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18S rRNA methyltransferases DIMT1 and BUD23 drive intergenerational hormesis
Noa Liberman1, M Hafiz Rothi1, Maxim V Gerashchenko2
1Department of Pediatrics, HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Molecular Cell
|September 9, 2023
Summary
Parental starvation in C. elegans transmits epigenetic information, enhancing progeny
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Heritable non-genetic information influences complex phenotypes.
- Mechanisms of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To track the transmission of methylation across generations in C. elegans.
- To investigate the role of specific RNA modifications in intergenerational effects.
Main Methods:
- Metabolic methyl-labeling experiments in Caenorhabditis elegans.
- Analysis of methylation patterns in DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids.
- Genetic analysis of methyltransferase genes.
Main Results:
- Heritable methylation was observed across multiple biomolecules.
- Parental starvation induced intergenerational hormesis (reduced fertility, increased stress resistance, extended longevity) in progeny.
- This hormesis correlated with increased N6,2'-dimethyl adenosine (m6,2A) on 18S ribosomal RNA.
- DIMT-1 and BUD-23 were identified as key methyltransferases for this phenomenon.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic modifications, particularly rRNA methylation, are heritable and can mediate intergenerational responses.
- Specific RNA methyltransferases play crucial roles in transmitting adaptive traits.
- This study provides insights into the mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance and intergenerational plasticity.
