Molecular carriers of acquired inheritance: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Abstract

In utero exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors can cause transgenerational effects in the males of subsequent generations. DNA methylation (5 mC) was suggested, but being challenged as the molecular carrier of such epigenetic information. In a recent study, Schuster et al. show a changed small RNA profile changed in the sperm of F3 generation after F0 in utero vinclozolin exposure, suggesting additional transgenerational epigenetic carriers for endocrine disruptor effects, other than DNA methylation.