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Persistence of epigenetic changes “fascinating and confusing”

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At The Scientist:

Epigenetic changes alter the way genes are expressed throughout an organism’s life. These tweaks are then wiped from the genomes of reproductive cells, giving offspring a clean start—or so it seemed. Now, new evidence has emerged that epigenetic changes can be transmitted across multiple generations, despite the wipe. In a study published February 7 in Cell, a group of scientists tracked an engineered epigenetic mutation across four generations of lab-bred mice, finding evidence of the alteration in each of the subsequent generations. These alterations seemingly resurfaced even after the epigenetic wipe. The authors claim it is the first experimental evidence for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance using methylation-edited mice.

“It’s kind of a dream experiment,” says Patrick Allard, an environmental epigeneticist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the research. “And the results are both fascinating and confusing.” – Katherine Irving, Feb 17, 2023

We thought this was an old story, actually. But epigenetics keeps being rediscovered, probably because it raises a problem for evolution theory: How do we know changes are due to Darwinian natural selection, as opposed to epigenetics.

The paper requires a fee or subscription.

You may also wish to read: Epigenetic change: Lamarck, wake up, you’re wanted in the conference room!

Comments
Just out today - Course on epigenetics
https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/epigenetics-how-environment-changes-your-biology
Maybe even some of the anti ID people can learn.
12 Lectures Average 31 minutes each 1 Living DNA and the Epigenetic Universe 2 How Your Epigenetic Code Changes 3 What You Eat and the Epigenetics of Your Gut 4 Can We Slow the Epigenetics of Aging? 5 Brain Epigenetics, Stress, and Memory 6 The Heart and Lungs, Epigenetics, and Exercise 7 Cancer Epigenetics versus Your DNA Repair 8 Disease-Fighting Epigenetics and Immunity 9 Female and Male? The Epigenetics of X and Y 10 Human Life Begins with Epigenetics 11 Inheriting Epigenetics in Plants—and People? 12 The Evolution of Epigenetics and Our Future
jerry
February 24, 2023
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Ford Prefect @5,
Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Wrong. It wasn't imitation, but rather a direct contradiction of your unsupported assertion! My point was to demonstrate its impotence as an argument. But I guess it went over your head. Oh well. -QQuerius
February 23, 2023
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“And the results are both fascinating and confusing.”
of course the results are confusing and unexpected ... We hear that all the time .... over and over again... Because the whole theory is a bunch of absurd nonsense. When you people will finally get it ?martin_r
February 23, 2023
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FP @1
ID supporters keep raising epigenetics as if it is somehow proof against evolution.
:)))))))) sure it is a proof against evolution. Regulation, expression, sensing, signaling, proofreading, repairing, encoding, decoding, replication, packaging, splicing, redundancy, etc etc ... all these things are undeniable proofs for ID/creation/engineering -- doesn't matter what you people think or claim ... :))))))martin_r
February 23, 2023
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News: How do we know changes are due to Darwinian natural selection, as opposed to epigenetics?
Good question. Neo-Darwinian evolution is predicated on genetic mutations and genetic inheritance. This paper shows that there is epigenetic inheritance as well.
Chuck Darwin: Seriously? Did the OP author not read his or her own post? A hint: The answer is found in the very first sentence of the excerpted passage.
Didn't you get it, Chuck? Epigenetic inheritance wasn't part of the Neo-Darwinian picture. From the paper:
These observations provide a concrete step toward demonstrating transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals, which may have implications in our understanding of evolutionary biology ...
From phys.org:
A team of genetic engineers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, working with a colleague from Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, has demonstrated transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in a methylation-edited mammal for the first time. (...) ... how this is possible is still a mystery. ... How such traits were passed on remains a mystery.
Origenes
February 23, 2023
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"How do we know changes are due to Darwinian natural selection, as opposed to epigenetics." (sic) Seriously? Did the OP author not read his or her own post? A hint: The answer is found in the very first sentence of the excerpted passage. And Querius, which "Darwin supporters" are ignoring epigenetics? In fact, what do you even mean by the term "Darwin supporters?" Looks like biology is right on top of the subject--the report is only a couple days old........... (https://phys.org/news/2023-02-transgenerational-epigenetic-inheritance-methylation-edited-mammal.html)chuckdarwin
February 23, 2023
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Querius writes:
Darwin supporters keep ignoring epigenetics as if it is somehow proof of ID. Good luck with that. Epigenetics controls phenotypic expression. And natural selection cannot act on these the same way as non-epigenetic expression since epigenetic expression occurs in the next generation.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. :) Of course natural selection can act on epigenetic expressions. Let’s assume that an epigenetic expression of a certain gene results in lower sperm count, or some other trait that would reduce the probability of successful reproduction. If the environment changes such that this altered phenotype is expressed, this gene is less likely to survive in the population over time. Conversely, if the altered phenotype increases the probability of successful reproduction, it is more likely to spread in the population over time.Ford Prefect
February 23, 2023
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"But it’s not natural selection that does the acting." Quite. Natural Selection is a Euphemism for Whatever Happens. Andrewasauber
February 23, 2023
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And natural selection acts on these just as it does the non-epigenetic expression of a gene
Yes, it’s called genetics. But it’s not natural selection that does the acting. It’s the ecology. Natural selection is just a description of what results. All is determined by nature. Except today man is having a major influence in lots of places. As is all good science, this is perfectly compatible with ID.       Let’s Go Finches jerry
February 23, 2023
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Darwin supporters keep ignoring epigenetics as if it is somehow proof of ID. Good luck with that. Epigenetics controls phenotypic expression. And natural selection cannot act on these the same way as non-epigenetic expression since epigenetic expression occurs in the next generation.Querius
February 22, 2023
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We thought this was an old story, actually. But epigenetics keeps being rediscovered, probably because it raises a problem for evolution theory: How do we know changes are due to Darwinian natural selection, as opposed to epigenetics.
ID supporters keep raising epigenetics as if it is somehow proof against evolution. Good luck with that. Epigenetics just affects the phenotypic expression of a gene. And natural selection acts on these just as it does the non-epigenetic expression of a gene.Ford Prefect
February 22, 2023
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