Neuron-specific Methylome Analysis Reveals BRCA1 as a New Pathogenic Contributor to Alzheimer’s DiseaseOctober 23, 2017Whether it is for the billing of a new film, the release of an album, or in the understanding of the pathogenesis of a disease, figuring out who the contributors are and what role they play represents an important first step. In the case of the sporadic neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), we know that […]
dCas9-SunTag-DNMT3A Causes a Total Methylation EclipseSeptember 26, 2017While it’s never a great idea to stare directly into the sun, a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) eclipse brought to you by the SunTag system may just steal your eyes during its totality. This designer epigenome editing system comes to you from the labs of Margaret A. Goodell and Wei Li at Baylor College of Medicine […]
xQTLs Provide Xtra Epigenetic Treasure for GWAS ProspectorsSeptember 25, 2017On any good pirate map, ‘X’ marks the spot for buried treasure. It turns out the same is true in epigenetics: xQTL analysis marks the spot for buried GWAS associations. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been instrumental in identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with human disease. However, finding the biological relevance of such SNPs […]
Caloric Restriction: The Fountain of (Epigenetic) Youth?September 25, 2017With age comes wisdom, and also a changing methylation landscape. These changes in methylation can predict life expectancy, with a subset referred to as the ‘epigenetic clock’. For those of us looking to add more time, caloric restriction has been shown to increase life expectancy and reduce the incidence of age-related diseases. Despite three decades […]
Phthalates Produce Problematic Sperm DNA Methylation in HumansSeptember 20, 2017While plastic is fantastic, the luxury of our synthetic world comes at a price: plasticizing agents can affect our chances of bringing new life into that world thanks to our environmentally-responsive sperm. Phthalates, which are common plasticizing agents, disrupt the endocrine system and are present in food packaging, personal care products such as shaving cream, […]
