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, […]
DNA Methylation Takes a World Tour of Human DiversitySeptember 20, 2017Once a rock star makes it big, they treat the world to a tour. However, DNA methylation, being both an epigenetic rock star and an unbearable diva, has been more than fashionably late to the party! But fear not! DNA methylation has made a comeback with a hit record of scientific insight into human diversity. […]
Running Around in Circles to Understand N6-methyladenosine (m6A)September 10, 2017While most studies on the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification have been on the straight and narrow, the research trajectory taken by the labs of Cosmas C. Giallourakis and Alan C. Mullen will have you running around in circles! More specifically, Chan Zhou and Benoit Molinie (along with their tight circle of friends) sought to discover […]
