DNA Methylation Takes a Back Seat To Histone Mods in miRNA RegulationMay 11, 2010DNA methylation has long been considered a key epigenetic driver in transcription, but lately histone modifications have been stealing some of the regulatory thunder. Histone mods like H3K4me3, H3K27me3 and H4 acetylation have shown researchers they’re not afraid to get conrolling when it comes to miRNA transcription either. Researchers from the Institute of Genetics and […]
Getting SMRT with Direct DNA Methylation DetectionMay 10, 2010Discovering a new use for something is always a nice suprise, sort of like finding a forgotten $20 bill in your back pocket. Researchers at Pacific Biosciences realized that their single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technique could also have the bonus ability to directly detect DNA methylation (DNAm)—without bisulfite conversion or any other additional sample prep. […]
CpG-SNPs & Allele-Specific Methylation Lead to Fuzzy MethylationMay 6, 2010Interpreting DNA methylation data is tough enough when you get binary, yes/no results, but can be downright maddening when your CpG sites are giving you mixed signals. Researchers at UCSD have found that it’s been allele-specific methylation (ASM) and CpG-SNPs causing much of that “fuzzy methylation”. The scientists tackled the thorny issue of CpGs with […]
Tracing the Roots of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Yields DNA Methylation InsightsApril 28, 2010Most of us are at least somewhat curious about our lineage: are we descended from a king, an outlaw, or maybe just a particularly snazzy dresser? And do our distant cousins in faraway lands share certain characteristics (such as a penchant for polyester) with us? A group of researchers in Norway asked similar questions about […]
CpG Islands Tackle Chromatin Remodeling ProjectApril 28, 2010Researchers have known about CpG Islands (CGIs) for decades, but there are still more questions than answers when it comes to this heavily studied genomic real-estate. Hypermethylated CGIs seem to get a lot of attention for their apparent involvement in transcriptional silencing, but most CGIs stay unmethylated. So what’s going on in these unmethylated CGIs? […]
RDM1 Corners the RNA Directed DNA Methylation PuzzleApril 28, 2010It’s often easiest to put together a jigsaw puzzle by finding the corner pieces first, then working on the borders before moving on to what’s happening in the center. A similar approach to solving the transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) and RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) mechanisms in Arabidopsis has identified a protein, RDM1, which seems to […]
Hydroxymethylcytosine Shakes Up the Epigenetics CommunityApril 15, 20105-hydroxymethylcytosine’s (5-hmC) discovery last year in mammalian DNA (Kriaucionis & Heintz, Science, 2009. and Tahiliani et al., Science, 2009), left the epigenetics community more shaken than a 007 martini. Although its broader role (if any) in epigenetics remains a mystery today, early evidence suggests a few putative mechanisms that could have big implications: Conversion of […]
Decoding Autism’s Epigenetic RiddleApril 14, 2010Autism is a developmental disorder that’s shrouded in mystery. Its causes are unknown and hotly debated, but some recent detective work hints that through changes in miRNA expression and DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns, there is an epigenetic link. Autism often brings to mind Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man, who was deeply focused on only […]
Self Renewal: Yoga, Meditation and DNA MethyltransferasesApril 8, 2010Despite all the technology “progress” over the years that was supposed to save us heaps of time, we seem to be busier than ever. Real-time internet and PDAs make communication a 24-7 gig, so it’s no wonder that there’s a big movement in self-renewal. We would take some time here to give you small ways […]
Single Tube DNAm Analysis. Better Than Sliced Bread?April 6, 2010Tired of performing DNA extractions, bisulfite conversions, and PCR in three separate reactions? Is the sweet smell of phenol not helping you out with the opposite sex? Then, you’ll love DNA methylation analysis using methylation on beads (MOB)! Although it may sound like the stuff of infomercials, a team at Johns Hopkins University really found […]