Video 1 min read

What the egg yolk really passes on to the next generation

Published the By Sacha Tembe and Jeanne Fenouil; Translation: AI-assisted

For the first time, researchers have shown that a non-reproductive organ, the gut, can transmit microRNAs to the next generation via the egg yolk. Névé Aupérin, from Germano Cecere’s laboratory at the Institut Pasteur, explains this discovery in C. elegans and the questions it raises for other species.
  • #Embryonic development

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© Script: Jeanne Fenouil and Sacha Tembe - Filmmaking: Jeanne Fenouil (video in french, english subtitles available translated by AI)

 

The egg yolk isn’t just for nourishing the embryo, it also allows a mother to communicate with her offspring.

Névé Aupérin, a researcher at the Institut Pasteur, works in the Mechanisms of Epigenetic Inheritance laboratory, under the direction of Germano Cecere. Together with her team, she made a discovery in C. elegans, a tiny transparent worm.

Here’s what Névé and her team discovered:

The vitellus (the egg yolk) also carries microRNAs, small molecules that regulate the expression of certain genes. These microRNAs originate in the mother’s intestine and vary depending on her stress levels or age.

The most fascinating part? When the mother is stressed, she sends signals to her embryos via the egg yolk, which help them better withstand similar conditions.

This is the first time it has been shown that a non-reproductive organ can transmit microRNAs to the next generation.