our review shows that multigenerational persistence of epigenomic patterns is common in both plants and animals, but also highlights many knowledge gaps that remain to be filled. We provide a framework to guide future studies towards understanding the generational persistence and eco-evolutionary significance of epigenomic patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafni Anastasiadi
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Nelson Research Centre, 293 Akersten St, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
| | - Clare J Venney
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Nelson Research Centre, 293 Akersten St, Nelson 7010, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, 3A Symonds St, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
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16
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Silva WTAF, Otto SP, Immler S. Evolution of plasticity in production and transgenerational inheritance of small RNAs under dynamic environmental conditions. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009581. [PMID: 34038409 PMCID: PMC8186813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In a changing environment, small RNAs (sRNAs) play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and can vary in abundance depending on the conditions experienced by an individual (phenotypic plasticity) and its parents (non-genetic inheritance). Many sRNAs are unusual in that they can be produced in two ways, either using genomic DNA as the template (primary sRNAs) or existing sRNAs as the template (secondary sRNAs). Thus, organisms can evolve rapid plastic responses to their current environment by adjusting the amplification rate of sRNA templates. sRNA levels can also be transmitted transgenerationally by the direct transfer of either sRNAs or the proteins involved in amplification. Theory is needed to describe the selective forces acting on sRNA levels, accounting for the dual nature of sRNAs as regulatory elements and templates for amplification and for the potential to transmit sRNAs and their amplification agents to offspring. Here, we develop a model to study the dynamics of sRNA production and inheritance in a fluctuating environment. We tested the selective advantage of mutants capable of sRNA-mediated phenotypic plasticity within resident populations with fixed levels of sRNA transcription. Even when the resident was allowed to evolve an optimal constant rate of sRNA production, plastic amplification rates capable of responding to environmental conditions were favored. Mechanisms allowing sRNA transcripts or amplification agents to be inherited were favored primarily when parents and offspring face similar environments and when selection acts before the optimal level of sRNA can be reached within the organism. Our study provides a clear set of testable predictions for the evolution of sRNA-related mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity and transgenerational inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah P. Otto
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Simone Immler
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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17
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The "missing heritability"-Problem in psychiatry: Is the interaction of genetics, epigenetics and transposable elements a potential solution? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:23-42. [PMID: 33757815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders exhibit an enormous burden on the health care systems worldwide accounting for around one-third of years lost due to disability among adults. Their etiology is largely unknown and diagnostic classification is based on symptomatology and course of illness and not on objective biomarkers. Most psychiatric disorders are moderately to highly heritable. However, it is still unknown what mechanisms may explain the discrepancy between heritability estimates and the present data from genetic analysis. In addition to genetic differences also epigenetic modifications are considered as potentially relevant in the transfer of susceptibility to psychiatric diseases. Though, whether or not epigenetic alterations can be inherited for many generations is highly controversial. In the present article, we will critically summarize both the genetic findings and the results from epigenetic analyses, including also those of noncoding RNAs. We will argue that one possible solution to the "missing heritability" problem in psychiatry is a potential role of retrotransposons, the exploration of which is presently only in its beginnings.
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18
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Houri-Zeevi L, Teichman G, Gingold H, Rechavi O. Stress resets ancestral heritable small RNA responses. eLife 2021; 10:e65797. [PMID: 33729152 PMCID: PMC8021399 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenerational inheritance of small RNAs challenges basic concepts of heredity. In Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, small RNAs are transmitted across generations to establish a transgenerational memory trace of ancestral environments and distinguish self-genes from non-self-elements. Carryover of aberrant heritable small RNA responses was shown to be maladaptive and to lead to sterility. Here, we show that various types of stress (starvation, high temperatures, and high osmolarity) induce resetting of ancestral small RNA responses and a genome-wide reduction in heritable small RNA levels. We found that mutants that are defective in various stress pathways exhibit irregular RNAi inheritance dynamics even in the absence of stress. Moreover, we discovered that resetting of ancestral RNAi responses is specifically orchestrated by factors that function in the p38 MAPK pathway and the transcription factor SKN-1/Nrf2. Stress-dependent termination of small RNA inheritance could protect from run-on of environment-irrelevant heritable gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Houri-Zeevi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Guy Teichman
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Hila Gingold
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
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19
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Mendenhall AR, Martin GM, Kaeberlein M, Anderson RM. Cell-to-cell variation in gene expression and the aging process. GeroScience 2021; 43:181-196. [PMID: 33595768 PMCID: PMC8050212 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00339-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is tremendous variation in biological traits, and much of it is not accounted for by variation in DNA sequence, including human diseases and lifespan. Emerging evidence points to differences in the execution of the genetic program as a key source of variation, be it stochastic variation or programmed variation. Here we discuss variation in gene expression as an intrinsic property and how it could contribute to variation in traits, including the rate of aging. The review is divided into sections describing the historical context and evidence to date for nongenetic variation, the different approaches that may be used to detect nongenetic variation, and recent findings showing that the amount of variation in gene expression can be both genetically programmed and epigenetically controlled. Finally, we present evidence that changes in cell-to-cell variation in gene expression emerge as part of the aging process and may be linked to disease vulnerability as a function of age. These emerging concepts are likely to be important across the spectrum of biomedical research and may well underpin what we understand as biological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Mendenhall
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Nathan Shock Center for Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - George M Martin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Nathan Shock Center for Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Nathan Shock Center for Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rozalyn M Anderson
