Epigenetic marks acquired from environmental exposures throughout life influence human health and may even transcend generations.

A small RNA in Pseudomonas triggers an avoidance response in C. elegans that can be passed on to the next generation, according to research presented at this week’s meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology.

Two research groups demonstrate that in Caenorhabditis elegans, behavioral traits can be passed down through the germline to future generations, even though they aren’t hard-wired.

Mouse fathers whose sperm lacks the gene Kdm6a pass down altered methylation patterns to male offspring, along with a better chance of developing tumors and dying.

A large study seeks to answer whether a man’s childhood diet has transgenerational repercussions.

A study suggests that the direct transfer of DNA methylation marks from one generation to the next is much less common than scientists previously thought.

Fluoxetine dampened stress responses in zebrafish embryos exposed to the drug—and their descendants.

Identifying the molecular interactions that occur all over the body during exercise could reveal how it affects learning and memory.

As researchers unravel the molecular machinery that links exercise and cognition, working out is emerging as a promising neurotherapy.

Male rodents exposed to nicotine had changes in sperm genome methylation and produced pups and grandpups with abnormal behavior.

Two studies examining the effects of parents’ ages on their offsprings’ telomere lengths come to opposite conclusions.  

The findings contradict what has been observed in humans.  

The variation may help explain why stocked salmon don’t fare as well in the ocean.

The daughters of Finnish women separated from their parents as children during World War II have higher rates of psychiatric hospitalization than those born to women who had not been evacuated.

The memory of a temperature spike can persist for as many as 14 generations in C. elegans.

When kept at warmer temperatures for five generations, C. elegans showed evidence of “remembering” that experience for up to 14 generations.

Plants grown in dry soil produce offspring that are hardier in drought conditions, and DNA methylation appears responsible. 

Female rats fed a typical Western diet had offspring that were at higher risk of obesity than moms fed low-fat, high-grain meals.

Disease risk can be transmitted epigenetically via egg and sperm cells, a mouse study shows.