Epigenetic changes don’t last

http://www.kurzweilai.net/epigenetic-changes-dont-last

Epigenetic changes don’t last
September 26, 2011 by Editor

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biology in Germany have produced what they are calling the first comprehensive inventory of spontaneous epigenetic changes (genetic changes brought about by the environment), and found, contrary to previous theory, that these changes are short-lived and have minimal impact on evolution.

Using the Arabidopsis plant, the workhorse of modern plant genetics, the researchers determined how often and where in the genome epigenetic modifications occur — and how often they disappear again.

They found that epigenetic changes are many orders of magnitude more frequent than conventional DNA mutations, but often also often short-lived. They are therefore probably much less important for long-term evolution than previously thought.

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Thanks!

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