New Insights into Puzzling Placental DNA Methylation DomainsAugust 14, 2015The human placental methylome was the first normal tissue where partially methylated domains (PMDs) were characterized, found to be developmentally dynamic, and distinct from highly methylated domains (HMDs, methylation >70%). PMDs are a large scale genomic feature with DNA methylation levels that are less than 70% but nowhere near 0% and tend to harbour neuron […]
Epigenetics Drives Genetics Straight Into EvolutionAugust 9, 2015In today’s fast-paced world, quickly adapting to your environment is a game-changer. But genetic determinism cannot fully explain the rapid adaption seen in many species, which has left evolution in a dark age. That is until the enlightening work of Michael Skinner’s laboratory at Washington State University. Their observations on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance have been […]
Lights Out! Sleep Loss Affects DNA Methylation of Circadian GenesAugust 4, 2015 ‘La nuit blanche’. No, it is not a delicious pastry. It’s the French expression for staying up all night and not going to bed until the next evening, which in most cases will leave you pretty irritable. But losing one night’s sleep may affect more than just your mood; a new study by Swedish […]
DNA Methylation Helps T Cells with their Career PathAugust 3, 2015In one of the lower valleys of Waddington’s epigenetic landscape, T cells are confronted with a fatal decision: Become a CD4+ helper T cell and assist your brethren in fighting evil invaders or turn into a CD8+ cytotoxic T cell and do the dirty work. But as in all good fantasy novels, our heroes first […]
Exploiting Nucleotide Recycling to Kill CancerJuly 28, 2015Have you ever had a doubt about what exactly you can recycle? The cell is faced with the same problem when it encounters epigenetic nucleosides. It does not really know if they can be recycled as they are or discarded. New research by the team of Skirmantas Kriaucionis shows that although such nucleotides are normally […]
Webinar: Key Steps for Validating Antibodies and Optimizing the ChIP WorkflowJuly 27, 2015Abstract: Research in the field of epigenetics has grown at a rapid pace since the discovery of the first histone acetyltransferase enzymes 18 years ago. Since then, significant advances have been made in our understanding of the basic mechanisms of epigenetics (histone acetylation, histone methylation, chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation) and the impact of epigenetic […]
Salivating Insights into the DNA Methylation Connection in Fetal Alcohol SyndromeJuly 20, 2015Things often show up where you least expect. Whether it’s finding your keys in the freezer, your phone in the couch, English kings underneath a car park, or the secrets of brain development in spit. Sometimes all you have to do is look. Previously, the lab of Shiva Singh from the University of Western Ontario […]
Resistance is Futile: Epigenetic Therapy Makes Cancer Cells DefenselessJuly 9, 2015A team of American scientists have shown that an epigenetic therapy might hold promise for combatting drug resistance in cancer. Cancer cells are masters of drug evasion and adept at using alternative pathways to give them an edge during treatment, complicating many therapeutic approaches. Overcoming drug resistance in cancer cells, would save millions of lives […]
Book Review: Epigenetics – Current Research and Emerging TrendsJuly 2, 2015Edited by Brian P. Chadwick and composed of 17 chapters from thought leaders in academia and industry, this is one text you don’t want to miss. It covers a wide breadth of topics ranging from DNA methylation to Chromatin to ncRNA, with insight from across the tree of life and related human disorders. The perspective […]
5fC is Stable in Mammalian BrainsJune 24, 2015DNA methylation has been undergoing dramatic change lately. 6mA shook things up by showing Cytosine can’t claim all the glory and now a talented team from the UK have shown 5-formylcytosine (5fC) is starting to follow in 5hmC’s independent footsteps. The team profiled 5hmC, 5fC, and 5caC using: in vivo isotope labeling of methionine to penetrate […]
