Recent research has uncovered that changes in lysosomal activity can promote longevity and are transmitted across generations through histones, which move from somatic cells to reproductive cells, thereby modifying the epigenome without altering the DNA sequence.

This discovery offers a potential mechanism explaining how environmental factors such as diet and stress can have heritable effects on health and lifespan.

Scientists at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus studied the nematode C. elegans to understand how markers of longevity are inherited across generations.

The findings imply that similar epigenetic processes could account for other inherited effects, including those resulting from parental malnutrition or stress adaptations in C. elegans.

Overall, this research introduces a new paradigm for understanding how somatic experiences influence future generations through epigenetic modifications carried by histones.