Overview

• HHMI Janelia researchers detail how somatic lysosomal changes are conveyed to reproductive cells via histones in C. elegans.
• A specific histone variant rises in body tissues, travels to developing eggs through nutrient-delivery proteins, and is modified in the germline to reprogram offspring epigenomes.
• The pathway is triggered during fasting, linking a physiological state to heritable changes that influence lifespan.
• Prior work from the same lab showed that overexpressing a lysosomal enzyme extends worm lifespan by up to 60% and that the longevity benefit persists in progeny for up to four generations.
• Findings are supported by genetic, transcriptomic, and imaging data and are reported in Science by Meng Wang’s team (Qinghao Zhang et al., DOI: 10.1126/science.adn8754).