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PubMed2025

DYRK1A modulates fear memory formation via epigenetic modification.

Fear memory formation is crucial for survival, with the hippocampus playing a central role. This study investigates the behavioral and molecular aspects of fear memory formation, focusing on Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1 A (DYRK1A), a protein known to be critical for cognitive functions. Our results demonstrate that DYRK1A expression in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons is downregulated after contextual fear conditioning (CFC). We also observed a decrease in DYRK1A binding to the Maoa promoter, suggesting its involvement in transcriptional regulation during fear memory formation. In subsequent experiments, we modulated DYRK1A expression using viral vectors. DYRK1A overexpression reduced freezing behavior, while knockdown enhanced it. At the molecular level, DYRK1A overexpression resulted in elevated H3K4me3 levels, while knockdown decreased it. These findings indicate that DYRK1A regulates fear memory formation via epigenetic modifications, altering H3K4me3 levels and influencing Maoa transcription in the hippocampus. This research highlights the nuclear role of DYRK1A and suggests its potential as a therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric disorders related to fear and memory.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Epigenetic modulators in triple-negative breast cancer: epigenetic modifications and future treatment perspectives.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), an aggressive type of Breast Cancer (BC) characterized by the loss of expression of Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), and Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) protein. TNBC is quite heterogenous in nature with limited available therapeutic options due to the lack of defined molecular targets. Epigenetic abnormalities have been implicated in the onset, progression, immune escape, and resistance to treatment in TNBC. Important epigenetic modulations, include DNA methylation, histone lactylation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodeling. Global hypomethylation contributes to genomic instability, while promoter hypermethylation inhibits tumor suppressor genes, by dysregulating their expression, thereby promoting uncontrolled proliferation, EMT, metastasis, and immune evasion in TNBC. Targeting epigenetic modulators, have the potential to develop novel therapeutic interventions have been developed and being explored. These epidrugs have proven to be effective in preclinical and clinical trials when used in combination with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy, reducing drug resistance and aberrant proliferation. Despite of the advancements, challenges like target specificity, precise biomarkers and treatment related toxicity are the major hurdles. The review comprehensively summarized the important epigenetic alterations as well as novel treatment strategies with potential clinical applications in TNBC.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Nitric oxide delays floral transition in Arabidopsis by inhibiting histone deacetylases HDA5 and HDA6.

Nitric oxide (NO), a reactive small molecule, plays a critical role in various developmental and physiological processes in living organisms. Previous studies by our group revealed that NO delays flowering in Arabidopsis by increasing transcript levels of the flowering repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). In this study, we further investigated the molecular mechanism by which NO regulates FLC expression. Genetic experiments demonstrated that NO-induced delayed flowering specifically depends on elevated FLC transcript levels. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assays revealed that NO significantly enhances histone H3 acetylation at the FLC locus. Biochemical analyses further showed that NO reduces total histone deacetylase activity through S-nitrosylation of histone deacetylases HDA5 and HDA6. Additionally, we identified and evaluated potential S-nitrosylation sites on HDA5 and HDA6, revealing their effects on deacetylase activity and floral regulation. Collectively, our findings uncover a novel mechanism by which NO mediates epigenetic modification to modulate flowering in Arabidopsis. This study sheds light on the functional network linking NO signaling, epigenetic modification, and flowering.

Arabidopsis↗

PubMed2016

Epigenetic mechanisms in sexual differentiation of the brain and behaviour.

Circumstantial evidence alone argues that the establishment and maintenance of sex differences in the brain depend on epigenetic modifications of chromatin structure. More direct evidence has recently been obtained from two types of studies: those manipulating a particular epigenetic mechanism, and those examining the genome-wide distribution of specific epigenetic marks. The manipulation of histone acetylation or DNA methylation disrupts the development of several neural sex differences in rodents. Taken together, however, the evidence suggests there is unlikely to be a simple formula for masculine or feminine development of the brain and behaviour; instead, underlying epigenetic mechanisms may vary by brain region or even by dependent variable within a region. Whole-genome studies related to sex differences in the brain have only very recently been reported, but suggest that males and females may use different combinations of epigenetic modifications to control gene expression, even in cases where gene expression does not differ between the sexes. Finally, recent findings are discussed that are likely to direct future studies on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in sexual differentiation of the brain and behaviour.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Polycystic ovary syndrome and idiopathic central precocious puberty: two sides of the same coin?

