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A17 - Does Yolk Post-Translational Modification Contribute to Generational Inheritance of Acquired Traits?
A mystery of modern biology is how lived experience can be chemically passed to future generations. Although DNA provides the blueprint, the cellular environment, specifically the proteins inherited from the parent, define the context in which those genes are expressed.
A17 - Does Yolk Post-Translational Modification Contribute to Generational Inheritance of Acquired Traits?
Mentor: Ahmed Elewa, Ph.D.
A mystery of modern biology is how lived experience can be chemically passed to future generations. Although DNA provides the blueprint, the cellular environment, specifically the proteins inherited from the parent, define the context in which those genes are expressed. This non-genetic information transfer suggests that an individual’s fitness is not just a product of their own environment, but a reflection of the stressors faced by their ancestors.
Our lab is specifically investigating vitellogenin (yolk proteins) as a primary vehicle for this inheritance. Yolk proteins are an ideal candidate for transduction factors because they comprise a notable proportion of the embryo’s initial biomass and are synthesized in the parent’s intestine before being loaded into the germline. We hypothesize that external stressors may trigger specific Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) on these yolk proteins. These chemical tags act as molecular messages, altering the physiological starting state of the embryo. By mapping these modifications, we aim to uncover the logic of how parental experiences are translated into heritable variations in offspring behavior, fitness, and survival.