CpH Methylation Gets A Tissue Specific MakeoverJune 15, 2015In the latest show of the power of teamwork we see some of the biggest names in epigenetics join forces to unravel the mysteries of the methylome across different tissues, including the molecular cartographers who tackled the brain and the researchers who brought forth the predictive powers of Epigram. The talented team from the Salk Institute and UCSD have […]
Twins Team Up to Help Unravel DNA Methylation in SchizophreniaMay 12, 2015While they can’t see through lead or stop bullets with their chest, twins do have a superpower of their own – when it comes to unraveling the complex genomic and epigenomic changes underlying diseases and disorders. In their latest adventure monozygotic twins are helping to understand the DNA methylation changes associated with schizophrenia. The epigenomics of […]
A TET-à-TET Between SIRT6 and 5hmC Controls Embryonic Stem Cell FateMay 12, 2015With many political parties fighting it out for influence in the UK general election last week, it is nice to see the spirit of cooperation alive and well in embryonic stem cells. In their latest study, Raul Mostoslavsky and colleagues show that two giants of epigenetic regulation, histone acetylation and DNA hydroxymethylation, team up to […]
6mA Makes the Grade as a Eukaryotic Epigenetic MarkMay 12, 2015There’s no denying that we love DNA methylation, so we are delighted to learn of another form of DNA methylation that has come on the scene as an epigenetic mark. N6-Methyladenosine (6mA or m6A) refers to the methylation of adenosine at its nitrogen-6 position, as opposed to 5mC and related oxidative marks (5hmC, 5fC, 5caC) that occur on […]
Upcycling the Epigenome in the Brain Help Neurons Stay in TouchMay 5, 2015Upcycling is the latest of many green crazes where people keep hold of old furniture and instead of throwing it away, they repurpose it to give new life. It seems that the brain might be doing the same for methylation. It’s been a long held belief that DNA methylation is fixed in differentiated cells, yet there is […]
Finding Epimutations in the Genome HaystackApril 30, 2015Trying to identify DNA methylation mutations with current technologies usually requires a lot of cells, making it a lot like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Getting down to looking at single cells is becoming possible, but requires you to look at the whole genome, making the hunt for epimutations difficult. Recent work from Silvia […]
Human Preimplantation Embryos Go RetroviralApril 24, 2015Our genomes are littered with tales of our evolutionary past, including infections from retroviruses that have left their mark in the vast expanses of the human genome. While most of the endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have lost their protein coding potential, a class of human specific ERVs (HERVs) still possess intact open reading frames. Inspired by […]
At Risk of Autistic Offspring? Sperm DNA Methylation May Hold the AnswerApril 23, 2015Finding the origin of complex disease is no easy task but now it seems a seminal breakthrough has occurred. Andrew Feinberg and team at the John Hopkins University Center for Epigenetics have found a DNA methylation pattern in the sperm of fathers with an increased risk of fathering autistic children that is also present in brains […]
The Differentiation Race: Not all Cells Move at the Same SpeedApril 21, 2015Christoph Bock discusses his recent paper ‘Single-Cell DNA Methylome Sequencing and Bioinformatic Inference of Epigenomic Cell-State Dynamics‘ published in Cell Reports. Epigenetic Regulation of Cell States In this first section Christoph tells us why he is interested in studying the epigenetic regulation of cell states and how his new method helps to look at the epigenetics of […]
Bees Model Their Potential for Epigenomic ResearchApril 13, 2015With spring in the air, the honeybees are already out and buzzing about and now an international team from Australia and Poland have created a different type of buzz with their research into 5hmC and its effect of bee’s behaviour. The importance of epigenetics in bees has already been suggested with the finding that honeybees use miRNAs to enable their […]
