It’s Not Just Genes — Parents Can Pass Down Longevity Another Way
October 6, 2025 – In a landmark discovery that reshapes our understanding of inheritance, scientists have identified how the secret to a long life can be passed from parents to their children without a single change to their DNA.
Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), using the roundworm C. elegans, have uncovered a precise mechanism where information about longevity travels from body cells to reproductive cells, creating an epigenetic "memory" that benefits future generations.
"This really provides a mechanism for understanding the transgenerational effect," said senior author Dr. Meng Wang, an HHMI Senior Group Leader. "You always think that your inheritance is in the nucleus... but now we show that the histone can go from one place to another place, and if that histone carries any modification, that means you are going to transfer the epigenetic information."
An Unexpected Inheritance
The journey to this discovery began in Wang's lab, where her team had genetically engineered worms to overexpress a lysosomal enzyme, extending their lifespan by up to 60%. In a routine follow-up, they made a startling observation: the offspring of these long-lived worms, which did not inherit the genetic modification, were also living longer. This longevity benefit persisted for four generations.
This clear evidence of non-genetic inheritance sent the team on a mission to find the messenger.
The Histone Messenger Pathway
The new research, published today, details this messenger system. The team found that longevity-promoting changes in lysosomes—organelles known as the cell's recycling center—activate a specific cellular process. This triggers an increase in a particular histone variant.
These histones are then packaged and transported from the worm's body (somatic) cells to its reproductive (germ) cells. Once delivered, they cause epigenetic modifications—chemical tags on the DNA or histones that alter gene expression without changing the genetic code itself. This embeds the longevity signal into the next generation's biology.
The researchers also confirmed that this pathway is naturally engaged during fasting, directly linking a known environmental factor to transgenerational epigenetic changes.
A New Role for Cellular Organelles and a New Model for Inheritance
The findings fundamentally expand the role of lysosomes, positioning them as key signaling hubs that can influence an organism's lineage. Furthermore, it provides a concrete model for a phenomenon scientists have long observed but struggled to explain: how the experiences of one generation, from famine to stress, can leave a biological mark on the next.
"We now show that the soma and the germline can be connected by the histone and can carry memorable genetic information for generations," Wang said.
This breakthrough opens new avenues for understanding how a wide range of environmental exposures in parents can shape the health and traits of their descendants.