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, William S Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
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20
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Lev I, Rechavi O. Germ Granules Allow Transmission of Small RNA-Based Parental Responses in the "Germ Plasm". iScience 2020; 23:101831. [PMID: 33305186 PMCID: PMC7718480 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the recent decade small RNA-based inheritance has been implicated in a variety of transmitted physiological responses to the environment. In Caenorhabditis elegans, heritable small RNAs rely on RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, RNA-processing machinery, chromatin modifiers, and argonauts for their biogenesis and gene-regulatory effects. Importantly, many of these factors reside in evolutionary conserved germ granules that are required for maintaining germ cell identity and gene expression. Recent literature demonstrated that transient disturbance to the stability of the germ granules leads to changes in the pools of heritable small RNAs and the physiology of the progeny. In this piece, we discuss the heritable consequences of transient destabilization of germ granules and elaborate on the various small RNA-related processes that act in the germ granules. We further propose that germ granules may serve as environment sensors that translate environmental changes to inheritable small RNA-based responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itamar Lev
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-BioCenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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21
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Nijhout HF, Kudla AM, Hazelwood CC. Genetic assimilation and accommodation: Models and mechanisms. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 141:337-369. [PMID: 33602492 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetic assimilation and genetic accommodation are mechanisms by which novel phenotypes are produced and become established in a population. Novel characters may be fixed and canalized so they are insensitive to environmental variation, or can be plastic and adaptively responsive to environmental variation. In this review we explore the various theories that have been proposed to explain the developmental origin and evolution of novel phenotypes and the mechanisms by which canalization and phenotypic plasticity evolve. These theories and models range from conceptual to mathematical and have taken different views of how genes and environment contribute to the development and evolution of the properties of phenotypes. We will argue that a deeper and more nuanced understanding of genetic accommodation requires a recognition that phenotypes are not static entities but are dynamic system properties with no fixed deterministic relationship between genotype and phenotype. We suggest a mechanistic systems-view of development that allows one to incorporate both genes and environment in a common model, and that enables both quantitative analysis and visualization of the evolution of canalization and phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna M Kudla
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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22
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Ewe CK, Alok G, Rothman JH. Stressful development: integrating endoderm development, stress, and longevity. Dev Biol 2020; 471:34-48. [PMID: 33307045 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In addition to performing digestion and nutrient absorption, the intestine serves as one of the first barriers to the external environment, crucial for protecting the host from environmental toxins, pathogenic invaders, and other stress inducers. The gene regulatory network (GRN) governing embryonic development of the endoderm and subsequent differentiation and maintenance of the intestine has been well-documented in C. elegans. A key regulatory input that initiates activation of the embryonic GRN for endoderm and mesoderm in this animal is the maternally provided SKN-1 transcription factor, an ortholog of the vertebrate Nrf1 and 2, which, like C. elegans SKN-1, perform conserved regulatory roles in mediating a variety of stress responses across metazoan phylogeny. Other key regulatory factors in early gut development also participate in stress response as well as in innate immunity and aging and longevity. In this review, we discuss the intersection between genetic nodes that mediate endoderm/intestine differentiation and regulation of stress and homeostasis. We also consider how direct signaling from the intestine to the germline, in some cases involving SKN-1, facilitates heritable epigenetic changes, allowing transmission of adaptive stress responses across multiple generations. These connections between regulation of endoderm/intestine development and stress response mechanisms suggest that varying selective pressure exerted on the stress response pathways may influence the architecture of the endoderm GRN, thereby leading to genetic and epigenetic variation in early embryonic GRN regulatory events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Kiang Ewe
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Geneva Alok
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Joel H Rothman
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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23
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Zhang J, Piao HY, Wang Y, Meng XY, Yang D, Zhao Y, Zheng ZC. To Develop and Validate the Combination of RNA Methylation Regulators for the Prognosis of Patients with Gastric Cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:10785-10795. [PMID: 33122917 PMCID: PMC7591098 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s276239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gastric cancer (GC) accounts for high mortality. RNA methylation has recently gained interest as markers in specific tumors. This study aimed to uncover the function of the roles of 25 RNA methylation regulators in GC. Methods RNA sequence and clinical data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. “STRING” and R were performed to analyze the correlation among the methylase. COX and LASSO were performed to screen for prognostic associated RNA methylation regulators. A prognostic model was established based on the expression of methylase. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry detected the expression of methylase in GC cells and tissue. Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox analysis were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the model. Results The prediction model was established based on the expression of m6A RNA methylation regulators FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) and RBM15 (RNA binding motif protein 15). Based on the model, GC patients were divided into “high risk” and “low risk” groups to compare the differences in survival. The model was re-evaluated with the clinical data of our center. Conclusion The two-methylase combination model was an independent prognostic factor of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Gastric Cancer Department, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Yan Piao
- Medical Oncology Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Wang
- Gastric Cancer Department, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Yu Meng
- Gastric Cancer Department, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Yang
- Gastric Cancer Department, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Gastric Cancer Department, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Chao Zheng
- Gastric Cancer Department, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital & Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110042, People's Republic of China
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24
