The Force is Strong with Histone H1.0: How Extracellular Stress Regulates Cell Mechanics through Chromatin StructureMay 6, 2024Scientists have longed to use “The Force” – provided by intracellular entities known as midichlorians – to help around the lab; now, an epigenetic alliance reports that an intracellular fibroblast component – Histone H1.0 – uses The Force and orchestrates cell mechanics when facing Sith-like evils such as physical/chemical stressors. The force is strong with […]
Pregnancy Epigenetically Ages Mothers – But Breastfeeding May Reverse ItApril 22, 2024Our mothers might be onto something when they jokingly blame us for their gray hair and wrinkles. In two recent studies, DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks show that pregnancy, with its far-ranging emotional and physical changes, increases the biological ages of mothers. On the bright side, the effects were reversible in those who breastfed, according to […]
This is Your Epigenetic Wake Up Call! Don’t Sleep on NAP-seq When Searching for ncRNAsApril 21, 2024Has searching for ncRNAs left you needing forty winks? Maybe take a short rest and dream-a-little-dream, but don’t sleep on a brand new technique known as napRNA sequencing or NAP-seq, which represents a wake-up call to the epigenetics field by providing the ability to describe novel classes of human regulatory non-coding or ncRNAs! Wakey-wakey! RNA […]
A Selfish, Poisonous Element Could Set the Evolutionary Stage for Genomic ImprintingApril 15, 2024A selfish toddler might throw a tantrum to get their way, but in worms, a “selfish” piece of DNA known as a toxin-antidote (TA) element uses something more sinister—poison. Researchers have just discovered a parent-of-origin effect with this nematode element that could be an evolutionary precursor of genomic imprinting. Led by Alejandro Burga (Institute of Molecular […]
EvoETR Epigenome Editor Helps Maintain Cholesterol Levels by Silencing Pcsk9March 25, 2024Ever wanted to cut a bad thing out of your life? Well, perhaps the secret to success doesn’t involve any cutting (of your DNA). In some people, a mutant PCSK9 gene interferes with the liver’s job to get rid of LDL, aka “bad” cholesterol. Now, researchers have developed an all-in-one “evolved engineered transcriptional repressor” (EvoETR) […]