Are My Eggs Getting Old? Single-cell Multiomics Shows that Oocytes Have an Epigenetic TimestampJanuary 13, 2021Unfortunately, real life is not a fairy tale. Unlike Sleeping Beauty, sleeping oocytes are not frozen in time. As oocytes get older, they acquire epigenetic changes that make it harder for them to get on with their baby making business. Important new single-cell multiomics work from Gavin Kelsey’s and Myriam Hemberger’s teams at the Babraham Institute shows […]
The Epigenetic Clock – From Deep Space to Deep LearningDecember 30, 2020As the year comes to its end, our epigenetic clocks keep on ticking, and hot new DNA methylation-based studies keep rolling in. Here, we gaze into two deeply interesting studies that take us on an epigenetic journey from deep space to deep learning by reporting how space travel can influence epigenetic aging and how neural […]
DNA Methylation Contributes to the Chaos and Complications of COVID-19December 14, 2020While the cough was the cardinal consideration, COVID-19 has been causing chaos in every organ system, including lungs, heart, brain, blood, liver, and skin. In fact, the involvement of these non-lung systems predicts increased mortality and new research now shows that DNA methylation is a contributor to COVID-19. Researchers from the laboratory of Arjun Deb […]
Blame the Brain on Cocaine: DNA Methylation Alters 3D Chromatin TerrainDecember 8, 2020Although studies of DNA methylation and its impact on chromatin architecture leave us with quite the buzz, this latest one adds a bit of cocaine to the mix to give it an extra kick. This stimulating study found cocaine use reduced DNA methylation at a key gene to change CTCF binding and alter 3D chromatin […]
Epigenetic Silencing of the Y-chromosome Controls the Extent of Male ToxicityDecember 7, 2020While “toxic masculinity” may seem intimately linked to the human species, the fruit fly Drosophila has come to show us that their Y-chromosome acts as a source of genomic male “toxicity” that epigenetic silencing keeps in check. Specifically, we know that the formation of silent heterochromatin domains during development represses the activity of transposable elements […]
The Powerhouse Of The Cell Is At It Again! Mighty Mitochondria Modify DNA Methylation and MortalityNovember 24, 2020If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. Adding to this prowess is a new finding showing that the amount of mitochondrial DNA impacts nuclear DNA methylation and gene expression, ultimately influencing mortality and cardiovascular disease. While we’ve seen how mutant mitochondria can influence histone […]
How I Met Your Mother: DNMT3A from Mom Leaves its Mark on Dad’s Genome in the Early EmbryoNovember 24, 2020While stories of Mom meeting Dad often leave their mark on a family, and sometimes a nation, the plot has now thickened thanks to new findings showing that Mom’s DNMT3A leaves its mark on Dad’s genome in the early embryo. DNA methylation in the male germline undergoes massive changes during preimplantation. High paternal DNA methylation […]
Turning the Spotlight on Extraordinary Epigenetics ContentNovember 13, 2020Our sponsors help keep the lights on, the Wi-Fi humming, and our epigenetic content flowing to your screens each week. And while we may be a tad biased, we want to turn the spotlight on the range of highly useful and always educational epigenetics content from these websites that you should check out! Dovetail Genomics […]
Special Multiomics Feature: Combinatorial DNA Methylation and Chromatin Assays Serve Up New InsightNovember 9, 2020Combinations of old favorites can be even tastier than the sum of their parts. Who doesn’t leave peanut butter and jam, chips and dip, and DNA methylation and chromatin assays? While they sound appetizing, those last two aren’t quite as easy to get together. Many assays have been developed in the past to combine ChIP […]
Long-Sperm Effects: THC and Nicotine Have A Lasting Impact on Bivalent Chromatin and Autism GenesNovember 4, 2020While some fathers planning a family may be left in a bivalent state when deciding about smoking cannabis or nicotine, new research has cleared the air. THC and nicotine both prime an autism spectrum disorder profile in sperm through altering DNA methylation within bivalent chromatin states. In their seminal paper, researchers from the lab of […]