miRNPs Offer Support to miRNA SeedsFebruary 28, 2011Everyone appreciates a little extra support now and then, and a new study shows that miRNAs, or more specifically their seed regions, do too. The report in NAR uncovered that micro-ribonucleoprotein complexes (miRNPs) get miRNAs ready to take care of their mRNA targeting business by shoring up the structure of miRNA seed regions, which is […]
Turning Back the Clock: Epigenetics, iPSCs and AgingFebruary 25, 2011Aging can be a real downer, but for some individuals premature aging is a lot more serious than a few aches and pains the morning after some touch football. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare and fatal genetic disorder where the victims speed through aging. It is caused by a point mutation in the […]
5-mC Stabilizes High-Maintenance MethyltransferasesFebruary 16, 2011Many things in life–like diets, exercise routines, and blogs–are easier to start than maintain. The same can be said for DNA methylation. De novo methyltransferases establish DNA methylation patterns in embryonic stem cells, but exactly how somatic cells maintain these patterns is puzzling. Now researchers at the University of Southern California have identified a new […]
Cocaine Keeps the LINEs JumpingFebruary 16, 2011New research surfacing in PNAS details the downward spiral cocaine induces in heterochromatin in the reward center of our brains. Over the years researchers have found that cocaine can regulate chromatin structure in the nucleus accumbens, a reward region in the brain and an area closely tied to addiction. DNA methylation machinery has also been […]
Wanted: Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Data, No Experience RequiredFebruary 15, 2011Until recently, it’s been mostly the epigenetics gurus dominating genome-wide methylation analysis publications. It makes sense, big labs means big resources. Lucky for you, those days have passed. You are now free and clear to boost your status to the next level with genome-wide methylation data and you don’t have to be an expert to […]