Epigenetics of Transgenerational Inheritance of Disease

Abstract Elucidating how the environment affects human health will further our understanding of disease risk and prevention, and adaptation. Recent evidence reveals that exposure to environmental stressors in our lifetime might affect disease risk in our descendants. This phenomenon known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance involves the transmission of epigenetic information via the germline over multiple generations, independent of the DNA base sequence. Epigenetic factors (e.g., DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNA) are responsive to environmental stressors and can be transmitted between generations. However, very little is currently understood about the mechanism involved in epigenetic inheritance. Here, we explore key plant and animal models that will ultimately help us understand the epigenetic intricacies of this phenomenon and relate it to disease inheritance observed in human populations exposed to famine, toxicants, and psychological stress.