Epigenetic memory articles from across Nature Portfolio

The brushtail possum is a treasured Australian marsupial, but also a harmful pest introduced into New Zealand. Here, using functional genomics and a new chromosome-level genome assembly of New Zealand possums, Bond et al. quantify their genome admixture and identify unique parent-specific and weaning associated gene expression.

How much the environment influences inherited adaptive traits is debated and challenging to demonstrate in mammals. Here the authors performed a multigeneration study that failed to morphologically replicate enhanced wound healing response following ancestral liver injury in rats. However, heritable transcriptional effects suggest transmission at the molecular level, albeit of unclear functional relevance.

Here the authors question the prevalent view of DNA methylation as a stably inherited epigenetic mark, revealing that the existing model does not apply when considering genomic loci that are intermediately methylated.

Skin wounds induce an epigenetic memory that accelerates the healing of subsequent injuries. The underlying mechanism is now shown to involve epigenetic chromatin modifications in stem cells from a field of distal hair follicles that surround the injury. Importantly, this mechanism also results in a predisposition for skin cancer development.

A new study in Cell uses epigenome engineering to confer transgenerational inheritance of DNA methylation states and metabolic traits in mice.

In cultured cells and in mice with accelerated aging, brief bursts of Yamanaka reprogramming factors reverse some molecular and functional deficits of aging without inducing pluripotency or teratomas. Browder et al. show that partial reprogramming regimens rejuvenate some tissues of physiologically aged mice without overt safety concerns.