DNA Methylation Spreads its Wings…RarelyOctober 9, 2012Transposable elements are a common mover and shaker in our genomes. Much like your obnoxious friend that you have to keep close tabs on at dinner parties, they’re usually kept under wraps by fancy host silencing mechanisms like DNA methylation. There’s been some evidence that suggests that the DNA methylation that silences transposable elements can […]
Hypomethylated DNA Repeats Surface in Damaged HeartsOctober 9, 2012Repetition may help the brain learn, but it can be rough on the heart. Researchers in Cambridge, U.K. have found that DNA repeats in damaged hearts are hypomethylated, and that’s associated with increased transcription. In research they published last year, the team did the first whole-genome analysis of differential DNA methylation in so-called “end-stage cardiomyopathic […]
Conserved DNA Methylation Changes from Early Childhood ExperiencesOctober 9, 2012Our brains might not recall our early years, but increasing evidence supports that our methylomes just might. A few studies have shown that cuddles from mama rats—or a lack thereof—are known to affect their offspring’s long-term health and behavior by changing the brain’s DNA methylation patterns over a large scale. Now, a Canadian research effort […]
New Apps: Interactive Epigenomic Data Browser and DNAm Data ToolkitsOctober 4, 2012Apple may have bombed their latest Maps integration, but the Epigenome mapping consortia out there are making it look easy by pumping out datasets by the server full. So it only makes sense that there needs to be robust software to help researchers make sense of it all. Two new papers in Genome Biology offer […]
Webinar: Early Life Determinants of Mental Health – Epigenomic Mechanisms with Dr. Patrick McGowanOctober 3, 2012Dr. Patrick McGowan discusses the impact early-life events can have on our epigenomes in this recorded webinar. This webinar is brought to you with support from Porvair Filtration Group. Check out their line of innovative ChIP kits and reagents at chromatrap.com Abstract Human epidemiological studies and studies of animal models provide many examples by which […]
Webinar: Epigenetics of Autism – The Interface Between Genetic and Environmental Risks with Dr. Janine LaSalleOctober 3, 2012Dr. Janine LaSalle discusses some of the potential epigenetics mechanisms involved in autism spectrum disorders in this recorded webinar. This webinar is brought to you with support from Porvair Filtration Group. Check out their line of innovative ChIP kits and reagents at chromatrap.com Epigenetics of Autism Autism is an increasingly common disorder of complex etiology, […]
The State of Epigenetic EditingSeptember 27, 2012If the field of epigenetics is heading into adolescence (rapid growth, disruptive, with occasional data tantrums), the arena of Epigenetic Editing (gene-specific rewriting of epigenetic marks) is more zygotic than anything, with far more questions than answers. But the concept of systematically manipulating epigenetic marks to modulate gene expression is injecting some air back into […]
Free White Paper: Histone Acetylation and Methylation – Epigenetic Modulators of Gene ExpressionSeptember 26, 2012Histone acetylation and methylation are important cellular processes, but it can be hard keeping track of the structural ups and downs from HATs and HDACs. This free white-paper provides an informative, concise review of the key players in histone acetylation and methylation and their impact on specific residues. Download here >>>
RNA Methylation Adds Some Stability to a Chaotic CellSeptember 26, 2012We could all use a little more stability in our lives, and now researchers in Germany say that tRNAs get more stable when they are methylated on specific cytosines. This stability helps ensure that cells keep making proteins for proper development and differentiation. The role of cytosine-C5 methylation on tRNAs has been more mysterious than […]
NOMe-seq Goes Genome WideSeptember 19, 2012NOME-seq (Nucleosome Occupancy and Methylome Sequencing) made a big splash when it was introduced just over a year ago because of its novel ability to profile nucleosome positions and DNA methylation at the same time, on a single DNA strand. Now researchers from the University of Southern California Epigenome Center have powered-up the technique by […]