epigenetics

Epigenetics and ncRNA Headlines

Get all the latest highlights from the literature and special features covering trending epigenetics, ncRNA, and gene regulation research.

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Classification Conundrums: DNA Methylation and Central Nervous System Tumors

April 13, 2018

It’s human nature to categorize the world around us. From the earliest taxonomic classification defining us as Homo sapiens, we’ve grouped dogs by breed (pugs, bulldogs, retrievers), wines by grape (merlots, chardonnays, pinot noirs), and of course, cancers by origin (gliomas, melanomas, sarcomas). You can order a DNA test for your dog, or ask the […]

Don’t Blame Mom, Thank Her! Extra Maternal Care Creates a Stress Resilient Epigenomic Profile in the Developing Brain

April 10, 2018

Stress is something we are all too familiar with. When it comes down to a stressful situation, it seems that there are almost two types of people: those stricken by anxiety and depression, and those who keep on walking on as if nothing has happened. But what shapes such a distinction between people? One contributing […]

Hemimethylated CpGs: Paradox or Paradigm?!

March 28, 2018

Science is full of paradoxes, and while we humble epigeneticists have yet to come across a cat that is both alive and dead, we have discovered a mysterious states of DNA methylation! For instance, some CpG sites can be both methylated and unmethylated at the same time, depending on which strand it is located on. […]

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance of a Trio of Epigenomic Changes Induced by DDT

March 27, 2018

DNA methylation has long been the shining star of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance work, with other mechanisms signing backup. But now, the solo act has now become a trio, with histone modifications and non-coding (ncRNA) stepping into the limelight. For an in utero exposure to be truly transgenerational, and not an intergenerational effect, it must impact […]

Embrace Your Age! Age-related H4K16ac Gains Protect Your Brain from Developing Alzheimer’s Disease

March 19, 2018

In our quest for the fountain of youth, we often find ourselves attracted to anything that will fight off the signs of aging. But now, the first genome-wide analysis of a specific histone modification in the brains of human patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) demonstrates that we should embrace the epigenetic changes that come […]

Cutting Through the Epigenetic Complexities Linking Aging and Tumorigenesis

March 16, 2018

Writing your first grant proposal? Optimizing that tricky Western blot? Programming an old PCR machine? Only a few things are more complex than our current understanding of the epigenetic links between aging and tumorigenesis, but this has not stopped a few valiant labs from doubling down and busting a few paradigms while they are at […]

Epigenetics Meets Cartography: Precision Mapping of Single Nucleosomes and Linkers

March 14, 2018

While we’ve asked before how nucleosomes find their way to the right spot on DNA, sometimes we’re left staring at sea monsters in the most tantalizing unexplored areas on our genome-wide maps. When it comes to nucleosomes, positioning is everything since it affects DNA accessibility for replication, repair, and gene expression. In order to understand […]

Old Fathers Pass on an Unwanted Aging DNA Methylation Profile to the Next Generation

March 1, 2018

Great looks, a well-worn leather jacket, and a wide-ranging collection of old vinyl records represent great examples of inheritances that fathers happily pass on to their grateful children. However, new findings from the lab of Dan Ehninger (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany) show that older dads can also pass on an intergenerational effect […]

The Single-Cell Trifecta: Nucleosome Occupancy, DNA Methylation, and Gene Expression

February 27, 2018

While recent advancements let us map the epigenome of a single-cell, the same studies can leave us a bit single-minded when facing the many layers of the epigenetic landscape. Thankfully, to quench our integrative omics thirst, a clever new technique reveals that just because you’re looking at single cells doesn’t mean you only need to […]

dCas9-Tet1 to the Rescue: Maintained DNA Demethylation of Fragile X Syndrome Neurons

February 26, 2018

The call for a rescue operation often makes humanity turn to its latest and greatest tools and equipment. Whether it’s firefighters with water jetpacks or cutting-edge epigenetic editing technology, threats to human kind don’t have it easy these days. In their latest report, the epigenetic emergency response team from the labs of Rudolf Jaenisch and […]