Transcriptome data analysis reveals correlation between developmentally altered gene expression and offspring phenotype in epigenetic inheritance

Abstract

A recent study investigated sperm mediated inheritance of diet induced metabolic phenotype, reported underlying regulation of MERVL targets and ribosomal protein genes in embryos, and suggested that the altered regulation observed may cause placentation defects which can secondarily result in abnormal metabolism. An analysis of available transcriptomic data however reveals a direct link between the developmentally altered genes and the offspring phenotype.