English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background  piRNAs have a constitutive role in genome defence by silencing transposable elements in the germline. In the nematode  Caenorhabditis elegans , piRNAs also induce epigenetic silencing of transgenes, which can be maintained for many generations in the absence of the piRNA pathway. The role of multi-generational epigenetic inheritance in adaptation to the environment is unknown.    Results  Here, we show that piRNA biogenesis is downregulated in response to a small increase in temperature. Some effects on gene expression persist into subsequent generations and are associated with a negative fitness cost. We show that simultaneous infection with pathogenic bacteria suppresses downregulation of the piRNA pathway in response to increased temperature. This effect is associated with increased fitness of progeny of infected animals in subsequent generations.    Conclusions  Our results show that the piRNA pathway integrates inputs from the environment to establish intergenerational responses to environmental conditions, with important consequences for the fitness of the subsequent generation.    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0571-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The piRNA pathway responds to environmental signals to establish intergenerational adaptation to stress