Stress makes its molecular mark

摘要

Some people exposed to severe stress, such as that caused by prolonged economic hardship or sexual or physical abuse, go on to develop devastating psychological or other health problems. Others are more resilient. If one identical twin shows symptoms of stress-related depression, for instance, the other will also be depressed in only around 40% of cases. I believe that epi-genetic mechanisms help to explain why1'2. These are experience-dependent molecular alterations to DNA or to proteins that alter how genes behave without changing the information they contain.