Transgenerational epigenetics and psychiatric disorders

Abstract Although controversial, there is increasing evidence from a variety of disciplines suggesting that transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is a mechanism that can act as an environmentally driven rapid form of adaptation in mammals. It has been suggested that transgenerational epigenetic inheritance may play a role in psychiatric disorders because the risk of developing a psychiatric disorder is heightened by exposure to stressful events, and this increased risk appears to be passed on to the offspring of the individual, independent of parental factors. Here, we discuss studies across several disciplines that provide evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the possible mechanisms involved, including DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, non-coding RNAs, and chromatin 3-D structure. Finally, recent findings demonstrating transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animal models that present behaviors related to psychiatric disease as a result of stress, diet, drug exposure, and infection/maternal immune activation are examined, as well as the potential for intervention by positive environmental stimuli.