Daily Archives: April 6, 2015

Characteristics passed between generations are not decided solely by DNA, but can be brought about by other material in cells, new research shows.

Scientists studied proteins found in cells, known as histones, which are not part of the genetic code, but act as spools around which DNA is wound. Histones are known to control whether or not genes are switched on.

Researchers found that naturally occurring changes to these proteins, which affect how they control genes, can be sustained from one generation to the next and so influence which traits are passed on.

The finding demonstrates for the first time that DNA is not solely responsible for how characteristics are inherited. It paves the way for research into how and when this method of inheritance occurs in nature, and if it is linked to particular traits or health conditions.

It may also inform research into whether changes to the histone proteins that are caused by environmental conditions such as stress or diet can influence the function of genes passed on to offspring.

The research confirms a long-held expectation among scientists that genes could be controlled across generations by such changes. However, it remains to be seen how common the process is, researchers say.

Scientists tested the theory by carrying out experiments in a yeast with similar gene control mechanisms to human cells. They introduced changes to a histone protein, mimicking those that occur naturally, causing it to switch off nearby genes. The effect was inherited by subsequent generations of yeast cells.

The study, published in Science, was supported by the Wellcome Trust and the EC EpiGeneSys Network.

Professor Robin Allshire, of the University of Edinburghs School of Biological Sciences, who led the study, said: Weve shown without doubt that changes in the histone spools that make up chromosomes can be copied and passed through generations. Our finding settles the idea that inherited traits can be epigenetic, meaning that they are not solely down to changes in a genes DNA.

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DNA cant explain all inherited traits

Some US cities are looking to DNA testing to catch dog-owners who fail to clean up their dogs' droppings.

Too pooped to scoop? Owners failing to pick up after pooches

Seattle: Frustrated with dog owners who refuse to clean up after their pets, an increasing number of apartments in the US city of Seattle are using DNA testing to identify the culprits.

The Seattle Times reports that a company called BioPet Vet Lab from Knoxville, Tennessee, is providing its PooPrints testing kits to 26 apartment and condo complexes and homeowners' associations in the region.

Erin Atkinson, property manager at Potala Village Apartments in Everett says the messes were everywhere.

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"There was poop inside the elevators, in the carpeted hallways, up on the roof", Ms Atkinson said. "They're lazy, I guess."

That's why, since February 2014, tenants have been paying a "one-time fee of $US29.95 ($40) for DNA testing".

BioPet says in the past five years, the DNA test has been used in nearly 1,000 places around the US, and it's especially popular in Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles and other large cities.

The marketing took a little longer to reach the north-west, but King-Snohomish-Pierce counties are opportune sites. They are home to about 811,000 dogs. Seattle has 50 per cent more dogs than kids, the Times said.

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DNA testing for dog poop on the rise in the US