Epigenetic control of development and expression of quantitative traits

Abstract

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that epigenetic regulation of gene expression is critical during embryo development and subsequently during pre- and post-natal life. The phenotype of an individual is the result of complex interactions between genotype and current, past and ancestral environment leading to a lifelong remodelling of its epigenome. Practically, if the genome was compared with the hardware in a computer, the epigenome would be the software that directs the computer’s operation. This review points to the importance of epigenetic processes for genome function in various biological processes, such as embryo development and the expression of quantitative traits.