Forget a Moment on the Lips, DNA Methylation Disruptions from a Night Without Sleep Could Mean ‘Forever’ on the HipsSeptember 20, 2018While staring at the alarm clock isn’ta great way to catch a healthy night’s sleep, the lull of our circadian rhythm most certainly is. The circadian clock keeps our cells and their epigenomes in shape by maintaining synchrony with the day, and now new findings from the lab of Christian Benedict at Uppsala University (Sweden) […]
Chromatin Domain Boundary Issues Turn Short Tandem Repeats PathogenicSeptember 11, 2018Boundary issues between countries can start wars, while boundary issues between people cause personal space problems; but can boundary issues between repetitive loci lead to the development of human disorders? The pathogenesis of the disorders in question, which include fragile X syndrome (FXS), Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Friedreich’s ataxia, involves the unstable expansion […]
To Bee or Not to Bee Queen: The Role of Chromatin Structure in Honey Bee Caste DeterminationSeptember 2, 2018We’d all like to be queen for a day, but most of us weren’t born into royalty. In the honey bee world, your queen status is also determined pretty early on—only 96 hours after hatching. New research has uncovered more epigenetic modifications that determine who gets to be queen bee. And who better to study […]
Neurons Make the Most of m6A mRNA MethylationAugust 29, 2018Move over DNA methylation, take a seat histone modification, it’s time to make room for RNA methylation. When you think of the importance of epigenetics to brain function and cognition, you probably think of well characterized changes DNA methylation, histone marks, and ncRNA. Well you better make some room in your own neural networks, because […]
The Epididymosome’s Small ncRNA Payload is Critical to Sperm Maturation and Embryonic DevelopmentAugust 21, 2018A coming-of-age can be beautiful thing. Along with all the exciting responsibilities that accompany maturity comes a celebration in many cultures but perhaps most memorable to all who have been through one are the gifts. Now, it seems that sperm are no exception as during their maturation process they acquire the gift of small ncRNAs […]
