Heritable epigenetic variation facilitates long-term maintenance of epigenetic and genetic variation.

ABSTRACT: How genetic and phenotypic variation are maintained has long been one of the fundamental questions in population and quantitative genetics. A variety of factors have been implicated to explain the maintenance of genetic variation in some contexts (e.g. balancing selection), but the potential role of epigenetic regulation to influence population dynamics has been understudied. It is well recognized that epigenetic regulation, including histone methylation, small RNA expression, and DNA methylation, helps to define differences between cell types and facilitate phenotypic plasticity. In recent years, empirical studies have shown the potential for epigenetic regulation to also be heritable for at least a few generations without selection, raising the possibility that differences in epigenetic

SUBMITTER: Webster AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10849368 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature