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Small Non-Coding RNAs and Epigenetic Inheritance

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Beyond Our Genes

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs have recently been revealed to be intergenerational carriers of epigenetic information. Particularly the studies on the paternal epigenetic inheritance of acquired traits, metabolic disorders and psychiatric conditions, have convincingly demonstrated the involvement of sperm RNA molecules in the process. Spermatozoa contain a complex mixture of RNAs of which especially small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), have been shown to respond to environmental signals, exposures to toxicants, changes in diet or even early life trauma. Furthermore, recent animal studies where spermatozoal small RNAs have been injected into zygotes demostrate the capacity of RNA to transmit information about acquired conditions to offspring. Altogether, these studies highlight the central role of RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance in the etiology of many complex diseases and therefore public health.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all Kotaja lab members for stimulating discussions. The research in the lab is supported by the Academy of Finland and Sigrid Jusélius Foundation. T.L. is funded by the Turku Doctoral Program in Molecular Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Tiina Lehtiniemi, Margareeta Mäkelä & Noora Kotaja

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  1. Tiina Lehtiniemi
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  2. Margareeta Mäkelä
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  3. Noora Kotaja
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Correspondence to Noora Kotaja .

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  1. Head of the Environmental Epigenetics Group, Institute of Experimental Genetics & German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH – German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Bayern, Germany

    Raffaele Teperino

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Lehtiniemi, T., Mäkelä, M., Kotaja, N. (2020). Small Non-Coding RNAs and Epigenetic Inheritance. In: Teperino, R. (eds) Beyond Our Genes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35213-4_11

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