Stress-associated High Production of Large Extracellular Vesicles in the Parent Generation is Not Inherited by  C. elegans F1 Progeny

TL;DR

The study finds that high production of large extracellular vesicles in parent C. elegans is not passed on to their offspring.

Contribution

The novelty is demonstrating that exopher production in C. elegans is not a heritable trait.

Findings

Offspring of parents producing exophers showed similar exopher levels as those from non-producing parents.

Exopher production levels in offspring did not inherit the high production trait from stressed parents.

Exopher response to fasting remained unchanged in the F1 generation.

Abstract

Parental stress can influence stress responses in offspring. In 

C. elegans

 neurons, proteostress can induce the extrusion of aggregates and organelles in large extracellular vesicles called exophers. Under mild proteostress, ~20% of ALMR neurons produce exophers. We tested if the high exopher production trait is heritable. Offspring of parents that produced exophers (both under standard growth conditions and after 6-hour food withdrawal) displayed similar exopher production levels compared to offspring of parents that didn't produce ALMR exophers and the exopher level changes in response to fasting remained the same. Our data suggest that the high exopher production trait is not heritable.

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