Rotifer study links maternal age effects to epigenetics
Researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory studied maternal age effects in rotifers, tiny aquatic animals. Postdoctoral scientist Alyssa Liguori found that in two genotypes of the same rotifer species, the effects did not worsen across generations but could reverse within a single generation, suggesting they are not caused by accumulated DNA damage. The lab is now investigating whether histone modifications, an epigenetic mechanism, underlie the observed effects.
The findings, from an invertebrate model, may help explain how maternal age affects offspring in other animals, including humans.
Source: Molecular Memory: How a Mother’s Age Echoes in Her Offspring’s Cells | Marine Biological Laboratory (mbl.edu). Spotted via ScienceDaily: Genes.
Written by the Genomes desk from the primary source linked above and checked against it. Research use only; not medical advice. Corrections: [email protected].