Transgenerational inheritance of longevity: epigenetic mysteries abound.
Transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic characteristics in plants has been reported, whereas nongenetic persistence of complex phenotypes in animals is controversial. A recent report by Anne Brunet and colleagues describes a fascinating example of persistence across generations of extended life span in worm and explores whether epigenetic mechanisms account for the longevity.
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, 1057 BRB, 421 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. bergers@upenn.edu
Shelley L
SL
Berger