Maternal age leaves reversible epigenetic marks that can span generations
Researchers discovered that a mother’s age can imprint her offspring through reversible changes in gene activity rather than permanent DNA damage, potentially affecting multiple generations.
Scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory have identified that the age of a mother can shape her progeny via reversible epigenetic alterations, not permanent DNA changes. Focusing on rotifers, a fast-reproducing invertebrate, associate scientist Kristin Gribble and postdoctoral researcher Alyssa Liguori demonstrated that maternal-age effects can be reversed in one generation, indicating a role for histone modifications.
Their work also considers maternal mitochondrial DNA as a possible carrier of age-related information. Genetic differences among rotifer strains appeared to influence the severity of the effects, with some older-mother offspring even showing longer lifespans. The research highlights why such maternal age effects persist across species despite their generally negative impact on fitness, pointing to weaker selective pressure at later life stages. Understanding these mechanisms could eventually inform human health and precision-medicine approaches by acknowledging the influence of ancestral environments.
Why it matters
It reveals how a mother's age can affect descendants' health through reversible epigenetic changes, informing future medical research.
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