PURPOSE: Several studies have reported an association between central precocious puberty (CPP) and a higher prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), raising the hypothesis that CPP may act as an early-life indicator of increased PCOS risk. This review investigates the shared genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors potentially underlying CPP and PCOS, with the aim of clarifying their connection and supporting advances in early detection and management. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the PubMed/MEDLINE database, prioritizing research from the past two decades, supplemented by key studies from earlier years. This research included studies on genetic and epigenetic factors, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and metabolic influences related to CPP and PCOS. Both original research and review articles were selected, focusing on the identification of pathophysiological mechanisms and risk factors linking these disorders. RESULTS: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have linked genetic variants in the kisspeptin and neurokinin B signaling pathways to increased gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, triggering early puberty. Moreover, increased GnRH pulsatility contributes to elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, altered LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratios, and ovarian hyperandrogenism—key pathophysiological features of PCOS. Additionally, epigenetic modifications, particularly changes in DNA methylation at CpG sites, have been observed in both CPP and PCOS. A hyperandrogenic intrauterine environment and inadequate fetal growth contribute to prenatal epigenetic alterations, while postnatal factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, and exposure to EDCs further influence epigenetic modifications. Although insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism are central features linking CPP to PCOS, the precise mechanisms underlying these associations remain complex and not yet fully elucidated. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying shared genetic and environmental factors influencing early puberty onset and PCOS highlights the importance of close clinical monitoring in early life, though preventive interventions remain unproven. Further research is needed to clarify these mechanisms, which will support the development of more precise prevention and treatment strategies in clinical practice.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal subtle consequences of H3K9 and H3K27 tri-methylation on chromatin constituents.

Epigenetic modifications of histone tails are key mechanisms of genome regulation. In particular, tri-methylation of lysines (K) 9 and K27 of the histone H3 tail is important for genome silencing. In this work, we explore, using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, the effect of these two epigenetic marks on the structure and interactions of the H3 tail in several contexts: isolated tails, nucleosomes, chromatosomes, and stacked nucleosomes. Overall, we find that although the isolated tails do not show significant conformational changes upon methylation, a more flexible and extended H3 tail compared to the native tail results in the nucleosome systems, with K9 methylation effects more pronounced. This change could facilitate the interaction of the tail with protein readers like heterochromatin protein 1 or Polycomb group. We also observe that both methylations increase the interactions of the H3 tail with the linker DNA in the context of the chromatosome, producing a chromatosome with tighter linker DNA, which could favor chromatin compaction. For stacked nucleosomes mimicking i±2 zigzag interactions, methylation of either K9 or K27 reduces the interactions of one of the H3 tails with its parental nucleosome and increases its interactions with the nonparental nucleosome, which could also help compact the chromatin fiber. In the three nucleosome-containing systems, we observe an asymmetry between the two tails, especially in the chromatosome, where one tail extends to interact with the linker DNA. This asymmetry modulates the effect that methylation has on each tail. Thus, overall, methylations of K9 and K27 have a subtle but notable impact on the H3 tail structure and its interactions within the chromatin fiber. These results help explain how this epigenetic modification compacts chromatin fibers and promotes longer-range interactions; these changes also guide how to approximate these effects in coarse-grained chromatin models.

