Reprogramming Lottery is Epigenetically RiggedFebruary 3, 2015If epigenetics has taught us anything, it is that not all genetically identical beings are created equal. A team of stem-cell researchers from Tel Aviv University led by Iftach Nachman now apply this principle to populations of cells undergoing reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and show that some cells have a higher chance of […]
A SIRT-an Link Between Metabolism, Stem Cell Function and EpigeneticsJanuary 27, 2015In our younger years our rampant metabolism meant we could eat what we wanted with little or no consequences. However, as we get older, our metabolism somehow gets “reprogrammed”, meaning all that yummy bad stuff does nothing for our energy levels or our waistlines! But why do we face this fate? A delectable new study […]
A Good Friend is Forever: DNMTs and Histone ComplexesJanuary 26, 2015It’s not always easy to find good friends, but recent work has found that the de novo DNA methyltransferases DNMT3A2 and DNMT3B1 are far from socially awkward. Baubec et al. from the Swiss team lead by Dirk Schübeler uncovered some companions of these DNMTs by profiling their binding in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) through streptavidin […]
Intergenerational Epigenetic Effects of Dad’s DietJanuary 23, 2015The effect of epigenetic marks across generations has helped bring epigenetics to the public eye like never before. The health implications are enormous and so is the contribution to basic science, particularly evolution. However, one important distinction is whether it is a true form of molecular inheritance, known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, or the shared effect […]
Webinar: A Step-by-Step Guide to ChIP-Seq Data AnalysisJanuary 12, 2015In this webinar, Dr. Xi Chen takes publicly available real ChIP-seq data sets to show you how to perform ChIP-seq routine analysis using a combination of different online tools available. This provides an opportunity for bioinformatics beginners and wet-lab biologists who do not have much experience with unix operating systems to have an idea about […]
Sperm-Derived Histone Modifications Orchestrate Human Paternal Heterochromatin FormationJanuary 11, 2015Humans have developed elaborate systems such as script, books, computers and virtual networks to ensure that knowledge is preserved throughout multiple generations. Researchers led by Ester Baart at Erasmus MC in the Netherlands wanted to understand and uncover other mechanisms – in particular those developed by cells to preserve their epigenetic knowledge over generations. Owing to […]
Hi-C Captures KNOT: A Chromatin Conformation for all ChromosomesJanuary 1, 2015Putting a modern twist on the holiday spirit, researchers from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) gift a new piece of chromatin architecture that welcomes each and every chromosome to its party. And it comes from a surprisingly festive plant; Arabidopsis. On a Hi-C run surveying chromatin architecture, the touring researchers encountered a number of landmarks. At first they came across the standard sights: […]
A “Grandiose” Project Provides a Fuzzy New Future for iPSC ResearchDecember 17, 2014Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) research burst on to the scene in 2006 with a paper which has since spawned thousands of studies and has proved to be a quantum leap for regenerative medicine. This reached a crescendo this year when a Japanese patient became the first recipient of retinal cells generated from iPSCs made […]
Histone H2A.Z Subunit Exchange Controls MemoryDecember 17, 2014Memory is one fancy cellular function that seems to be the niche of the epigenome. Through it a cell can remember its identity and past exposures. But what about that other type of memory? Ya know, neuroepigenetic memory. We’ve already seen that histone methylation has a role in long-term memories and altered histone acetylation (H4K12) is involved […]
Alpha-ketoglutarate: Small Metabolite With Big Influence on Stem Cell PluripotencyDecember 15, 2014Many of us go through the morning ritual of picking up store-brewed coffee, although we could just as easily make it ourselves. Most mammalian cells feel the same about glutamine, which they require in abundance, even though glutamine is a non-essential amino acid. Now, stem cell researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center show that glutamine […]
