Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance in Drosophila

Abstract

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance involves the inheritance of a phenotype across at least one generation that does not involve any changes in the DNA sequence. The primary mark of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is thought to be DNA methylation, such as in imprinting in mammals and in the inheritance of coat color in agouti viable yellow (Avy) mice. However, while most studies of Drosophila melanogaster indicate that there is no DNA cytosine methylation, nevertheless several systems of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance have been demonstrated in this organism. In this chapter, we review several Drosophila transgenerational epigenetic systems, including a system that we developed in our laboratory that involves the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of an ectopic large bristle outgrowth (ELBO) in the eyes of D. melanogaster that can be passed from generation to generation for hundreds of generations. Understanding transgenerational epigenetic inheritance mechanisms in Drosophila can have a profound impact in understanding similar processes in humans in which environmental exposures can affect the health of future generations.