Genetic memory, like other hereditary traits, is the inheritance of complex abilities and knowledge. Hence, this type of memory is present at birth, without having any sensory involvement that the previous generation(s) might have experienced, which led to the development of the genetic memory.
Our DNA serves as the vault for the most important set of genetic instructions that are passed down from one generation to the next. However, these are not the only factors, and the environment we live in contributes to our genetic memory. Interestingly, reports suggest that among the different experiences that help develop and shape genetic memory, environmental stressors are vital. Organisms are often forced to adapt to environmental stress, such as climatic changes, trauma, exposure to toxins, dietary changes, etc. Although these changes do not alter the DNA sequence of an organism, they trigger epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation. This leads to altered gene expression, which is passed down as molecular memories across generations (also referred to as transgenerational inheritance), affecting how offspring behave and respond to the environmental stressors without themselves having any prior experience.
Roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans), a free-living nematode, are a classic model studied by scientists and researchers in the context of genetic memory. Since these worms are short-lived, they are ideal candidates for studying transgenerational inheritance of genetic memory. Interestingly, it takes only about 50 days to develop 14 generations of C. elegans, in contrast to humans or other animals, making it difficult to study genetic inheritance with accurate data collection and preservation, in the latter. Moreover, roundworms have 302 nerve cells that perform neurological functions common to humans, and like humans, these organisms use functionally similar neurotransmitters and possess true memory. Thus, findings from research involving C. elegans provide valuable information for studies in higher animals, including humans.
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Recent research suggests that genetic memory acquired due to environmental stress can be passed across 14 generations in C. elegans, the largest span ever noted. This finding was a direct outcome of efforts to study how long the transgenerational inheritance of environmentally triggered modification of genetic expression could continue in roundworms. The organism was genetically modified to carry a fluorescent protein transgene, which caused the nematode to glow under UV light. Although the parental generation of the nematode that was modified was placed in warmer temperatures, causing them to glow brightly, the next successive generations were exposed to gradually cooler temperatures. Findings revealed that the offspring acquired the environmental memory of the warmer climate without themselves having experienced the warmer temperatures. The offspring acquired the epigenetic modifications through both sperm and egg, continuing for an unprecedented 14 generations. This baffled scientists as to why this genetic memory is being transferred if there isn’t any need for it. However, scientists suggest that this might be an inherent biological mechanism of forward-planning and making future generations more robust and capable of handling such environmental stressors.
Although the study was conducted over a short duration, enough to study 14 generations of roundworm, it provides valuable insights into how the environment-triggered genetic memory may be passed across generations in others, including humans.
