MEXICO: Traits passed between generations are not decided only by DNA, but can be brought about by other materials in cells, according to researchers.
University of Edinburgh scientists have been studying proteins found in cells, known as histones, which are not part of the genetic code, but act as spools around which DNA is wound.
Histones are known to control whether genes are switched on.
Researchers found that naturally occurring changes to these proteins, which affect how they control genes, can be sustained from one generation to the next and so influence which characteristics are passed on.
The findings, based on work involving yeast cells, demonstrates for the first time that DNA is not solely responsible for how characteristics are inherited.
“We’ve shown without doubt that changes in the histone spools that make up chromosomes can be copied and passed through generations,” said Professor Robin Allshire, of the university’s School of Biological Sciences.
“Our finding settles the idea that inherited traits can be epigenetic, meaning that they are not solely down to changes in a gene’s DNA.”
The research paves the way for investigations into how and when this method of inheritance occurs in nature, and if it is linked to particular traits or health conditions.
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