Speaker
Description
Epigenetic changes function as flexible mechanisms increasing adaptability within a generation and transmitting the environmental information to subsequent generations in vertebrates. In times of global warming and changing vegetation, we aimed to study the epigenetic response of a wild mammal species, the wild guinea pig, to an increase in temperature (of 10°C more than ambient) as well as to a diet alteration (of 40% less protein). We measured the direct epigenetic response in male wild guinea pigs and also studied whether, and if so to what degree that response was also transmitted to their sons. We detected transmission of epigenetic information from fathers to their sons. Furthermore, we detected DNA methylation changes of two types, a general epigenetic response (reflecting that the environment had changed) and a specific epigenetic response which occurred only for one environmental factor (reflecting, what factor of the environment had changed) highly targeted at specific genes.