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Adrian-Kalchhauser I, Sultan SE, Shama LNS, Spence-Jones H, Tiso S, Keller Valsecchi CI, Weissing FJ. Understanding 'Non-genetic' Inheritance: Insights from Molecular-Evolutionary Crosstalk. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:1078-1089. [PMID: 33036806 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary and ecological roles of 'non-genetic' inheritance (NGI) is daunting due to the complexity and diversity of epigenetic mechanisms. We draw on insights from molecular and evolutionary biology perspectives to identify three general features of 'non-genetic' inheritance systems: (i) they are functionally interdependent with, rather than separate from, DNA sequence; (ii) precise mechanisms vary phylogenetically and operationally; and (iii) epigenetic elements are probabilistic, interactive regulatory factors and not deterministic 'epialleles' with defined genomic locations and effects. We discuss each of these features and offer recommendations for future empirical and theoretical research that implements a unifying inherited gene regulation (IGR) approach to studies of 'non-genetic' inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Department for Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Sonia E Sultan
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Lisa N S Shama
- Coastal Ecology Section, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Hafenstrasse 43, 25992 List, Germany
| | - Helen Spence-Jones
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Stefano Tiso
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Franz J Weissing
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Lind MI, Zwoinska MK, Andersson J, Carlsson H, Krieg T, Larva T, Maklakov AA. Environmental variation mediates the evolution of anticipatory parental effects. Evol Lett 2020; 4:371-381. [PMID: 32774885 PMCID: PMC7403678 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory maintains that when future environment is predictable, parents should adjust the phenotype of their offspring to match the anticipated environment. The plausibility of positive anticipatory parental effects is hotly debated and the experimental evidence for the evolution of such effects is currently lacking. We experimentally investigated the evolution of anticipatory maternal effects in a range of environments that differ drastically in how predictable they are. Populations of the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei, adapted to 20°C, were exposed to a novel temperature (25°C) for 30 generations with either positive or zero correlation between parent and offspring environment. We found that populations evolving in novel environments that were predictable across generations evolved a positive anticipatory maternal effect, because they required maternal exposure to 25°C to achieve maximum reproduction in that temperature. In contrast, populations evolving under zero environmental correlation had lost this anticipatory maternal effect. Similar but weaker patterns were found if instead rate‐sensitive population growth was used as a fitness measure. These findings demonstrate that anticipatory parental effects evolve in response to environmental change so that ill‐fitting parental effects can be rapidly lost. Evolution of positive anticipatory parental effects can aid population viability in rapidly changing but predictable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin I Lind
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim NO-7491 Norway
| | - Martyna K Zwoinska
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden
| | - Johan Andersson
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden
| | - Hanne Carlsson
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ United Kingdom
| | - Therese Krieg
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden
| | - Tuuli Larva
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden
| | - Alexei A Maklakov
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala 752 36 Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ United Kingdom
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26
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Natural cryptic variation in epigenetic modulation of an embryonic gene regulatory network. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13637-13646. [PMID: 32482879 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920343117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that direct animal embryogenesis must respond to varying environmental and physiological conditions to ensure robust construction of organ systems. While GRNs are evolutionarily modified by natural genomic variation, the roles of epigenetic processes in shaping plasticity of GRN architecture are not well understood. The endoderm GRN in Caenorhabditis elegans is initiated by the maternally supplied SKN-1/Nrf2 bZIP transcription factor; however, the requirement for SKN-1 in endoderm specification varies widely among distinct C. elegans wild isotypes, owing to rapid developmental system drift driven by accumulation of cryptic genetic variants. We report here that heritable epigenetic factors that are stimulated by transient developmental diapause also underlie cryptic variation in the requirement for SKN-1 in endoderm development. This epigenetic memory is inherited from the maternal germline, apparently through a nuclear, rather than cytoplasmic, signal, resulting in a parent-of-origin effect (POE), in which the phenotype of the progeny resembles that of the maternal founder. The occurrence and persistence of POE varies between different parental pairs, perduring for at least 10 generations in one pair. This long-perduring POE requires piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) function and the germline nuclear RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, as well as MET-2 and SET-32, which direct histone H3K9 trimethylation and drive heritable epigenetic modification. Such nongenetic cryptic variation may provide a resource of additional phenotypic diversity through which adaptation may facilitate evolutionary changes and shape developmental regulatory systems.
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Braga DL, Mousovich-Neto F, Tonon-da-Silva G, Salgueiro WG, Mori MA. Epigenetic changes during ageing and their underlying mechanisms. Biogerontology 2020; 21:423-443. [PMID: 32356238 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-020-09874-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
As life expectancy increases worldwide, ageing and age-related diseases arise as a major issue for societies around the globe. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the ageing process is thus instrumental for the development of efficient interventions aimed to prevent and treat age-related conditions. Current knowledge in the biogerontology field points to epigenetics as a critical component of the ageing process, not only by serving as a bona-fide marker of biological age but also by controlling and conferring inheritability to cellular and organismal ageing. This is reflected by a myriad of evidences demonstrating the relationship between DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling and small non-coding RNAs and several age-related phenotypes. Given the reversibility of epigenetic alterations, epigenetic reprogramming may also be envisioned as a potential approach to treat age-related disorders. Here we review how different types of epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the ageing process. In addition, we highlight how interventions modulate epigenetics and thus promote health- and lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deisi L Braga
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
- Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Felippe Mousovich-Neto
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Tonon-da-Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
- Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Willian G Salgueiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
- Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Marcelo A Mori
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil.
- Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center (OCRC), University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil.
- Experimental Medicine Research Cluster (EMRC), University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil.
