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Understanding 'Non-genetic' Inheritance: Insights from Molecular-Evolutionary Crosstalk.

  • Adrian-Kalchhauser I Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Department for Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: irene.adrian-kalchhauser@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
  • Sultan SE Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA.
  • Shama LNS Coastal Ecology Section, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Hafenstrasse 43, 25992 List, Germany.
  • Spence-Jones H Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK.
  • Tiso S Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
  • Keller Valsecchi CI Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
  • Weissing FJ Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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  • 2020-10-10
Published in:
  • Trends in ecology & evolution. - 2020
epiallelic variation
epigenetics
extended inheritance
inherited gene regulation
theoretical models
transgenerational effects
English Understanding the evolutionary and ecological roles of 'non-genetic' inheritance (NGI) is daunting due to the complexity and diversity of epigenetic mechanisms. We draw on insights from molecular and evolutionary biology perspectives to identify three general features of 'non-genetic' inheritance systems: (i) they are functionally interdependent with, rather than separate from, DNA sequence; (ii) precise mechanisms vary phylogenetically and operationally; and (iii) epigenetic elements are probabilistic, interactive regulatory factors and not deterministic 'epialleles' with defined genomic locations and effects. We discuss each of these features and offer recommendations for future empirical and theoretical research that implements a unifying inherited gene regulation (IGR) approach to studies of 'non-genetic' inheritance.
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  • English
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hybrid
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https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/128207
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