In Search of 5-hmC’s Tissue WhereaboutsJune 16, 20115-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) has been hiding out in the genomic shadows too long, but now researchers armed with a new technique, can track 5-hmC not just to the specific tissue it’s holed up in, but also the developmental stage as well. Or as Martha and the Vandellas put it, there’s “nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere […]
Foursome of DNA Methylation Subgroups Found in Colorectal CancerJune 16, 2011As if one kind of colorectal cancer (CRC) isn’t bad enough, new research has uncovered four DNA methylation-based versions of the insidious disease. Our So-Cal neighbors, Toshinori Hinoue and Daniel Weisenberger and team over at the USC Epigenome Center cranked out genome-scale DNA methylation profiles for 125 colorectal tumor and 29 normal tissue samples. The […]
DNA and Histone H3K9 Methylation Often Work AloneJune 14, 2011Nature is a master of using specific tools for specific jobs, so it’s not too surprising that DNA methylation and SETDB1/H3K9 methylation work on different sets of genes, as University of British Columbia researchers report. But occasionally those tools are more like a Swiss Army knife, like SETDB1, which also methylates H3K9s near endogenous retroviruses […]
CpG Island (R)EvolutionJune 2, 2011CpG islands and their methylation patterns are the epigeneticists bread and butter, and it’s been assumed by many that there are evolutionary reasons behind their existence. New data suggests that not all CpG islands were created equal, and much like Donald Trump’s hair, can’t entirely be explained by natural selection. High-powered researchers from the Weizmann […]
Posttraumatic Stress Risk Altered by DNA MethylationJune 1, 2011After nearly a decade of sending troops into harms way, the U.S. is now coping with the aftermath that those situations can create for our armed forces, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). So it’s nice to see progress made towards understanding that condition. While many people are exposed to traumatic events, only a fraction will develop […]