Histones↗

PubMed2026

Epigenetic and immunological alterations in umbilical cord blood of overweight/obese women with gestational diabetes mellitus: insights into DNA methylation signatures and immune cell dysregulation.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Epigenetic modifications may reflect intrauterine metabolic exposure and contribute to immune and metabolic alterations. This study aimed to explore DNA methylation profiles in umbilical cord blood from overweight and obese women with and without GDM. METHODS: Umbilical cord blood samples from 30 overweight/obese pregnant women (with and without GDM) were analyzed using the Illumina 850 K methylation array to identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and regions (DMRs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to assess the functional relevance of methylation changes. Immune cell composition was estimated using deconvolution analysis and further examined in an independent single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) cohort. Lasso regression was applied to identify CpG sites associated with GDM status and construct a preliminary methylation-based classification model. RESULTS: A total of 23,331 hypermethylated and 29,501 hypomethylated DMPs were identified between women with and without GDM, with hypomethylation predominating. Enrichment analyses indicated associations with neurodevelopmental pathways, metabolic processes, immune regulation, and epigenetic modification. Immune deconvolution analysis suggested reduced proportions of CD4+ T cells (p < 0.05) and a trend toward decreased NK cells in the GDM group, alongside increased CD8+ T cells and neutrophils. Seven CpG sites were selected for model construction and demonstrated strong discriminatory performance within this cohort. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study identifies distinct cord blood DNA methylation patterns associated with GDM in overweight/obese pregnancies. The findings suggest potential links between epigenetic alterations and immune cell composition in GDM-exposed offspring. The identified CpG signature warrants further validation in larger, prospective cohorts to determine its clinical applicability.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

Environmental epigenetics: Exploring phenotypic plasticity and transgenerational adaptation in fish.

Epigenetics plays a vital role in the interaction between living organisms and their environment by regulating biological functions and phenotypic plasticity. Considering that most aquaculture activities take place in open or natural habitats that are vulnerable to environmental changes. Promising findings from recent research conducted on various aquaculture species have provided preliminary evidence suggesting a link between epigenetic mechanisms and economically valuable characteristics. Environmental stressors, including climate changes (thermal stress, hypoxia, and water salinity), anthropogenic impacts such as (pesticides, crude oil pollution, nutritional impacts, and heavy metal) and abiotic factors (infectious diseases), can directly trigger epigenetic modifications in fish. While experiments have confirmed that many epigenetic alterations caused by environmental factors have plastic responses, some can be permanently integrated into the genome through genetic integration and promoting rapid transgenerational adaptation in fish. These environmental factors might cause irregular DNA methylation patterns in genes related to many biological events leading to organs dysfunction by inducing alterations in genes related to oxidative stress or apoptosis. Moreover, these environmental issues alter DNA/histone methylation leading to decreased reproductive competence. This review emphasizes the importance of understanding the effects of environmentally relevant issues on the epigenetic regulation of phenotypic variations in fish. The goal is to expand our knowledge of how epigenetics can either facilitate or hinder species' adaptation to these adverse conditions. Furthermore, this review outlines the areas that warrant further investigation in understanding epigenetic reactions to various environmental issues.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

High Hcy regulates fluid shear stress pathway activity through histone H3K79 homocysteinylation in hyperhomocysteinemia-related child hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The rise of hypertension in children has been increasingly associated with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), which is recognized as a major risk factor. However, the underlying mechanisms linking homocysteine and hypertension (termed HHYP) are not fully understood. METHODS: This study utilized plasma samples from 27 control children and 27 children with HHYP (aged 8 ~ 16 years) for TMT6-labeled proteomic quantification, identifying significant altered proteins. Bioinformatics analysis revealed pathway alterations. Verification was carried out via parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and western blot (WB) analyses. Additionally, a rat model of HHYP induced by high methionine diets, and umbilical vein endothelial cell models exposed to high homocysteine (hcy) levels were developed to investigate the molecular underpinnings further. Protein expression changes and epigenetic modifications were assessed using WB, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and ChIP-qPCR techniques. RESULTS: Key findings indicated that 357 proteins and 69 pathways were altered in children with HHYP. Specifically, 12 proteins within the fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis (FSSA) pathway showed differential expression, including the downregulation of TRX1 and GPX1 and the upregulation of ICAM1. The same expression patterns were noted in both the HHYP rat aortic tissues and the high hcy cultured endothelial cells. Moreover, elevated H3K79hcy modification levels were observed alongside epigenetic regulation of genes related to the FSSA pathway. Importantly, folic acid (FA), a medication frequently used in the clinical treatment of HHYP, has been demonstrated to effectively reverse H3K79hcy modifications and restore the disrupted FSSA pathway in both animal models and cell cultures. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that HHcy may contribute to hypertension through the epigenetic dysregulation of the FSSA pathway mediated by H3K79hcy. Furthermore, the pediatric proteomics data gleaned from this study offer new clinical insights into the pathophysiology of HHYP in children.

