@article{WeyrichLenzFickel2018,
  author    = {Weyrich, Alexandra and Lenz, Dorina and Fickel, J{\"o}rns},
  title     = {Environmental Change-Dependent Inherited Epigenetic Response},
  series = {GENES},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {GENES},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2073-4425},
  doi       = {10.3390/genes10010004},
  pages     = {15},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Epigenetic modifications are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. Research on epigenetic responses to environmental changes in wild mammals has been widely neglected, as well as studies that compare responses to changes in different environmental factors. Here, we focused on the transmission of DNA methylation changes to naive male offspring after paternal exposure to either diet (~40\% less protein) or temperature increase (10 °C increased temperature). Because both experiments focused on the liver as the main metabolic and thermoregulation organ, we were able to decipher if epigenetic changes differed in response to different environmental changes. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) revealed differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in annotated genomic regions in sons sired before (control) and after the fathers' treatments. We detected both a highly specific epigenetic response dependent on the environmental factor that had changed that was reflected in genes involved in specific metabolic pathways, and a more general response to changes in outer stimuli reflected by epigenetic modifications in a small subset of genes shared between both responses. Our results indicated that fathers prepared their offspring for specific environmental changes by paternally inherited epigenetic modifications, suggesting a strong paternal contribution to adaptive processes.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WeyrichJeschekSchrapersetal.2018,
  author    = {Weyrich, Alexandra and Jeschek, Marie and Schrapers, Katharina T. and Lenz, Dorina and Chung, Tzu Hung and Ruebensam, Kathrin and Yasar, Sermin and Schneemann, Markus and Ortmann, Sylvia and Jewgenow, Katarina and Fickel, J{\"o}rns},
  title     = {Diet changes alter paternally inherited epigenetic pattern in male Wild guinea pigs},
  series = {Environmental Epigenetics},
  volume    = {4},
  journal   = {Environmental Epigenetics},
  number    = {2},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {2058-5888},
  doi       = {10.1093/eep/dvy011},
  pages     = {12},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Epigenetic modifications, of which DNA methylation is the most stable, are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. The paternal contribution to adaptive processes in the offspring might be crucial, but has been widely neglected in comparison to the maternal one. To address the paternal impact on the offspring's adaptability to changes in diet composition, we investigated if low protein diet (LPD) in F0 males caused epigenetic alterations in their subsequently sired sons. We therefore fed F0 male Wild guinea pigs with a diet lowered in protein content (LPD) and investigated DNA methylation in sons sired before and after their father's LPD treatment in both, liver and testis tissues. Our results point to a 'heritable epigenetic response' of the sons to the fathers' dietary change. Because we detected methylation changes also in the testis tissue, they are likely to be transmitted to the F2 generation. Gene-network analyses of differentially methylated genes in liver identified main metabolic pathways indicating a metabolic reprogramming ('metabolic shift'). Epigenetic mechanisms, allowing an immediate and inherited adaptation may thus be important for the survival of species in the context of a persistently changing environment, such as climate change.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{WeyrichJeschekSchrapersetal.2018,
  author    = {Weyrich, Alexandra and Jeschek, Marie and Schrapers, Katharina T. and Lenz, Dorina and Chung, Tzu Hung and Ruebensam, Kathrin and Yasar, Sermin and Schneemann, Markus and Ortmann, Sylvia and Jewgenow, Katarina and Fickel, J{\"o}rns},
  title     = {Diet changes alter paternally inherited epigenetic pattern in male Wild guinea pigs},
  series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {1065},
  issn      = {1866-8372},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-46003},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-460031},
  pages     = {14},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Epigenetic modifications, of which DNA methylation is the most stable, are a mechanism conveying environmental information to subsequent generations via parental germ lines. The paternal contribution to adaptive processes in the offspring might be crucial, but has been widely neglected in comparison to the maternal one. To address the paternal impact on the offspring's adaptability to changes in diet composition, we investigated if low protein diet (LPD) in F0 males caused epigenetic alterations in their subsequently sired sons. We therefore fed F0 male Wild guinea pigs with a diet lowered in protein content (LPD) and investigated DNA methylation in sons sired before and after their father's LPD treatment in both, liver and testis tissues. Our results point to a 'heritable epigenetic response' of the sons to the fathers' dietary change. Because we detected methylation changes also in the testis tissue, they are likely to be transmitted to the F2 generation. Gene-network analyses of differentially methylated genes in liver identified main metabolic pathways indicating a metabolic reprogramming ('metabolic shift'). Epigenetic mechanisms, allowing an immediate and inherited adaptation may thus be important for the survival of species in the context of a persistently changing environment, such as climate change.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Scheffler2018,
