Recently, there has been great interest in the role of epigenetics in the generation of phenotypes. One major question is whether epigenetic mutations can be passed through the germline, as the genome is demethylated, then remethylated, during development. A new paper provides evidence one example of an inherited epimutation, plus an association with the development of cancer. It’s still possible, of course, that the epigenetic mutation is caused by a genetic mutation, giving the illusion of epigenetic inheritance. But the evidence is growing that epigenetic inheritance is a widespread and important phenomenon…
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