Chromatin modifications regulate germ cell development and transgenerational information relay

•Histone modifications and chromatin remodeling factors play crucial roles during germ cells development.•Small non-coding RNA silence transposable elements at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.•Heterochromatin is both required to inhibit the transcription of transposons and to activate the transcription of piRNAs.•Epigenetic information is transmitted across generations through the maternal deposition of piRNAs in the egg.

Germ cells transmit genetic, cytoplasmic and epigenetic information to the next generation. Recent reports describe the importance of chromatin modifiers and small RNAs for germ cells development in Drosophila. We also review exciting progress in our understanding of piRNAs functions, which demonstrate that this class of small RNAs is both an adaptive and inheritable epigenetic memory.