"RNA-Mediated Parent-of-Origin Effects Stem from Selfish Conflict"

The study explores the mechanism behind a parent-of-origin effect on gene expression in a hermaphroditic nematode, C. tropicalis, uncovering a selfish element, slow-1/grow-1, with a maternal-effect toxin and zygotically expressed antidotes. The study reveals that the paternal inheritance of slow-1/grow-1 leads to decreased SLOW-1 dosage, transgenerational repression, and targeting by the piRNA pathway, shedding light on the evolutionary origins of imprinting and the molecular mechanisms underlying parent-of-origin effects on gene expression.