If DNA is the instruction manual, we just opened a big second volume
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that certain inherited traits in mice do not follow traditional Mendelian genetic rules. These findings suggest that chemical modifications to the genome can be passed down across generations and change based on sex, adding a new layer of complexity to our understanding of DNA.
Why it matters
This research challenges fundamental biological concepts and could lead to breakthroughs in understanding hereditary diseases and gene expression.
A team led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has found that several inherited traits in the mouse genome break the rules Gregor Mendel laid down in the 19th century about how genes work. This is not because the genes mutate but because of chemical modifications of the genome that can jump across generations, change depending on whether an animal is male or female, and even copy themselves from one copy of a gene to another.
Their findings were reported recently in Nature Genetics .
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