Models of Intergenerational and Transgenerational Transmission of Risk for Psychopathology in Mice.
Trajectories toward risk or resilience in psychiatric disorders are influenced by acquired and inherited factors. More recently, evidence from rodent studies suggest that acquired risk factors can be transmitted through non-genomic, epigenetic mechanisms to subsequent generations, potentially contributing to a cycle of disease and disease risk. Here, we review examples of transmission of environmental factors across generations and illustrate the difference between behavioral transmission and epigenetic inheritance. We highlight essential definitions of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of disease risk with corresponding examples. We then explore how these phenomena may influence our understanding of psychiatric disorders leading toward new prevention and therapeutic approaches.
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Torsten
T
Klengel
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Brian G
BG
Dias
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
Kerry J
KJ
Ressler
D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011599:Psychopathology; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment
D006657:Histones; D022661:RNA, Untranslated