Stella is the Star that Prevents Aberrant DNA Methylation During OogenesisDecember 4, 2018The mammalian zygote is a platform for a multi-act show of dramatic rises and falls in DNA methylation. However, new research suggests that backstage, in the developing oocyte, resides the real star of the show: Stella. Stella oversees the complex choreography of DNA methyltransferases and the supporting cast to make sure the right cues are […]
New “Recipe” Combines Histone Acetylation, Telomeres, and Mitochondria in a Delicious Scientific Dish!November 26, 2018Assembling tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil into the formidable Insalata Caprese is a straightforward affair and a quick shake, and pour can make tequila, triple sec, and lime juice combine into the sublime margarita cocktail. However, no one has yet managed to fit mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere attrition, and histone acetylation into a dish of data worthy […]
Getting Personal with Your Blood Methylome: Continuous DNA Methylation Monitoring Anticipates DiabetesNovember 19, 2018In our futuristic world, personalization is a standard. While your watch, phone, and laptop, may be accentuated by personalizations that keep tabs on you, your methylome may not be so lucky. Thankfully, the research group of Michael Snyder has broadcast some insight of the most personal nature from their lab in the city of the […]
How a Histone Deacetylase-Regulated “Kiss” Controls the Timing of Sexual DevelopmentNovember 19, 2018“It started out with a kiss. How did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss” – The Killers clearly didn’t foresee the consequences of a meeting of lips; however, a new study into the links between nutrition and mammalian sexual development now suggests that a histone deacetylase-regulated […]
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Tri-CNovember 13, 2018It’s easy to think that at this point, science has it all figured out. We’ve developed genome-wide techniques to look at chromosome structure in many different contexts: from mapping chromatin interactions (Hi-C), to observing DNA-RNA interactions (SPRITE), and even identifying higher-order DNA structures (GAM). Unfortunately, none of these techniques have the resolution to look at […]
Smooth as Silc1: A ncRNA Lnc to Nerve RegenerationNovember 6, 2018When it comes to nerve damage, the mammalian peripheral nervous system (PNS) is arms and legs ahead of the central nervous system (CNS) in its ability to regenerate damaged neurons. While neuroscientists already knew that the PNS has an innate ability to express pro-regenerative transcription factors after injury, a new paper has the nerve to […]
Histonagram: C. elegans Sperm Carry a Histone Memory of Spermatogenesis and OogenesisOctober 31, 2018While Instagram may have replaced the Polaroid, some age-old memories just can’t be shaken. Thankfully, the sperm epigenome of C. elegans has conjured up the latest social media trend, the histonagram: a histone based memory of spermatogenesis and oogenesis that shapes offspring fertility. Although C. elegans differ from us humans in that they don’t make use […]
Paradigm Shift for Intergenerational Epigenetic Effects at Retrotransposons: The Exception Rather than the Rule?October 30, 2018While friendly customer service and helpful views in article comments sections may once have been ubiquitous occurrences, they now, unfortunately, seem to be the exception rather than the rule. This trend extends to some of our favorite epigenetic topics, where a team led by Anne C. Ferguson-Smith (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom) now provides paradigm-breaking […]
H3K27ac Histone Acetylome-Wide Association Study Enhances our Knowledge of Alzheimer’s Disease BrainOctober 30, 2018When it comes to the complex disorders associated with aging, our knowledge could always use some enhancement. Thankfully, a new histone acetylome-wide association study (HAWAS) of H3K27ac establishes that this mark of active enhancers can also enhance our knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The role of histone acetylation in healthy aging and AD has begun […]
A Microbiome-Sensitive H3K4me3 Profile Predicts Intestinal Inflammation in Crohn’s DiseaseOctober 30, 2018While our microbiome serves up the metabolites required for our histone modifications, new findings establish that this agglomeration of microorganisms can also serve up a dish most foul; one that induces a severe type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) known as Crohn’s disease. Although studies have established a link between alterations to the microbiome and […]