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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Maternal Diet And rDNA Variants Combine To Determine Child Epi-Fate

August 14, 2016

If you’ve been following nutrition studies hoping for diet advice, you may have noticed it’s complicated. First fat is bad, then it’s just saturated fat, then just trans fat, then actually it’s sugar. This may cause some to throw their hands up in frustration (grabbing a Twinkie from the top shelf while they’re up there), […]

R-Loops at Gene Promoters and Terminals Mark the Epigenome

July 18, 2016

In today’s loopy world, the wise words “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” have a particular resonance. Thankfully, our epigenomes are dynamic historians that get the message and make use of past transcripts by forming R-loops. R-Loops and the Epigenome R-loops are RNA-DNA hybrids: a 3 stranded nucleic acid structure. […]

Extra-Coding RNAs (ecRNAs) Sculpt Dynamic DNA Methylation of the Brain

July 18, 2016

We’ve got our mind on methylation and methylation in our mind, but we are often left wondering how DNA methylation got there in the first place. Well, that cognitive tongue twister has now been cracked by a class of RNA that likes to interact with DNA methyltransferases. Extra coding RNAs (ecRNAs) originate from the sense […]

Hey Methylation, Thanks for the Memories

July 18, 2016

Memories; we all have some we would rather forget, and some that we will hold onto forever. But how exactly is memory formed and what are the biochemical pathways that are in play? Recent studies have indicated that RNA and DNA adenosine methylation are important for the conversion of experiences, both good and bad, into […]

Top Upcoming Epigenetics Conferences

July 14, 2016

In today’s omic world databases are crucial, which is why always we keep our conference-ome up to date. Here’s a taste of what 2016 has left to offer for your next educational epigenetic excursion. EMBL’s Transcription and Chromatin (Heidelberg, Germany – Aug 27-30) Interested in transcription? Then this is the conference for you! This meeting […]

scAba-seq: Single-Cell, Genome-Wide, and Strand-Specific 5hmC Sequencing

July 6, 2016

Usually, you don’t want your genome sequencing served up with a sugar coating; however, thanks to a clever a new 5hmC sequencing technique, we can indulge in some sweet single-cell and strand-specific insight. The study of 5hmC (5-Hydroxymethylcytosine) prevalence in DNA typically involves utilizing modified bisulfite sequencing, 5hmC specific antibodies, or restriction enzymes. Aba-seq makes […]

Epigenetic Assays Get Clinical: Comparison of DNA Methylation Assays and More

June 27, 2016

Four new papers co-published by an international consortium demonstrate and further the clinical potential of epigenetic assays. The series of manuscripts was led by Christoph Bock (CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences) and Stephan Beck (University College London). Comparison of DNA Methylation Assays Suited for the Clinic While there […]

Evolution Uses Bivalent Chromatin to Control Mammalian Development

June 22, 2016

A big event always requires a bit of prior preparation, and for evolution, mammalian development is no exception. The mammalian body plans have undergone massive evolutionary rearrangements and diversifications requiring the evolution of complex gene expression profiles. Recent studies in specific tissues in mammalian species have now linked these expression changes to the evolution of […]

The Mixed Messages of Bivalent Chromatin

June 14, 2016

Navigating the epigenetic landscape is no easy feat. Clear markings and smooth rides through its canals can quickly give way to a hectic hodgepodge of mixed signals and uncertain routes. A great example is bivalent chromatin, which contains marks of both activation and repression. Characterized by Bernstein et al. in 2006, the most studied bivalent […]

Promiscuous Bacteria Swap Epigenetics

May 20, 2016

Humans have good reasons to worry about our epigenetics. DNA decorations have big impacts on our gene expression and health, and we can inadvertently change them through such lifestyle choices as smoking, having parents, or getting old. We multicellular organisms can, at least, breathe easy that epigenetics aren’t contagious, but it turns out the same […]