Schizophrenia’s DNA Methylation FingerprintsApril 4, 2012By now, we’re all used to hearing about epigenetics in cancer or stem cell research, but its role in mental illness is still a pretty new concept. Understanding how exactly DNA methylation factors into schizophrenia may be a ways off, but new research promises to soon be able diagnose the condition through just a blood […]
Timeline for DNA Methylation in Mouse DevelopmentApril 4, 2012Not everyone is onboard with the new Facebook timeline, but here’s a timeline you can really get into. Researchers are reporting the first genome-scale, base-resolution timeline of DNA methylation in the mouse embryo, including an analysis of the DNA methylation of oocytes and sperm. To do this, the team analyzed mouse oocytes, sperm, zygotes, early […]
Webinar: Uncover Epigenetic Signatures Faster using SureSelectXT Human Methyl-SeqApril 3, 2012Agilent Technologies presented a Webinar back in March titled: Uncover Epigenetic Signatures Faster using SureSelectXT Human Methyl-Seq SureSelect is the most complete, flexible and proven Target Enrichment platform for Next Generation Sequencing. This presentation highlights features of the new SureSelect SureSelectXT Human Methyl-Seq kit including: • Reduced bias compared to existing Methylation methods • Comprehensive […]
ChIP-String Ties Down Chromatin Regulator AnalysisMarch 22, 2012There are hundreds of chromatin regulators (CRs) out there, and yet we know so little about them other than that they control chromatin structure and function through interactions with histone mods. To help tie down the CR rules of engagement, some handy scientists developed the ChIP-string assay to provide a snapshot of several CRs in […]
Influenza Dodges Antiviral Response with Histone DisguiseMarch 22, 2012Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say. But instead of flattery, the influenza virus (and maybe many other viruses) imitates histones to make people sick. That kind of flattery we could do without. Researchers in NY and the U.K. discovered that influenza A (H3N2)—one of the strains that cause seasonal flu outbreaks—hijacks the […]
Bivalent PREs Protected by Perfect TimingMarch 21, 2012There’s no substitute for good timing. It’s a trait that can keep you out of a dangerous situation, or make you look good on the dance floor. But for cells it’s also critical for maintaining epigenetic states during replication. Italian researchers at the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation recently identified a critical time window right before […]
Webinar: Global and Locus-Specific 5-hmC DetectionMarch 21, 2012New England Biolabs is hosting a free webinar titled: Global and locus specific 5-hydroxymethylcytosine detection and quantification Tues. March, 27th 2012 at 9am PDT It will discuss simple and quick enzymatic methods for global, as well as sequence-specific, determination of both DNA modifications throughout various genomes. T4 phage B-glucosyltransferase has emerged as the enzyme of […]
Nutritional Epigenetics: Eating For Two (Generations)March 20, 2012A new study on pigs (used as models for humans) suggests that what you eat could affect your grandchildren much later on. Pigs who ate a special “methyl” diet had “grandpigs” with different DNA methylation and gene expression patterns than the DNA methylation patterns in the control group. Sure, the findings could help researchers build […]
BrdU Kicks Out DNA Methylation and Kicks Off Stem Cell DifferentiationMarch 7, 2012For many things in life, convenience comes at a cost. Like living in a great city with everything at your doorstep, but the rents are sky-high. A new report says that the use of BrdU, a popular tool for detecting replicating cells (such as neural stem cells in the brain), also comes with a cost, […]
Epigenetics at the Intersection of Environment and SelectionFebruary 28, 2012One of the most fascinating things about epigenetics is the implication it has for inheritance and evolution. Theories and hypotheses are everywhere, of course, but until Sir Richard Branson launches a Virgin Time Travel business, actually measuring the changes from thousands of years of natural selection will remain a pretty tall order. Two recent papers […]