Epigenetic Reprogramming Prompts Hereditable Behavioral and Genetic Changes in C. elegans

Robidoux, Annalise N.

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Epigenetic Reprogramming Prompts Hereditable Behavioral and Genetic Changes in C. elegans Public

Environmental cues result in epigenetic alteration, or reprogramming, and play a role in transgenerational inheritance. C. elegans sense external cues through chemosensation and communicates to conspecifics through ascarosides. osas#9, has been shown to trigger avoidance response alterations across multiple generations. In this paper I show that pre-exposure to osas#9 triggers neurologic responses activating the serotonergic and glutamatergic pathways in adult C. elegans. In addition, pre-exposure causes H3K4 demethylation, down regulating transcription activation and avoidance behaviors. Studying how the nervous system senses the environment and the downstream genetic machinery that triggers epigenetic reprogramming is an essential part in understanding what builds us outside of genetics.

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