Father’s Lifestyle Habits Play a Crucial Role in Their Children and Grandchildren

Since chemical modifications on histones are susceptible to environmental exposures it affects the growth and health of offsprings across generations.

Fathers influence children not only physically but genetically too, revealed a new study. There could be mechanisms involved which play a key role in transferring environmental memories down generations.

Before his offspring are even conceived, a father's life experiences involving food, drugs, exposure to toxic products and even stress can affect the development and health not only of his children, but even of his grandchildren.

Histones may Hold the Key to the Generation of Totipotent Stem Cells: Study
A pair of histone proteins that enhance the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells may be the key to generating induced totipotent stem cells, say researchers.

Now, McGill University researchers have an explanation why this happens. They have found that proteins known as histones - which have attracted relatively little attention until now - may play a crucial role in the process. Histones are distinct from our DNA, although they combine with it during cell formation.

The researchers created mice in which they slightly altered the biochemical information on the histones during sperm cell formation and then measured the results.

They found that there were dire consequences for the offspring both in terms of their development and in terms of their surviving at all. Moreover, what was most surprising, was that these effects could still be seen two generations later.

Research: Histone-modifying Proteins, Not Histones, Remain Associated With DNA Through Replication
It's widely accepted that molecular mechanisms mediating epigenetics include DNA methylation and histone modifications.

"When we saw the decreased survivability across generations and the developmental abnormalities we were really blown away as it was never thought that altering something outside the DNA, that is, a protein, could be involved in inheritance," said lead author Sarah Kimmins.

"These findings are remarkable because they indicate that information other than DNA is involved in heritability. The study highlights the critical role that fathers play in the health of their children and even grandchildren," Kimmins added.

Gene�s Activity Affected by Its Location
A new study has found that while inserting the same gene into different locations of a yeast chromosome did not alter its surrounding chromatin landscape, it did affect the gene’s activity.

Since chemical modifications on histones are susceptible to environmental exposures, the work opens new avenues of investigation for the possible prevention and treatment of diseases of various kinds, affecting health across generations, she said. The study was published in the Journal Science.

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Investigators Guided to Misregulated Mechanism in Human Cancers By Fruit Fly Studies
Histones are the proteins that package DNA. Changes in how DNA interacts with histones regulate many fundamental cell activities from stem cells maturing into a specific body cell types.