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Helanterä H, Uller T. Different perspectives on non-genetic inheritance illustrate the versatile utility of the Price equation in evolutionary biology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190366. [PMID: 32146886 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of genetic and non-genetic processes that make offspring resemble their parents are increasingly well understood. In addition to genetic inheritance, parent-offspring similarity is affected by epigenetic, behavioural and cultural mechanisms that collectively can be referred to as non-genetic inheritance. Given the generality of the Price equation as a description of evolutionary change, is it not surprising that the Price equation has been adopted to model the evolutionary implications of non-genetic inheritance. In this paper, we briefly introduce the heredity perspectives on which those models rely, discuss the extent to which these perspectives make different assumptions and place different emphases on the roles of heredity and development in evolution, and the types of empirical research programmes they motivate. The existence of multiple perspectives and explanatory aims highlight, on the one hand, the versatility of the Price equation and, on the other hand, the importance of understanding how heredity and development can be conceptualized in evolutionary studies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of the Price equation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heikki Helanterä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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Colicchio JM, Herman J. Empirical patterns of environmental variation favor adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1648-1665. [PMID: 32076541 PMCID: PMC7029079 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of parental environment on offspring traits have been well known for decades. Interest in this transgenerational form of phenotypic plasticity has recently surged due to advances in our understanding of its mechanistic basis. Theoretical research has simultaneously advanced by predicting the environmental conditions that should favor the adaptive evolution of transgenerational plasticity. Yet whether such conditions actually exist in nature remains largely unexplored. Here, using long-term climate data, we modeled optimal levels of transgenerational plasticity for an organism with a one-year life cycle at a spatial resolution of 4 km2 across the continental United States. Both annual temperature and precipitation levels were often autocorrelated, but the strength and direction of these autocorrelations varied considerably even among nearby sites. When present, such environmental autocorrelations render offspring environments statistically predictable based on the parental environment, a key condition for the adaptive evolution of transgenerational plasticity. Results of our optimality models were consistent with this prediction: High levels of transgenerational plasticity were favored at sites with strong environmental autocorrelations, and little-to-no transgenerational plasticity was favored at sites with weak or nonexistent autocorrelations. These results are among the first to show that natural patterns of environmental variation favor the evolution of adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Furthermore, these findings suggest that transgenerational plasticity is likely variable in nature, depending on site-specific patterns of environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack M. Colicchio
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Jacob Herman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
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30
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Lehto WR, Tinghitella RM. Predator‐induced maternal and paternal effects independently alter sexual selection. Evolution 2020; 74:404-418. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Whitley R. Lehto
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Denver Denver Colorado 80210
- Current Address: College of Natural Science Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48823
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31
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Xu F, Feng X, Chen X, Weng C, Yan Q, Xu T, Hong M, Guang S. A Cytoplasmic Argonaute Protein Promotes the Inheritance of RNAi. Cell Rep 2019; 23:2482-2494. [PMID: 29791857 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.04.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
RNAi-elicited gene silencing is heritable and can persist for multiple generations after its initial induction in C. elegans. However, the mechanism by which parental-acquired trait-specific information from RNAi is inherited by the progenies is not fully understood. Here, we identified a cytoplasmic Argonaute protein, WAGO-4, necessary for the inheritance of RNAi. WAGO-4 exhibits asymmetrical translocation to the germline during early embryogenesis, accumulates at the perinuclear foci in the germline, and is required for the inheritance of exogenous RNAi targeting both germline- and soma-expressed genes. WAGO-4 binds to 22G-RNAs and their mRNA targets. Interestingly, WAGO-4-associated endogenous 22G-RNAs target the same cohort of germline genes as CSR-1 and contain untemplated addition of uracil at the 3' ends. The poly(U) polymerase CDE-1 is required for the untemplated uridylation of 22G-RNAs and inheritance of RNAi. Therefore, we conclude that, in addition to the nuclear RNAi pathway, the cytoplasmic RNAi machinery also promotes RNAi inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Xuezhu Feng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Xiangyang Chen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Chenchun Weng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Qi Yan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Minjie Hong
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Shouhong Guang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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32
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Heinemann JA. Should dsRNA treatments applied in outdoor environments be regulated? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 132:104856. [PMID: 31174887 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) issued a Decision that makes the use of externally applied double-stranded (ds)RNA molecules on eukaryotic cells or organisms technically out of scope of legislation on new organisms, making risk assessments of such treatments in the open environment unnecessary. The Decision was based on its view that the treatment does not create new or genetically modified organisms and rests on the EPA's conclusions that dsRNA is not heritable and is not a mutagen. For these reasons EPA decided that treatments using dsRNA do not modify genes or other genetic material. I found from an independent review of the literature on the topic indicated, however, that each of the major scientific justifications relied upon by the EPA was based on either an inaccurate interpretation of evidence or failure to consult the research literature pertaining to additional types of eukaryotes. The Decision also did not take into account the unknown and unique eukaryotic biodiversity of New Zealand. The safe use of RNA-based technology holds promise for addressing complex and persistent challenges in public health, agriculture and conservation. However, by failing to restrict the source or means of modifying the dsRNA, the EPA removed regulatory oversight that could prevent unintended consequences of this new technology such as suppression of genes other than those selected for suppression or the release of viral genes or genomes by failing to restrict the source or means of modifying the dsRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Heinemann
