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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Determining the Role of Maternally-Expressed Genes in Early Development with Maternal Crispants

Determining the Role of Maternally-Expressed Genes in Early Development with Maternal Crispants

Published on: December 21, 2021

Maternal Inheritance: Longevity Programs Nourish Progeny via Yolk.

Robert H Dowen¹, Shawn Ahmed²

¹Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|August 7, 2019

Summary

Maternal yolk, an extranuclear factor, influences across-generational phenotypic plasticity in Caenorhabditis elegans. This epigenetic factor, deposited into oocytes, complements nuclear chromatin inheritance.

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Defining the Program of Maternal mRNA Translation during In vitro Maturation using a Single Oocyte Reporter Assay

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Epigenetics
Genetics

Background:

Epigenetic inheritance typically involves chromatin modifications passed through gametes.
Extranuclear factors are increasingly recognized for their role in transgenerational inheritance.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of maternal yolk as an extranuclear epigenetic factor.
To understand its contribution to phenotypic plasticity across generations in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Main Methods:

Analysis of maternal yolk composition and deposition in oocytes.
Experimental manipulation of yolk components and observation of offspring phenotypes.
Cross-generational studies in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Main Results:

Evidence supports maternal yolk as a significant extranuclear epigenetic factor.
Maternal yolk contributes to phenotypic plasticity inherited across generations.
This mechanism complements traditional chromatin-mediated epigenetic inheritance.

Conclusions:

Maternal yolk plays a crucial role in intergenerational epigenetic inheritance.
It provides a mechanism for rapid adaptation and phenotypic plasticity.
Further research into extranuclear epigenetic factors is warranted.