Epigenetic Regulators (miRNAs, lncRNAs) Get Regulated EpigeneticallyOctober 20, 2012With Halloween coming up, perhaps it is fitting that the authors of two recent papers describe a “tangled web” of epigenetic regulations. In one paper, researchers suggest that DNA methylation and perhaps other epigenetic modifications disrupt long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) activity. In the other paper, a different team shows that DNAm messes with the miRNA […]
DNA Hypermethylation of CpG Islands Doesn’t Contribute to Cancer Progression?October 9, 2012And in another example of turning conventional wisdom on its head, researchers from Scotland report that aberrant DNA hypermethylation of CpG island (CGI) promoters does not contribute to cancer development via silencing. Generally, those genes are already repressed before cancer even starts. Researchers have noticed for a long time that many genes’ CGI promoters are […]
Histone Variant H2A.Z Plays in Active and Repressive ElementsOctober 9, 2012In this election season, few people are on the fence about their choice for U.S. president. But histone H2A.Z seemingly votes on both sides of the transcription —hanging out at active regulatory elements and at repressive ones. Researchers in Boston figured out how H2A.Z does this, and it may have to do with the different […]
DNA Methylation Spreads its Wings…RarelyOctober 9, 2012Transposable elements are a common mover and shaker in our genomes. Much like your obnoxious friend that you have to keep close tabs on at dinner parties, they’re usually kept under wraps by fancy host silencing mechanisms like DNA methylation. There’s been some evidence that suggests that the DNA methylation that silences transposable elements can […]
Hypomethylated DNA Repeats Surface in Damaged HeartsOctober 9, 2012Repetition may help the brain learn, but it can be rough on the heart. Researchers in Cambridge, U.K. have found that DNA repeats in damaged hearts are hypomethylated, and that’s associated with increased transcription. In research they published last year, the team did the first whole-genome analysis of differential DNA methylation in so-called “end-stage cardiomyopathic […]