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Integrative Research in Biosafety, Centre for Integrative Ecology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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33
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Herst PM, Dalvai M, Lessard M, Charest PL, Navarro P, Joly-Beauparlant C, Droit A, Trasler JM, Kimmins S, MacFarlane AJ, Benoit-Biancamano MO, Bailey JL. Folic acid supplementation reduces multigenerational sperm miRNA perturbation induced by in utero environmental contaminant exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2019; 5:dvz024. [PMID: 31853372 PMCID: PMC6911352 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can induce epigenetic changes in the paternal germline. Here, we report that folic acid (FA) supplementation mitigates sperm miRNA profiles transgenerationally following in utero paternal exposure to POPs in a rat model. Pregnant founder dams were exposed to an environmentally relevant POPs mixture (or corn oil) ± FA supplementation and subsequent F1-F4 male descendants were not exposed to POPs and were fed the FA control diet. Sperm miRNA profiles of intergenerational (F1, F2) and transgenerational (F3, F4) lineages were investigated using miRNA deep sequencing. Across the F1-F4 generations, sperm miRNA profiles were less perturbed with POPs+FA compared to sperm from descendants of dams treated with POPs alone. POPs exposure consistently led to alteration of three sperm miRNAs across two generations, and similarly one sperm miRNA due to POPs+FA; which was in common with one POPs intergenerationally altered sperm miRNA. The sperm miRNAs that were affected by POPs alone are known to target genes involved in mammary gland and embryonic organ development in F1, sex differentiation and reproductive system development in F2 and cognition and brain development in F3. When the POPs treatment was combined with FA supplementation, however, these same miRNA-targeted gene pathways were perturbed to a lesser extend and only in F1 sperm. These findings suggest that FA partially mitigates the effect of POPs on paternally derived miRNA in a intergenerational manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Herst
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - M Dalvai
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - M Lessard
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - P L Charest
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - P Navarro
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - C Joly-Beauparlant
- Computational Biology Laboratory Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - A Droit
- Computational Biology Laboratory Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
| | - J M Trasler
- Departments of Pediatrics, Human Genetics and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, and The Montreal Children's Hospital and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - S Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - A J MacFarlane
- Nutrition Research Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - M-O Benoit-Biancamano
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal University, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - J L Bailey
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
- Correspondence address. Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Pavillon Paul-Comtois, 2425, rue de l'Agriculture. Tel: +1-418-571-7034; Fax: +1-418- 656-3766; E-mail:
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34
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Casier K, Boivin A, Carré C, Teysset L. Environmentally-Induced Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: Implication of PIWI Interacting RNAs. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091108. [PMID: 31546882 PMCID: PMC6770481 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmentally-induced transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is an emerging field. The understanding of associated epigenetic mechanisms is currently in progress with open questions still remaining. In this review, we present an overview of the knowledge of environmentally-induced transgenerational inheritance and associated epigenetic mechanisms, mainly in animals. The second part focuses on the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a class of small RNAs involved in the maintenance of the germline genome, in epigenetic memory to put into perspective cases of environmentally-induced transgenerational inheritance involving piRNA production. Finally, the last part addresses how genomes are facing production of new piRNAs, and from a broader perspective, how this process might have consequences on evolution and on sporadic disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Casier
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Antoine Boivin
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Clément Carré
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Laure Teysset
- Transgenerational Epigenetics & small RNA Biology, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Biologie du Développement, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR7622, 75005 Paris, France.
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35
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Germ cell-mediated mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 97:116-122. [PMID: 31404658 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that lifestyle and other environmental factors have the potential to shape our own health and future. Research from the last two decades, however, provides mounting evidence that parental exposures or experiences such as dietary challenges, toxin exposure, or stress can impact the health and future of our offspring. There are indications that both the paternal and maternal germline are able to store information of the parental environment and pass certain information on to their progeny. These intergenerational effects are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. This review summarizes and discusses insights into germline epigenetic plasticity caused by environmental stimuli and how such alterations are transmitted to induce a stable phenotype in the offspring.
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Abstract
The idea that epigenetic determinants such as DNA methylation, histone modifications or RNA can be passed to the next generation through meiotic products (gametes) is long standing. Such meiotic epigenetic inheritance (MEI) is fairly common in yeast, plants and nematodes, but its extent in mammals has been much debated. Advances in genomics techniques are now driving the profiling of germline and zygotic epigenomes, thereby improving our understanding of MEI in diverse species. Whereas the role of DNA methylation in MEI remains unclear, insights from genome-wide studies suggest that a previously underappreciated fraction of mammalian genomes bypass epigenetic reprogramming during development. Notably, intergenerational inheritance of histone modifications, tRNA fragments and microRNAs can affect gene regulation in the offspring. It is important to note that MEI in mammals rarely constitutes transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI), which spans multiple generations. In this Review, we discuss the examples of MEI in mammals, including mammalian epigenome reprogramming, and the molecular mechanisms of MEI in vertebrates in general. We also discuss the implications of the inheritance of histone modifications and small RNA for embryogenesis in metazoans, with a particular focus on insights gained from genome-wide studies.
