Neutral epigenetic inheritance: being prepared for future generations

CAPELLA, MATÍAS; BRAUN, SIGURD

Nature Structural and Molecular Biology

Nature Publishing Group

Año: 2019 vol. 26 p. 391 - 392

1545-9993

Epigenetic memory of silent chromatin often requires robust feedback loops between factors processing small non-coding RNAs and enzymes involved in heterochromatin assembly. A study published in Molecular Cell now demonstrates that these feedback loops can persist in a phenotypically neutral state even when gene expression is reactivated, and that they maintain the potential to reinstall heterochromatin in later generations when conditions change.