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表观遗传（epigenomics）指的是不改变基因序列的前提之下影响基因表现，常见机制包含 DNA 甲基化（methylation）和组蛋白（histone）修饰，也就是说环境对基因造成的更动，有可能遗传给后代。例如母亲在饥荒环境下怀胎的儿童，其代谢功能相较一般人能适应食物短缺，但也因脂肪过度累积更易罹患糖尿病、肥胖。
表观遗传的影响还包含亲代在经历细菌感染后，免疫功能遗传给子代的现象。过去研究已针对植物、无脊椎动物探讨过这项机制。近期荷兰拉德堡德大学（Radboud University）团队的研究，则首度提出哺乳动物先天免疫系统的表观遗传现象，证实受过细菌感染的公鼠，其子代对大肠杆菌的保护力也较佳。相关结果刊登于《Nature Immunology》。
亲代感染过白色念珠菌的小鼠可抗大肠杆菌
为了了解真菌感染在免疫功能上造成的遗传差异，该团队比较亲代公鼠受到会造成口疮的白色念珠菌（Candida albicans）感染、以及没受过感染的公鼠，分别以大肠杆菌感染两种小鼠子代。
结果显示亲代受过白色念珠菌感染的小鼠，对于大肠杆菌抵抗力较好，这些小鼠肺脏与肝脏中的细菌数量较低，且促发炎细胞激素浓度高。此外，亲代的免疫保护力甚至能遗传到第二子代。
精子基因甲基化修饰，调控免疫功能
受过感染的老鼠子代的免疫功能差异主要展现在两方面：第二型主要组织相容性复合体（Major histocompatibility complex, MHC class II）活性提升、以及单核球前驱细胞（precursor）的表观遗传调控。
研究团队进一步发现小鼠免疫功能改变的原因，是因为受过感染的公鼠精子上有特殊的 DNA 甲基化标记，这种表观遗传标记能活化小鼠与发炎相关的基因，并影响骨髓中的免疫细胞发育，例如单核球细胞分化机制。
免疫力调控的表观遗传研究
这项研究首度证实在小鼠模型中，免疫力受到表观遗传调控，免疫保护力可透过亲代遗传传递给小鼠子代，未来仍需要探讨公鼠精子的甲基化标记如何影响骨髓中的免疫细胞分化。此外，这项研究指出受细菌感染过的母鼠免疫力也会遗传子代，也就是除了精子甲基化，仍有其他表观遗传机制未被发现。
表观遗传颠覆了过去认为只有基因讯息可遗传至后代的认知，相较基因变动往往需要长期的演化适应，表观遗传可在短时间内传递亲代特征，对于训练子代免疫力是一种可能的调控手段。
延伸阅读：表观遗传影响大！大脑神经细胞多样性的关键掌门人参考资料：
1. Nature Immunology, 2021; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-021-01052-7
2. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/931873
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