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37
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Proulx SR, Dey S, Guzella T, Teotónio H. How differing modes of non-genetic inheritance affect population viability in fluctuating environments. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1767-1775. [PMID: 31436016 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Different modes of non-genetic inheritance are expected to affect population persistence in fluctuating environments. We here analyse Caenorhabditis elegans density-independent per capita growth rate time series on 36 populations experiencing six controlled sequences of challenging oxygen level fluctuations across 60 generations, and parameterise competing models of non-genetic inheritance in order to explain observed dynamics. Our analysis shows that phenotypic plasticity and anticipatory maternal effects are sufficient to explain growth rate dynamics, but that a carryover model where 'epigenetic' memory is imperfectly transmitted and might be reset at each generation is a better fit to the data. We further find that this epigenetic memory is asymmetric since it is kept for longer when populations are exposed to the more challenging environment. Our analysis suggests that population persistence in fluctuating environments depends on the non-genetic inheritance of phenotypes whose expression is regulated across multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Proulx
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Snigdhadip Dey
- Institut de Biologie de L'École Normale Suṕerieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Thiago Guzella
- Institut de Biologie de L'École Normale Suṕerieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Henrique Teotónio
- Institut de Biologie de L'École Normale Suṕerieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005, Paris, France
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38
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Nance J, Frøkjær-Jensen C. The Caenorhabditis elegans Transgenic Toolbox. Genetics 2019; 212:959-990. [PMID: 31405997 PMCID: PMC6707460 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The power of any genetic model organism is derived, in part, from the ease with which gene expression can be manipulated. The short generation time and invariant developmental lineage have made Caenorhabditis elegans very useful for understanding, e.g., developmental programs, basic cell biology, neurobiology, and aging. Over the last decade, the C. elegans transgenic toolbox has expanded considerably, with the addition of a variety of methods to control expression and modify genes with unprecedented resolution. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of transgenic methods in C. elegans, with an emphasis on recent advances in transposon-mediated transgenesis, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, conditional gene and protein inactivation, and bipartite systems for temporal and spatial control of expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Nance
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016
| | - Christian Frøkjær-Jensen
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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Posner R, Toker IA, Antonova O, Star E, Anava S, Azmon E, Hendricks M, Bracha S, Gingold H, Rechavi O. Neuronal Small RNAs Control Behavior Transgenerationally. Cell 2019; 177:1814-1826.e15. [PMID: 31178120 PMCID: PMC6579485 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
It is unknown whether the activity of the nervous system can be inherited. In Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, parental responses can transmit heritable small RNAs that regulate gene expression transgenerationally. In this study, we show that a neuronal process can impact the next generations. Neurons-specific synthesis of RDE-4-dependent small RNAs regulates germline amplified endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and germline gene expression for multiple generations. Further, the production of small RNAs in neurons controls the chemotaxis behavior of the progeny for at least three generations via the germline Argonaute HRDE-1. Among the targets of these small RNAs, we identified the conserved gene saeg-2, which is transgenerationally downregulated in the germline. Silencing of saeg-2 following neuronal small RNA biogenesis is required for chemotaxis under stress. Thus, we propose a small-RNA-based mechanism for communication of neuronal processes transgenerationally. C. elegans neuronal small RNAs are characterized by RNA sequencing RDE-4-dependent neuronal endogenous small RNAs communicate with the germline Germline HRDE-1 mediates transgenerational regulation by neuronal small RNAs Neuronal small RNAs regulate germline genes to control behavior transgenerationally
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Posner
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Itai Antoine Toker
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Olga Antonova
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ekaterina Star
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Sarit Anava
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Eran Azmon
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Michael Hendricks
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Shahar Bracha
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Hila Gingold
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
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40
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Maternal overnutrition programs hedonic and metabolic phenotypes across generations through sperm tsRNAs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:10547-10556. [PMID: 31061112 PMCID: PMC6534971 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820810116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a major public health issue worldwide. Easy accessibility of junk food is considered a major contributor to the current obesity epidemic. Thus, the impact of maternal overnutrition in determining disease susceptibility in offspring has received wide attention. It has also been shown that the effects of maternal overnutrition are not limited to the immediate offspring but can also be transmitted to successive generations. Among different epigenetic marks, sperm small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) have recently been reported as a direct mediator of acquired traits to the progeny following postnatal trauma or paternal diet. Here, we investigate whether sperm sncRNAs contributes to the transmission of metabolic and hedonic phenotypes across generations following maternal overnutrition. There is a growing body of evidence linking maternal overnutrition to obesity and psychopathology that can be conserved across multiple generations. Recently, we demonstrated in a maternal high-fat diet (HFD; MHFD) mouse model that MHFD induced enhanced hedonic behaviors and obesogenic phenotypes that were conserved across three generations via the paternal lineage, which was independent of sperm methylome changes. Here, we show that sperm tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) partly contribute to the transmission of such phenotypes. We observe increased expression of sperm tsRNAs in the F1 male offspring born to HFD-exposed dams. Microinjection of sperm tsRNAs from the F1-HFD male into normal zygotes reproduces obesogenic phenotypes and addictive-like behaviors, such as increased preference of palatable foods and enhanced sensitivity to drugs of abuse in the resultant offspring. The expression of several of the differentially expressed sperm tsRNAs predicted targets such as CHRNA2 and GRIN3A, which have been implicated in addiction pathology, are altered in the mesolimbic reward brain regions of the F1-HFD father and the resultant HFD-tsRNA offspring. Together, our findings demonstrate that sperm tsRNA is a potential vector that contributes to the transmission of MHFD-induced addictive-like behaviors and obesogenic phenotypes across generations, thereby emphasizing its role in diverse pathological outcomes.