Hyperhomocysteinemia↗

PubMed2025

Multiomics Reveal Associations Between CpG Methylation, Histone Modifications and Transcription in a Species That has Lost DNMT3, the Colorado Potato Beetle.

Insects display exceptional phenotypic plasticity, which can be mediated by epigenetic modifications, including CpG methylation and histone modifications. In vertebrates, both are interlinked and CpG methylation is associated with gene repression. However, little is known about these regulatory systems in invertebrates, where CpG methylation is mainly restricted to gene bodies of transcriptionally active genes. A widely conserved mechanism involves the co-transcriptional deposition of H3K36 trimethylation and the targeted methylation of unmethylated CpGs by the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3. However, DNMT3 has been lost multiple times in invertebrate lineages raising the question of how the links between CpG methylation, histone modifications and gene expression are affected by its loss. Here, we report the epigenetic landscape of Leptinotarsa decemlineata, a beetle species that has lost DNMT3 but retained CpG methylation. We combine RNA-seq, enzymatic methyl-seq and CUT&Tag to study gene expression, CpG methylation and patterns of H3K36me3 and H3K27ac histone modifications on a genome-wide scale. Despite the loss of DNMT3, H3K36me3 mirrors CpG methylation patterns. Together, they give rise to signature profiles for expressed and not expressed genes. H3K27ac patterns show a prominent peak at the transcription start site that is predictive of expressed genes irrespective of their methylation status. Our study provides new insights into the evolutionary flexibility of epigenetic modification systems that urge caution when generalizing across species.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Beyond oncogenesis: The emerging role of EZH2 in tumor microenvironment.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase and the catalytic component of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2, facilitates epigenetic modifications via the repressive H3K27me3 mark, consequently modulating the expression of numerous genes implicated in cellular proliferation and survival. Overexpression or dysregulation of EZH2 has been observed extensively across several malignancies, where it plays a major role in shaping the tumor microenvironment, promoting angiogenesis, cytokine secretion, and matrix remodeling. EZH2 mediates immune evasion, particularly in response to immunotherapy and checkpoint blockade. These interactions also position EZH2 as a key mediator of therapy resistance to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of EZH2's function and its interactions within the TME and during cancer progression is crucial. This review aims to enhance the current understanding of EZH2 and its roles in the TME, cancer development, and therapeutic responses. This review will discuss the canonical and non-canonical functions of EZH2, summarize its established and evolving roles in cancer and the TME, and highlight its effects on tumor immunity and therapeutic efficacy.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Setdb2 Regulates Inflammatory Trigger-Induced Trained Immunity of Macrophages Through Two Different Epigenetic Mechanisms.

"Trained immunity" of innate immune cells occurs through a sequential two-step process where an initial pathogenic or sterile inflammatory trigger is followed by an amplified response to a later un-related secondary pathogen challenge. The memory effect is mediated at least in part through epigenetic modifications of the chromatin landscape. Here, we investigated the role of the epigenetic modifier Setdb2 in microbial (β-glucan) or sterile trigger (Western-diet-WD/oxidized-LDL-oxLDL)-induced trained immunity of macrophages. Using genetic mouse models and genomic analysis, we uncovered a critical role of Setdb2 in regulating proinflammatory and metabolic pathway reprogramming. We further show that Setdb2 regulates trained immunity through two different complementary mechanisms: one where it positively regulates glycolytic and inflammatory pathway genes via enhancer-promoter looping, and is independent of its enzymatic activity; while the second mechanism is associated with both increased promoter associated H3K9 methylation and repression of interferon response pathway genes. Interestingly, while both mechanisms occur in response to pathogenic training, only the chromatin-looping mechanism operates in response to the sterile inflammatory stimulus. These results reveal a previously unknown bifurcation in the downstream pathways that distinguishes between pathogenic and sterile inflammatory signaling responses associated with the innate immune memory response and may provide potential therapeutic opportunities to target cytokine vs. interferon pathways to limit complications of chronic inflammation.

