Causes of epigenetic loss-of-inheritance (switching) events

Identify the primary causes of epigenetic loss-of-inheritance events, i.e., cases where daughter cells switch epigenetic state relative to the mother cell, and distinguish replication-driven dilution during DNA replication from stochastic fluctuations in other cellular processes.

Background

Epigenetic marks can be inherited across cell divisions, but daughter cells sometimes switch epigenetic state relative to their mothers, leading to loss of epigenetic memory. The paper distinguishes replication-driven switching (triggered by histone mark dilution at DNA replication) from switching driven by other sources of stochasticity in the cell.

Determining the relative contribution of these mechanisms is essential for interpreting switching frequencies and for understanding how robust memory is maintained or lost across generations.