Abstract
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance involves the inheritance of a phenotype across at least one generation that does not involve any changes in the DNA sequence. The primary mark of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is thought to be DNA methylation, such as in imprinting in mammals and in the inheritance of coat color in agouti viable yellow (Avy) mice. However, while most studies of Drosophila melanogaster indicate that there is no DNA cytosine methylation, nevertheless several systems of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance have been demonstrated in this organism. In this chapter, we review several Drosophila transgenerational epigenetic systems, including a system that we developed in our laboratory that involves the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of an ectopic large bristle outgrowth (ELBO) in the eyes of D. melanogaster that can be passed from generation to generation for hundreds of generations. Understanding transgenerational epigenetic inheritance mechanisms in Drosophila can have a profound impact in understanding similar processes in humans in which environmental exposures can affect the health of future generations.
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Abbreviations
- Avy :
-
Agouti viable yellow
- DCC:
-
Dosage compensation complex
- DMR:
-
Differentially methylated region
- dsRNA:
-
Double-stranded RNA
- ELBO:
-
Ectopic large bristle outgrowth
- E(var):
-
Enhancer of variegation
- E(z):
-
Enhancer of zeste
- FISH:
-
Fluorescent in situ hybridization
- H3K9:
-
Histone 3 lysine 9
- H3K27:
-
Histone 3 lysine 27
- H4K20:
-
Histone 4 lysine 20
- HAT:
-
Histone acetyltransferase
- HDAC:
-
Histone deacetylase
- HMT:
-
Histone methyltransferases
- HP1:
-
Heterochromatin protein 1
- Hsp90:
-
Heat shock protein 90
- IGF2:
-
Insulin growth factor 2
- IAP:
-
Intracisternal A particle
- JAK:
-
Janus kinase
- KrIf-1:
-
Kruppel Irregular-facets 1
- LacZ:
-
Beta galactosidase
- miRNA:
-
microRNA
- nm:
-
Nanometer
- PcG:
-
Polycomb group
- PEV:
-
Position-effect variegation
- PGC:
-
Primordial germ cells
- PRE:
-
Polycomb response elements
- PSTVd:
-
Potato spindle tuber viroid
- PTGS:
-
Posttranscriptional gene silencing
- rasiRNA:
-
Repeat-associated small interfering RNA
- RdDM:
-
RNA-directed DNA methylation
- RISC:
-
RNA induced silencing complex
- RNAi:
-
RNA interference
- siRNA:
-
Small interfering RNA
- Su(var):
-
Suppressor of variegation
- TGS:
-
Transcriptional gene silencing
- TRE:
-
Trithorax response elements
- TrxG:
-
Trithorax group
- Ubx:
-
Ultrabithorax
- Wg:
-
Wingless
- Xic:
-
X inactivation center
- Xist:
-
X inactive-specific transcript
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a Michigan Core Technology grant from the State of Michigan’s 21st Century Fund Program to the Wayne State University Applied Genomics Technology Center. This work was also supported by the Environmental Health Sciences Center in Molecular and Cellular Toxicology with Human Applications Grant P30 ES06639 at Wayne State University, NIH R01 grants (ES012933) to D.M.R., and DK071073 to X.L.
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Wang, L., Lu, X., Ruden, D.M. (2013). Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance in Drosophila. In: Jirtle, R., Tyson, F. (eds) Environmental Epigenomics in Health and Disease. Epigenetics and Human Health. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23380-7_10
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