Setdb2↗

PubMed2025

The pathway of autophagy in the epigenetic landscape of Mycobacterium-host interactions.

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved process that degrades excess cytoplasmic components, such as protein aggregates and damaged organelles, by encapsulating them within double-membrane autophagosomes. These autophagosomes undergo distinct stages - initiation, phagophore nucleation, expansion, and closure - before fusing with lysosomes (or occasionally endosomes) for degradation and recycling. This process is regulated by ATG (autophagy related) proteins, which govern autophagosome formation and lysosomal fusion. Epigenetic modifications and transcription factors can regulate ATG gene expression in the nucleus. Autophagy also plays a key role in eliminating intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) through the lytic and antimicrobial activities of autolysosomes, which are more potent antimicrobial compartments than conventional phagosomes. Emerging evidence suggests that Mtb can modify the host epigenome and transcriptional machinery, significantly affecting the host immune response. This review explores the epigenetic regulation of autophagy during mycobacterium-host interactions. The interplay between epigenetic regulation and autophagy highlights a crucial aspect of host-pathogen interactions during Mtb infection. Understanding how Mtb manipulates the host epigenome to regulate autophagy could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies that enhance autophagic pathways or counteract Mtb's immune evasion tactics.Abbreviations: AM: Alveolar macrophages; ATG: autophagy related; DNMT: DNA methyltransferase; FOXO3: forkhead box O3; HAT: histone acetyltransferase; HDAC: histone deacetylase; MIR: microRNA; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; Mtb: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SIRT: sirtuin; STPK: serine/threonine protein kinase.

Autophagy↗

PubMed2026

Beyond mutations: epigenetic and fragmentomic landscapes of cfDNA in lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a powerful biomarker in cancer detection. Early diagnostics efforts often leverage cancer-associated mutations present in cfDNA, but beyond such mutation-based assays, recent advances have shed light on other non-mutational features. The analysis of cfDNA epigenetic profiles and fragmentation patterns, known as 'fragmentomics,' has revealed a wealth of data to explore in noninvasive lung cancer diagnosis. AREAS COVERED: This review will explore this new narrative, summarizing the current understanding and use of cfDNA epigenetic modifications and fragmentomic patterns, while integrating findings to illustrate their vast potential in early-stage detection and therapeutics. By considering a range of epigenetic and fragmentomic features, cfDNA methylation (5mC, 5hmC), histone modifications, size profiles, and end signatures, this review highlights how the multidimensional integration of such signals shows promise in refining early-stage lung cancer and guiding therapeutic decisions. EXPERT OPINION: cfDNA epigenetic and fragmentomic analyses represent a transformative frontier in lung cancer diagnostics and monitoring. While these approaches demonstrate significant potential, most studies are limited by modest cohort sizes and reports of survival benefits, underscoring the need for large-scale validation and deeper mechanistic understanding.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Ensemble DNA methylation clock demonstrates Immune-metabolic aging signatures associated with mortality.

Aging is a multifactorial process that is best described in terms of the progressive acquisition of multiple layers of phenotypic changes, such as epigenetic modifications, inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. DNA methylation clocks have been extensively used to construct epigenetic clocks based on the DNAm profiles that can be used to estimate biological age and predict age-associated outcomes. Nevertheless, the vast majority of clocks constructed so far have been based on linear models, which are unlikely to fully account for the heterogeneity and non-linearity of survival-related DNAm signatures. In this work, we constructed a heterogeneous stacked ensemble survival model based on DNAm data obtained from the Framingham Heart Study. We first identified 190 CpG loci using elastic net Cox regression and subsequently constructed a survival prediction model based on the fusion of five complementary survival models by means of a neural network meta-learner. The prediction power of the survival model was evaluated in an external validation cohort, where we observed strong performance for predicting all-cause mortality that significantly exceeded PhenoAge and was statistically comparable to GrimAge. These performance estimates were derived in cohorts of European ancestry and externally validated in postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years, and should therefore be interpreted as applicable only to demographically similar populations.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Unraveling epigenetic and genetic variations in response to cold stress in two lotus ecotypes.

