title: Natural RNA interference directs a heritable response to the environment.
abstract: RNA interference can induce heritable gene silencing, but it remains unexplored whether similar mechanisms play a general role in responses to cues that occur in the wild. We show that transient, mild heat stress in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans results in changes in messenger RNA levels that last for more than one generation. The affected transcripts are enriched for genes targeted by germline siRNAs downstream of the piRNA pathway, and worms defective for germline RNAi are defective for these heritable effects. Our results demonstrate that a specific siRNA pathway transmits information about variable environmental conditions between generations.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Itai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yanai
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Craig P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004777:Environment; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger