Animal experiments have shown that parental "memory" has a profound effect on future generations

, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A new U.S. study shows that fruit flies' preference for spawning sites is inherited for generations, and similar mechanisms may exist in humans, helping to analyze the causes of some diseases.
researchers at Dartmouth College in the United States, who published a paper in the American journal Electronic Life, said they had fruit flies live with parasitic bees before laying eggs and found that they lay 94 percent of their eggs on ethanol-rich foods. This is because parasitic bees are natural enemies of fruit flies and kill fruit fly larvae, but parasitic bees are afraid of ethanol.
follow-up observations showed that although the first generation of these fruit flies were no longer exposed to parasitic bees, they chose to lay 73 percent of their eggs on ethanol-rich foods when laying eggs. This preference is inherited for 5 generations before returning to normal levels.
researchers say this suggests that the preference for fruit flies to lay eggs is not genetically permanent, but reversible, as if parents' "memories" were passed on to offspring and then gradually disappeared.
analysis showed that fruit flies, a genetic mechanism of "memory", are inhibited by a protein in their brain called neuropeptide F. Researchers say there is a similar substance in the body, neuropeptide Y, so the study could also help understand some phenomena in human genetics.
Giovanni Bosco, a professor at Dartmouth College, said it was hoped the findings would help understand the role of the experiences of parents in diseases such as drug and alcohol dependence.