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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The Future of lncRNAs with Dr. John Rinn

May 2, 2013

Dr. John L. Rinn from Harvard University and the Broad Institute (Harvard and MIT) is a prominent researcher in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and agreed to sit down and discuss his perspective on the intersection of lncRNA and epigenetics. EpiGenie: You’ve mentioned that you feel knockout models are going to play a key role in the […]

Dissolving the Layers in Genetics and Epigenetics with Dr. Adrian Bird

May 1, 2013

Dr. Adrian Bird discusses the dissolving barrier between genetics and epigenetics and why he’s cautious about linking epigenetics in heredity. Dissolving the Layers in Genetics and Epigenetics I think what’s most exciting about the field at the moment is that a field called epigenetics is no longer really outside of biology trying to get […]

microRNAs Up Their Game: They Regulate Other microRNAs in the Heart

April 30, 2013

Just when you think you’ve got a handle on microRNAs, they go and up their game—regulating other microRNAs to produce large effects. To be accurate, they’ve been doing this all along, but now a talented research crew at Wash U School of Medicine of medicine is on to their game and has shared their findings […]

Dynamic RNA Methylation Emerges as New Player in the Epigenetic Landscape

April 29, 2013

Methylation is a hot topic in the field of epigenetics whether it’s occurring on the cytosines of DNA or its histone protein friends. With a relatively well-known set of enzymes, methylation marks are dynamically modified in order to regulate gene expression. However, the revisiting of a RNA modification discovered in the 70’s has come to […]

SCANning Single Molecules to Pinpoint Co-Occurrence of Epigenetic Marks

April 24, 2013

Just because two people live on the same street doesn’t necessarily mean they live that close to each other or in the same house, yet that’s what you often have to assume when using ChIP to detect epigenetic modifications. Either that, or you have to use tons of sample and/or a labor-intensive method to figure […]

Epigenetic Mechanisms in Autism

April 24, 2013

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to related neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in reciprocal communication and social interactions, coupled with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities. Because ASD tends to run in families, much effort has been spent on genetic analyses to identify genetic variations that either cause or elevate risk for […]

RNA Methylation in lncRNAs Does XIST

April 24, 2013

Building on work from the 1970s, the era of orange shag carpet and bell bottoms, researchers report that poly(A) RNA gets methylated on cytosines, just like other RNAs and DNA. These methylated cytosines—in the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) HOTAIR and XIST—could also be important for their functions. Methylated cytosines in DNA are old news, and […]

5-hmC as a Cancer Diagnostic

April 24, 2013

We’ve heard that DNA methylation can get messed up in cancer, but what about 5-hydroxymethylation (5-hmC)? In a recent report, researchers say that 5-hmC profiles could serve as epigenetic signatures of cancer. The U.K. and Swiss team wanted to know if they could zero in on a signature or biomarker for liver cancer—specifically for liver […]

Genome Editing with the CRISPR/Cas System in Zebrafish

April 24, 2013

CRISPR/Cas is getting a lot of attention lately as a way to insert or delete genomic sequences in mammalian cells, but what about in model organisms? A new paper now shows that it works well in zebrafish and suggests it could be a new “go-to” method in other models as well. Last month, we told […]

Guide: Getting Started with Genome-Wide 5-mC and 5-hmC Sequencing

April 10, 2013

With recent advances in sample preparation, highthroughput sequencing, and bioinformatics, researchers looking to study DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation now have several options for investigating these epigenetic modifications on a genome-wide scale. The following technologies offer varying levels of resolving power, with some offering regional estimates of DNA methylation status, while others provide quantitative values at […]