Intergenerational epigenetic effects: Influence of increased temperature on lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Morphophysiological changes not associated with DNA sequence violation belong to the field of epigenetic phenomena. The results of this study demonstrate that impulse, not mutagenic, heat stress on the emerging egg cells (proembryo) causes intergenerational epigenetic positive changes of the lifespan in the offspring. This effect depends on heterozygosity for the lgl mutation, which is obtained from mothers. Determination of the property of increased survival of F1 descendants occurs during early oogenesis. The largest effect is observed from the cell heating of the earliest proembryo stages. The present study is the first experimental work modeling the intergenerational aftereffect of prezygotic (proembryo) stress on the survival rate and lifespan of the progeny with the involvement of the lgl tumor suppressor. The significance of the obtained data was discussed in connection with human epigenetics.