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Innate and Adaptive Immune Memory: an Evolutionary Continuum in the Host's Response to Pathogens. Cell Host Microbe 2019; 25:13-26. [PMID: 30629914 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 275] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Immunological memory is an important evolutionary trait that improves host survival upon reinfection. Memory is a characteristic recognized within both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Although the mechanisms and properties through which innate and adaptive immune memory are induced are distinct, they collude to improve host defense to pathogens. Here, we propose that innate immune memory, or "trained immunity," is a primitive form of adaptation in host defense, resulting from chromatin structure rearrangement, which provides an increased but non-specific response to reinfection. In contrast, adaptive immune memory is more advanced, with increased magnitude of response mediated through epigenetic changes, as well as specificity mediated by gene recombination. An integrative model of immune memory is important for broad understanding of host defense, and for identifying the most effective approaches to modulate it for the benefit of patients with infections and immune-mediated diseases.
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Clouet-d'Orval B, Batista M, Bouvier M, Quentin Y, Fichant G, Marchfelder A, Maier LK. Insights into RNA-processing pathways and associated RNA-degrading enzymes in Archaea. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 42:579-613. [PMID: 29684129 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-processing pathways are at the centre of regulation of gene expression. All RNA transcripts undergo multiple maturation steps in addition to covalent chemical modifications to become functional in the cell. This includes destroying unnecessary or defective cellular RNAs. In Archaea, information on mechanisms by which RNA species reach their mature forms and associated RNA-modifying enzymes are still fragmentary. To date, most archaeal actors and pathways have been proposed in light of information gathered from Bacteria and Eukarya. In this context, this review provides a state of the art overview of archaeal endoribonucleases and exoribonucleases that cleave and trim RNA species and also of the key small archaeal proteins that bind RNAs. Furthermore, synthetic up-to-date views of processing and biogenesis pathways of archaeal transfer and ribosomal RNAs as well as of maturation of stable small non-coding RNAs such as CRISPR RNAs, small C/D and H/ACA box guide RNAs, and other emerging classes of small RNAs are described. Finally, prospective post-transcriptional mechanisms to control archaeal messenger RNA quality and quantity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Clouet-d'Orval
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Manon Batista
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Marie Bouvier
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Yves Quentin
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Gwennaele Fichant
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
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Abstract
In 2017, The American Naturalist celebrated its 150th anniversary. It was founded as a journal of natural history, yet it developed into an important vehicle of the evolutionary synthesis. During the early years of the journal and through much of the twentieth century, evolutionary theory was developed to explain the history of nature before humankind existed to alter it-when time was expansive and uncommon events, though rare, were frequent enough to effect evolutionary change. Today, with the influence of human activity, dispersal patterns are fundamentally altered, genetic variation is locally limiting in small and fragmented populations, and environments are changing so rapidly that time itself seems limited. How can we use this theory, which was built to explain the past and which depends on an excess of chances and time, to address the challenges of the present and the future when chances are fewer and time seems so short? And does the habit of naturalists to observe, describe, and cultivate a fascination with nature have a place in contemporary science?
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Jones BM, Robinson GE. Genetic accommodation and the role of ancestral plasticity in the evolution of insect eusociality. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb153163. [PMID: 30478152 PMCID: PMC6288071 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.153163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
For over a century, biologists have proposed a role for phenotypic plasticity in evolution, providing an avenue for adaptation in addition to 'mutation-first' models of evolutionary change. According to the various versions of this idea, the ability of organisms to respond adaptively to their environment through phenotypic plasticity may lead to novel phenotypes that can be screened by natural selection. If these initially environmentally induced phenotypes increase fitness, then genetic accommodation can lead to allele frequency change, influencing the expression of those phenotypes. Despite the long history of 'plasticity-first' models, the importance of genetic accommodation in shaping evolutionary change has remained controversial - it is neither fully embraced nor completely discarded by most evolutionary biologists. We suggest that the lack of acceptance of genetic accommodation in some cases is related to a lack of information on its molecular mechanisms. However, recent reports of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance now provide a plausible mechanism through which genetic accommodation may act, and we review this research here. We also discuss current evidence supporting a role for genetic accommodation in the evolution of eusociality in social insects, which have long been models for studying the influence of the environment on phenotypic variation, and may be particularly good models for testing hypotheses related to genetic accommodation. Finally, we introduce 'eusocial engineering', a method by which novel social phenotypes are first induced by environmental modification and then studied mechanistically to understand how environmentally induced plasticity may lead to heritable changes in social behavior. We believe the time is right to incorporate genetic accommodation into models of the evolution of complex traits, armed with new molecular tools and a better understanding of non-genetic heritable elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beryl M Jones
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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45
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Zare A, Johansson AM, Karlsson E, Delhomme N, Stenberg P. The gut microbiome participates in transgenerational inheritance of low-temperature responses in Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:4078-4086. [PMID: 30372516 PMCID: PMC6587461 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Environmental perturbations induce transcriptional changes, some of which may be inherited even in the absence of the initial stimulus. Previous studies have focused on transfers through the germline although microbiota is also passed on to the offspring. Thus, we inspected the involvement of the gut microbiome in transgenerational inheritance of environmental exposures in Drosophila melanogaster. We grew flies in the cold versus control temperatures and compared their transcriptional patterns in both conditions as well as in their offspring. F2 flies grew in control temperature, while we controlled their microbiota acquisition from either F1 sets. Transcriptional status of some genes was conserved transgenerationally, and a subset of these genes, mainly expressed in the gut, was transcriptionally dependent on the acquired microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aman Zare
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Sweden
| | | | - Edvin Karlsson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Sweden.,Division of CBRN Security and Defence, FOI-Swedish, Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nicolas Delhomme
