Does diet during pregnancy affect gene expression in offspring?

Research by Queen Mary University of London suggests that a mother's diet during pregnancy may permanently affect a child's attributes, which can explain that diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity are inherited.
study found that attributes, such as weight, can be formed by genetic variation strain in the genome of an unexpected region.
so far, genetic research has been unable to fully explain the genetic processes of certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.
results published in Science suggest that genetic mutations in ribosome DNA (rDNA) can guide the environment in the womb to determine the properties of offspring.
rDNA is the genetic material that forms the protein's ribosome sourcite in cells.
work together with environmental and genetic factors such as diet, stress, smoking, and intrauterine environment to affect the properties of offspring.
epigenetics is an important factor in this process.
epigenetics refers to the external modification of DNA, so that the gene "on" or "off".
these modifications do not alter the DNA sequence, but they do affect the expression of DNA.
chemical compounds involved in labeling DNA are methyl groups, and these epigenetic markers determine which genes are expressed or not expressed.
researchers compared a low-protein diet of 8 percent and a normal diet of 20 percent protein to explore the effects of the offspring of pregnant mice at different diets.
after weaning on a normal diet, the researchers looked at any differences in DNA methylation in offspring.
initially, the researchers found nothing, but after analyzing the ribosome data in different ways, they found huge genetic differences.
researchers say that when cells are stressed, for example when nutrient levels are low, they change protein production as a survival strategy.
offspring of the low-protein diet group have methylation genes that slow the expression of genes and may affect the function of ribosomes, as well as smaller offspring (possibly 25 percent lighter).
these epigenetic effects occur within a critical time frame, i.e. in the womb, and these effects may be permanent.
the mother's diet during pregnancy may affect the epigenetic status and weight of the offspring more than the factors of the post-weaned offspring themselves.
Source: Decoding Medicine.