Methylation and development in mice:
It has been found (Keith Siklenka et al Disruption of Histone Methylation in Developing Sperm Impairs Offspring Health Transgenerationally Science vol. 350 no. 6261 November 6, 2015 page 651) Siklenka and his team contrived to have mice overexpress a gene for “Human KDM1A histone lysine 4 demethylase” during spermatogenesis, which resulted in changes in their methylation pattern. This change persisted over generations and produced an increase in abnormal development.
The article ends suggesting that one day men might be advised to protect their sperm epigenome.
Histone is a protein that DNA wraps around. Prior studies had shown consequences of DNA methylation. In this study there was not only no change in the DNA sequence but no change in the DNA methylation pattern. Prior inheretable methylation changes in DNA have already been discovered.
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