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per Stenberg
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Sweden.,Division of CBRN Security and Defence, FOI-Swedish, Defence Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG), Umeå University, Sweden
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46
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McCormick S. Altered phenotypes via graft-transmitted siRNAs. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 96:3-4. [PMID: 30240544 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
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47
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Yu N, Cao L, Yuan L, Zhi X, Chen Y, Gan S, Chen L. Maintenance of grafting-induced epigenetic variations in the asexual progeny of Brassica oleracea and B. juncea chimera. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 96:22-38. [PMID: 30086201 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Grafting-induced variations have been observed in many plant species, but the heritability of variation in progeny is not well understood. In our study, adventitious shoots from the C cell lineage of shoot apical meristem (SAM) grafting chimera TCC (where the origin of the outmost, middle and innermost cell layers, respectively, of SAM is designated by 'T' for tuber mustard and 'C' for red cabbage) were induced and identified as r-CCC (r = regenerated). To investigate the maintenance of grafting variations during cell propagation and regeneration, different generations of asexual progeny (r-CCCn, n = generation) were established through successive regeneration of axillary shoots from r-CCC. The fourth generation of r-CCC (r-CCC4) was selected to perform whole genome bisulfite sequencing for comparative analysis of hetero-grafting-induced global methylation changes relative to r-s-CCC4 (s = self-grafting). Increased CHH methylation levels and proportions were observed in r-CCC4, with substantial changes occurring in the repeat elements. Small RNA sequencing revealed 1135 specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) tags that were typically expressed in r-CCC, r-CCC2 and r-CCC4. Notably, 65% of these specific siRNAs were associated with repeat elements, termed RE siRNAs. Subsequent analysis revealed that the CHH methylation of RE siRNA-overlapping regions was mainly hypermethylation in r-CCC4, indicating that they were responsible for directing and maintaining grafting-induced CHH methylation. Moreover, the expression of 13 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) correlated with the phenotypic variation, showing differential expression levels between r-CCC4 and r-s-CCC4. These DMGs were predominantly CG hypermethylated, their methylation modifications corresponded to the transcription of relative methyltransferase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Yu
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Liwen Cao
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Lu Yuan
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiao Zhi
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yiqian Chen
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Susheng Gan
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Liping Chen
- Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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Lacal I, Ventura R. Epigenetic Inheritance: Concepts, Mechanisms and Perspectives. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:292. [PMID: 30323739 PMCID: PMC6172332 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parents’ stressful experiences can influence an offspring’s vulnerability to many pathological conditions, including psychopathologies, and their effects may even endure for several generations. Nevertheless, the cause of this phenomenon has not been determined, and only recently have scientists turned to epigenetics to answer this question. There is extensive literature on epigenetics, but no consensus exists with regard to how and what can (and must) be considered to study and define epigenetics processes and their inheritance. In this work, we aimed to clarify and systematize these concepts. To this end, we analyzed the dynamics of epigenetic changes over time in detail and defined three types of epigenetics: a direct form of epigenetics (DE) and two indirect epigenetic processes—within (WIE) and across (AIE). DE refers to changes that occur in the lifespan of an individual, due to direct experiences with his environment. WIE concerns changes that occur inside of the womb, due to events during gestation. Finally, AIE defines changes that affect the individual’s predecessors (parents, grandparents, etc.), due to events that occur even long before conception and that are somehow (e.g., through gametes, the intrauterine environment setting) transmitted across generations. This distinction allows us to organize the main body of epigenetic evidence according to these categories and then focus on the latter (AIE), referring to it as a faster route of informational transmission across generations—compared with genetic inheritance—that guides human evolution in a Lamarckian (i.e., experience-dependent) manner. Of the molecular processes that are implicated in this phenomenon, well-known (methylation) and novel (non-coding RNA, ncRNA) regulatory mechanisms are converging. Our discussion of the chief methods that are used to study epigenetic inheritance highlights the most compelling technical and theoretical problems of this discipline. Experimental suggestions to expand this field are provided, and their practical and ethical implications are discussed extensively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Lacal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Department of Psychology and "Daniel Bovet" Center, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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49
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Rechavi O, Lev I. Principles of Transgenerational Small RNA Inheritance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Biol 2018; 27:R720-R730. [PMID: 28743023 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Examples of transgenerational inheritance of environmental responses are rapidly accumulating. In Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, such heritable information transmits across generations in the form of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase-amplified small RNAs. Regulatory small RNAs enable sequence-specific gene regulation, and unlike chromatin modifications, can move between tissues, and escape from immediate germline reprogramming. In this review, we discuss the path that small RNAs take from the soma to the germline, and elaborate on the mechanisms that maintain or erase parental small RNA responses after a specific number of generations. We focus on the intricate interactions between heritable small RNAs and histone modifications, deposited on specific loci. A trace of heritable chromatin marks, in particular trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9, is deposited on RNAi-targeted loci. However, how these modifications regulate RNAi or small RNA inheritance was until recently unclear. Integrating the very latest literature, we suggest that changes to histone marks may instigate transgenerational gene regulation indirectly, by affecting the biogenesis of heritable small RNAs. Inheritance of small RNAs could spread adaptive ancestral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel 69978.
| | - Itamar Lev
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School for Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel 69978.
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50
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Lind MI, Spagopoulou F. Evolutionary consequences of epigenetic inheritance. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:205-209. [PMID: 29976958 PMCID: PMC6082883 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0113-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martin I Lind
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 752 36, Sweden.
| | - Foteini Spagopoulou
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 752 36, Sweden.
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