By profiling transcriptional changes induced by environmental changes, it is possible to identify gene regions or pathways that are likely to be targets of selection.
Perhaps more significantly, epigenetic changes induced by environmental changes can be inherited across generations, as seen in animal models of allergic disease (Hollingsworth et al. 2008).
The genes inherited from mother and father may be turned on and off and the strength of their effects changed by environmental conditions in early development.
The noninheritance of acquired traits does not mean that the genes cannot be changed by environmental influences; X-rays and other mutagens certainly do change them, and the genotype of a population can be altered by selection.
The morphology of polymeric self-assembled structures can be changed by environmental conditions, including pH, temperature, and various additives such as ions, cosolvents, nanoparticles (NPs), and so on.
On the other hand, several research groups developed Raman spectroscopic pH measurement methods using nanoparticles functionalized by 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (pMBA), which have two chemical structure modes (OH and O−) changed by environmental pH values sensitively [65].
In addition, the balance between different CH compounds within a single genetically uniform strain of D. melanogaster is changed by environmental conditions such as rearing temperature [18].
As noted above, these signatures will be endogenously embedded in the DMRs and may be resistant to change by environmental influences.
