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Comment by andrewljohnson | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand how what you said is different than the title.

Could you please explain the difference between "affects your genes" and "affecting expression of genes."

A process of genes expression is when information from your genes translates to the proteins which are primary regulatory entities in cells. "Affects your genes" implies that somehow your genes are changed permanently. MicroRNAs affect the process of gene expression not the genes itself. What the authors found is that microRNAs from rice can appear in cells of mammals if they eat a lot of rice. But if they stop eating rice the effect of these microRNAs will be lost.

If a miRNA alters the expression of transcription factors, chromatin remodeling agents, or other epigenome modifiers, the effect could last long after a person stops eating the miRNA-containing food.

To me, the title sounds like your genes are changed (pre-transcription), whereas the study finds ways the body operates on itself (post-transcription).

Quite a difference.

That said, it is already known that parental malnutrition can be detected in offspring that were never themselves malnurished.

So, does that mean that that the post-transcriptive changes will not affect descendants? If so, I agree that my impression of the title is at odds with the information trying to be conveyed.

EDIT: I think you edited your comment to basically say that maybe these changes can be passed on?

Nope. The malnutrition causes gene methilation, which can be passed to children.

I edited my comment to add the malnurishment part but that's not the same as the premise of the article.

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