LincRNA HOTTIP Gives Inside Info on Active Chromatin MarketsMarch 24, 2011In unsteady stock markets these days, who couldn’t use a hot tip to rev up their investments? Apparently, some HOXA genes also need a HOTTIP just as much as any Wall St. insider to help jump-start production. A recent Nature paper from talented teams at Stanford University and UCSF reveals that a long intergenic non-coding […]
Epigenetics in Evolution with Dr Eva JablonkaMarch 13, 2011Dr. Eva Jablonka discusses the role of epigenetics in evolutionary biology. This short take was shot during a break at Keystone Symposia’s meeting on Environmental Epigenomics and Disease Susceptibility held in March 2011 in Asheville, North Carolina. Epigenetics in Evolution Well, what I’m doing really is theoretical work, and I’m mainly interested in the evolutionary […]
EpiGenie Interview: Dr. Randy Jirtle on Environment EpigenomicsMarch 10, 2011We caught up with Dr. Randy Jirtle to hear more about his transition from nuclear engineer to imprinting guru and chief publicist for Agouti mice. Dr. Jirtle is a co-organizer for the epigenetics star-studded Keystone Environmental Epigenomics and Disease Susceptibility Meeting that kicks off March 27th, 2011 in Asheville, North Carolina. In the interview he […]
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 […]
CoSBI Squeezes More Data From Histone MapsFebruary 14, 2011As the ‘histone code’ hypothesis gains steam, it’s become obvious that there isn’t much out there to help the chromatin research community look for combinatorial relationships between histone modifications. That’s where the Coherent and Shifted Bicluster Identification (CoSBI) algorithm comes in; to help wring even more data from genome wide histone mod maps. Not to […]
Take a Bite Out of Cancer with the Epigenetics DietFebruary 1, 2011What’s your idea of a perfect meal? Whether you’re into the In-N-Out burger, fries, and milkshake trifecta, or you’re more of a “cleanse” type, the epigenetics enthusiast in you will be interested in a recent review by Trygve Tollefsbol and colleagues that reveals that certain foods contain ingredients that may prevent and treat cancer. Although […]
KDM6B: H3K27me3 Demethylase Gone BadJanuary 19, 2011KDM6B is just your average histone demethylase that usually goes about its business stripping methyl marks from H3K27me3 without any drama. That is, until it gets a little out of control and starts demethylating genes associated with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL). Scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK were looking into the role of H3K27 demethylation […]
Top Epigenetics Technology Features on EpiGenieJanuary 14, 2011Want to catch up on some of the latest methods, new technologies, and expert technical tricks? You’re in the right place. Here’s a list of our favorite emerging Technology and Methods articles from the last year or so to really jump-start your 2011. Check ‘em out! DNA Methylation Analysis Methylome Analysis Snapshot February 11, 2010. […]
Chromatin: 2010 2nd Half Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 6, 2011Chromatin research keeps blowing up right along with the rest of the epigenetics field over the last six months or so of 2010. Here are some of our favorite Chromatin headlines covering things like chromatin remodeling, transcription ehancers, histone turnover and nucleosome positioning. Chromatin Remodeling The dynamics of nucleosome interactions and displacement during cellular processes […]
Mitotic Bookmarking – Another Epigenetic Role for Protein Methylation?January 5, 2011In a past contribution from CH3 BioSystems, evidence for the role of protein methylation as a key epigenetic regulator in addition to DNA methylation was described. Since protein arginine methylation can produce important direct regulatory control over gene expression, it shouldn’t be surprising that it may also play a role in mitotic bookmarking, the latest […]
