Cell free DNA MeDIP-seq is a Molecular Methylation Magnet for Machine Learning Cancer DetectionAugust 7, 2020Finding the cell free DNA (cfDNA) that most cell-types release into blood plasma is always a challenging task, but certain cancers release so little that it takes looking for a needle in a haystack to the next level. Methods for sorting the “hay” have often come up short, but two new studies successfully developed a […]
Cutting Through the Smog of Mitochondrial DNA Methylation after Prenatal Pollution ExposureAugust 7, 2020While everyone loves hearing about a scientific controversy, clearing the air can also provide a sense of satisfaction. So, sit back and take a breath of the fresh air that an environmentally conscious team brings to the controversy surrounding mitochondrial (mt)DNA methylation through their examination of prenatal exposure to environmental stressors such as air pollution […]
Common DNA Methylation Aging Profiles Convert Dog to Human Years Better Than EverJuly 20, 2020They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but it turns out you can use new epigenomic tricks to tell you how old a dog is. The heuristic that to get a dogs age in human years, you multiply by seven is a little simplistic, and due for an update using epigenomic insights. […]
Filling in the Blanks: DNA Methylation-Dependent Glycosylation of Chromatin Modifiers Represses TranscriptionJuly 7, 2020You might think our portrait of the marks that make up the epigenetic landscape is nearing completion, but a new feature is now filling in some of the blank space behind a key regulatory mechanism. It has been long known that DNA methylation represses transcription via the recruitment of methylation-dependent repressive factors. The components of […]
Disrupted LADs Drive Epigenetic Alterations in Human Early-onset AgingJune 22, 2020The “driver” represents a crucial part of a successful Formula One team, a decent score at golf, and even a well-planned bank heist (!), and working out those factors that drive the onset of various diseases and disorders may provide critical mechanistic insight and even aid the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In the early-onset […]
Epigenetic Hole-in-One: Methylation of a Single CpG Disrupts GATA-1 Binding and Regulates Gene ExpressionJune 11, 2020The GATA-1 transcription factor is like the Tiger Woods of the erythroid cell lineage, topping the leaderboard and driving the expression of important developmental genes. Other molecular competitors, like the NuRD complex, are already on the course, but a new study shows how methylation of a single CpG is able to score a hole-in-one to […]
Dynamic Modeling of DNA Methylation “Turnover” Reveals Tasty Epigenetic MorselsJune 11, 2020While the word “turnover” may send the culinary-minded to the kitchen and the business-savvy straight to the accounts books, epigeneticists studying the turnover of DNA methylation have been left between a rock and a hard place! Researchers are in this unappetizing predicament as while we can accurately paint a genome-wide picture of DNA methylation levels, […]
A Rewired Metabolism Links the Aging Epigenome to Vision LossMay 16, 2020They say hindsight is 20/20, but for those of us looking over at a lifetime of memories, things might seem a little blurrier through our aging eyes. That’s because, unlike the fine wines, delectable whiskies, and smelly cheeses that we love to catabolize, the human epigenome tends not to age very well and a wide […]
Cannabis and Tobacco Produce a Double Hit on the EpigenomeMay 12, 2020While the epigenetic impacts of cannabis have been seen in sperm and adolescents, the effects on adults have not been well studied in large-scale studies. It’s commonly believed that smoking cannabis is less damaging than smoking tobacco; however, this is not backed by an abundance of actual data. Smoking tobacco is associated with numerous DNA […]
PRC2 Complex Genetic Variants Leave a DNA Methylation Signature in Overgrowth SyndromeApril 13, 2020While epigenetic modifications can leave their signatures on our genome, our genome can also leave its signature on our epigenomes. Genetic variants in epigenetic regulatory genes often cause disorders characterized by abnormal growth and intellectual disability. The Polycomb repressive complex-2 (PRC2) complex is a core regulator of chromatin structure through methylation of H3K27. EZH2, EED, […]
