Single-Nuclei Neuronal Methylomes Single in on New Brain Cell SubtypesAugust 20, 2017Every population has its own unique identity, and behind that is our brain, an organ composed of cellular populations with their own unique DNA methylation identities. However, capturing the true diversity of a population requires the ability to observe each individual in that group and for methylomes that requires innovations in single-cell bisulfite sequencing. In […]
Running in Circles: circRNAs Act as Shuttles for miRNA CargoAugust 15, 2017Feeling out of the loop about all the different non-coding RNAs being described? Well hold on, because circular RNAs (circRNA) are about to throw you for a loop. Mammalian circRNAs are created by covalent closure of transcribed exons into loops. These circRNAs are highly expressed in specific brain regions, and conserved between mice and humans. They […]
dCas9 Epigenome Editing Toolbox Smashes Histone Methylation DogmaAugust 14, 2017Tools are great for building, but sometimes it’s more fun using them to break things down. While we’ve applied deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) tools to build our knowledge of DNA methylation, this time it takes an entire toolbox to break the connection between histone methylation and gene repression. This constructive deconstruction comes at you from the […]
The Great Unknown of Chromatin Conformation DynamicsAugust 7, 2017Apart from the ever rising and falling measurements of one’s waistline and bank balance, the three-dimensional (3D) chromatin conformation of the mammalian genome is one of the most dynamic and least understood factors in a scientist’s life. Luckily, the development of new high-definition techniques and enhanced computational analyses are helping us to understand how the […]
Genomic Imprinting’s Alternative Choices: H3K27me3 and 5hmCJuly 31, 2017In today’s world, where choices are a plenty, alternative is a fashionable choice. When it comes to genomic imprinting, traditionalists swear by DNA cytosine methylation (5mC); however, sometimes imprinting turns to alternative epigenetic marks. Genomic imprinting is typically driven by 5mC at imprinting control regions (ICRs), where it represses the expression of the marked allele […]
Genome Protection in the Embryo: A Big Role for Small RNAs!July 27, 2017It’s not how big it is, it’s what you do with it that counts. Here at Epigenie, we don’t think that size matters, as evidenced by our excitement over studies showing that small RNAs in sperm can mediate huge intergenerational effects related to paternal exercise and diet! Now, a fascinating study from the lab of […]
Environmentally Reprogrammed Sperm Epigenetically Transmit Behavior Across GenerationsJuly 11, 2017Life’s full of experiences that often seem like a coin toss. Should you go the gym or feast on some sushi? While the epigenetic mechanisms behind the outcomes of these two events may seem quite different at first, when considering the epigenetics of sperm, it turns out they’re two-sides of the same coin. Intergenerational Effect […]
“Drop” Everything for the New Liquid Model of Heterochromatin Domain Formation!June 30, 2017The field of epigenetics tends to be very “fluid” with new studies and paradigm shifts seemingly the norm! Now two new studies in Nature have described a new liquid model for the formation and function of silent chromatin domains known as heterochromatin. The predominant view of heterochromatin formation and function tells us that repressive epigenetic […]
Down is the New Up: Single Base-Pair Methylome Maps of CancerJune 29, 2017Navigating the highly variable features behind the epigenomic basis of cancer is no easy task: What’s up is down, what’s down is up! Thankfully, to aid our quest, the lab of Manel Esteller at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) in Spain has brought forth a map as massive as the DNA methylation changes behind […]
Epromoters: Two Great Regulatory Functions for the Price of One!June 19, 2017Not many people can resist the allure of the ubiquitous neon signs promising fantastic two-for-the-price-of-one offers that promise to double the value of their hard-earned cash. Interestingly, these bargain offers also seem to be a feature in the human genome as a subset of promoters provide extra value by also acting as enhancers for other […]