Genetic variations accumulate over long evolutionary timescales, whereas epigenetic modifications can arise rapidly and be inherited across generations. However, the interplay between genetic and epigenetic variations in shaping ecotype-specific phenotypic plasticity remains elusive. Focusing on two lotus ecotypes that evolved under distinct winter temperature regions and display divergent annual growth cycles under cold stress, we generated DNA methylation landscapes across three sequence contexts (CG, CHG, and CHH, where H = A, T, or C) and identified single-cytosine methylation polymorphisms (SMPs) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Interestingly, only CG methylation patterns mirror population-level genetic variations. Using epigenetic genome-wide association analysis, we identified differentially methylated CG sites that are either cis- or trans-regulated by SNP. Notably, we constructed a multifactorial regulatory network centered on the NnMKK4-NnCYCD5 module, linking cold response with cell cycle regulation. Temperature stress experiments conducted on lotus ecotypes and transgenic Arabidopsis (OE-NnMKK4 and OE-NnCYCD5) confirmed that NnMKK4 acts as a cold receptor and that NnCYCD5 promotes cell cycle progression and growth under cold conditions. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the co-evolutionary dynamics of epigenetic and genetic variations that are associated with different growth cycles of lotus ecotypes in response to cold stress.

DNA methylation↗

PubMed2026

Epigenetic and Transcriptional Regulatory Networks Underlying Psoriasis Pathogenesis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated dermatologic disorder characterized by the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and dysregulated immune signaling. Although genome-wide association studies have identified susceptibility loci, the multifactorial nature of the disease underlines the importance of nongenetic regulatory mechanisms. Among these epigenetic modifications are those that critically link genetic predisposition with environmental stimuli. This review offers an in-depth overview of the current insights into the role of epigenetic regulation in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Key mechanisms, including aberrant DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications (eg, H3K27ac, H3K4me3), and dysregulated noncoding RNAs, are discussed in the context of inflammatory signaling and immune cell function. This review also explores how environmental factors such as UV radiation and air pollution induce the epigenetic reprogramming that perpetuates the proinflammatory state. Furthermore, it highlights the translational potential of targeting epigenetic regulators and epigenome-editing technologies, including clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) fusion systems, as precision therapeutic strategies. In parallel, advances in single-cell epigenomics, spatial transcriptomics, and the profiling of circulating biomarkers offer novel diagnostic tools. Despite advances, challenges persist, including the limited predictive value of preclinical models and variable epigenetic profiles. Positioning epigenetics as the bridge between genetic risk, environmental triggers, and therapeutic advances, this review presents a framework for precision medicine in psoriasis.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Transgenerational continuity: Persistence as a dimension of inheritance and evolution.

Transgenerational continuity (TC) describes the persistence of inherited molecular architectures across generations. Progress in identity-by-descent (IBD) detection, recombination dynamics, and epigenetic research highlights the growing need for a more comprehensive model of inheritance. This theoretical framework synthesizes evidence from genomics, population studies, and epigenetics to outline how inherited molecular architectures, which are transmitted through IBD, together with heritable epigenetic modifications, can preserve ancestral information across generations. IBD captures genomic continuity across three nested scales, where recent familial segments link close relatives, population-level haplotypes are shared across cohorts, and archaic fragments from Neanderthal and Denisovan admixture persist as molecular fossils of ancient lineages. Although recombination and selection reshape these regions, their persistence across time scales highlights the evolutionary durability of genomic continuity. Epigenetic memory reflects regulatory persistence, whereby molecular modifications can preserve functional states across cell divisions and sometimes across generations. Together with familial and population-level IBD persistence and the long-term retention of introgressed haplotypes, these findings demonstrate that inherited molecular architectures can persist across multiple timescales. Evolutionary processes shape this persistence. Purifying selection preferentially removes deleterious inherited variants, whereas positive selection can favor the persistence of functionally relevant genomic architectures. From this perspective, evolutionary dynamics arise not only from the generation of variation, but also from the differential persistence of inherited molecular architectures through selection. Transgenerational continuity therefore provides a conceptual framework in which persistence serves as an explanatory dimension of inheritance and evolution that complements variation and explains the persistence of biological identity across generations and evolutionary time.

Biological identity↗