  author    = {Scheffler, Christiane},
  title     = {Studies on plasticity within the universal pattern of growth and developmet of children and adolescents},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {207},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {The anatomically modern human Homo sapiens sapiens is distinguished by a high adaptability in physiology, physique and behaviour in short term changing environmental conditions. Since our environmental factors are constantly changing because of anthropogenic influences, the question arises as to how far we have an impact on the human phenotype in the very sensitive growth phase in children and adolescents. Growth and development of all children and adolescents follow a universal and typical pattern. This pattern has evolved as the result of trade-offs in the 6-7 million years of human evolution. This typically human growth pattern differs from that of other long-living social primate species. It can be divided into different biological age stages, with specific biological, cognitive and socio-cultural signs. Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to react to an internal or external environmental input with a change in the form, state, and movement rate of activity (West-Eberhard 2003). The plasticity becomes visible and measurable particularly when, in addition to the normal variability of the phenotypic characteristics within a population, the manifestation of this plasticity changes within a relatively short time. The focus of the present work is the comparison of age-specific dimensional changes. The basic of the presented studies are more than 75,000 anthropometric data-sets of children and adolescence from 1980 up today and historical data of height available in scientific literature. Due to reduced daily physical activity, today's 6-18 year-olds have lower values of pelvic and elbow breadths. The observed increase in body height can be explained by hierarchies in social networks of human societies, contrary to earlier explanations (influence of nutrition, good living conditions and genetics). A shift towards a more feminine fat distribution pattern in boys and girls is parallel to the increase in chemicals in our environment that can affect the hormone system. Changing environmental conditions can have selective effects over generations so that that genotype becomes increasingly prevalent whose individuals have a higher progeny rate than other individuals in this population. Those then form the phenotype which allows optimum adaptation to the changes of the environmental conditions. Due to the slow patterns of succession and the low progeny rate (Hawkes et al. 1998), fast visible in the phenotype due to changes in the genotype of a population are unlikely to occur in the case of Homo sapiens sapiens within short time. In the data sets on which the presented investigations are based, such changes appear virtually impossible. The study periods cover 5-30 to max.100 years (based on data from the body height from historical data sets).},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{LaitinenNikoloski2018,
  author    = {Laitinen, Roosa A. E. and Nikoloski, Zoran},
  title     = {Genetic basis of plasticity in plants},
  series = {Journal of experimental botany},
  volume    = {70},
  journal   = {Journal of experimental botany},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0022-0957},
  doi       = {10.1093/jxb/ery404},
  pages     = {739 -- 745},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {The ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to different environments, termed plasticity, is a particularly important characteristic to enable sessile plants to adapt to rapid changes in their surroundings. Plasticity is a quantitative trait that can provide a fitness advantage and mitigate negative effects due to environmental perturbations. Yet, its genetic basis is not fully understood. Alongside technological limitations, the main challenge in studying plasticity has been the selection of suitable approaches for quantification of phenotypic plasticity. Here, we propose a categorization of the existing quantitative measures of phenotypic plasticity into nominal and relative approaches. Moreover, we highlight the recent advances in the understanding of the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic plasticity in plants. We identify four pillars for future research to uncover the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity, with emphasis on development of computational approaches and theories. These developments will allow us to perform specific experiments to validate the causal genes for plasticity and to discover their role in plant fitness and evolution.},
  language  = {en}
}