Memory ‘gene’ could explain how stress is inherited

by Emily Reynolds – wired.co.uk

The precise mechanism that “turns the inheritance of environmental influences on and off” has been pinpointed, says a team at Tel Aviv University.

In a study published in Cell, the team claims it has discovered the exact neural mechanism that decides whether or not certain epigenetic responses will be inherited.
Epigenetics refers to the idea that certain genetic expressions — such as obesity, mental illness, memory, addiction and more — that are affected or altered via environmental factors can be inherited, despite the fact that offspring were never subject to these environmental factors themselves. …read more