Maternal Inheritance: Longevity Programs Nourish Progeny via Yolk

Summary Epigenetic effects can be mediated by changes in chromatin state that are transmitted from parent to child via gametes, but support is gathering for maternal yolk, which is deposited into ooctyes, as an extranuclear epigenetic factor that can contribute to phenotypic plasticity across generations in Caenorhabditis elegans.