Andres Vidal-Gadea

eLife Assessment This valuable study concerns a model for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, the learned avoidance by C. elegans of the PA14 pathogenic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A recent study questioned whether transgenerational inheritance in this paradigm lacks robustness. The authors of this study have worked independently of the group that reported the original phenomenon and also independently of the group that challenged the original report.

Abstract Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) involves progressive muscle degeneration associated with calcium dysregulation, but the mechanisms linking extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity to calcium homeostasis remain unclear. We investigated whether MUA-3, a fibrillin-related ECM protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, contributes to calcium regulation in dystrophic muscle.

Abstract Transgenerational inheritance of learned behaviors remains a controversial topic in biology. The Murphy lab previously demonstrated that C. elegans exposed to pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) not only learn to avoid this bacterium but also transmit this avoidance behavior to untrained offspring. A recent study has challenged these findings, questioning the robustness of this phenomenon. Here, we independently validate the transgenerational inheritance of PA14 avoidance in C. elegans.