Adaptation and changing phenotypes through transgenerational epigenetics.

In this article collection, we describe how noncoding epigenetic changes in DNA are transmitted across multiple generations in eukaryotic organisms including plants and animals. And such environmentally induced biochemical alterations of DNA and histones result in profound changes in gene expression. In plants and invertebrate animals, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has been well documented, and it continues to be substantiated in humans and other vertebrates. These exciting new discoveries have profound consequences for changing as well as maintaining phenotypes expressed by various life forms and, thus, the changes likely contribute to evolution. And in a more practical way, such studies are very important because of the likely transgenerational inheritance of diseases and disorders, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.