EpiTOF Histone Modification Analysis Reveals How Aging Cells Grow Apart!May 9, 2018Some say that all babies look the same – small, warm bags of tears and mayhem – with significant differences only appearing as we grow older and grow apart from our newborn brethren (and sistren!). Our burgeoning epigenome may react to aging in a very similar manner, with age-related losses and gains of DNA methylation combining […]
Intergenerational Transmission of Dad’s Diet: Dnmt2 Provides a Big Payload of Small RNAsMay 4, 2018Dnmt2 represents the lesser-known child of the DNA-methyltransferase family, but not because of any lack of pizazz or stage presence, but perhaps due to the lack of detectable DNA-cytosine methylation activity when compared to its more well-known brethren (Dnmt1 and Dnmt3). Instead of modifying DNA, Dnmt2 plays a big role in transfer RNA (tRNA) methylation […]
Two Barcodes, One DNA Fragment: Budget-Friendly Single-Cell Whole-Genome Bisulfite SequencingApril 29, 2018While single-cell whole-genome bisulfite sequencing is rapidly evolving, the associated price tag hasn’t been quite as dynamic. This lack of dynamism is primarily because current single-cell whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (scWGBS) methods are limited by the need to process each cell in individual reaction vessels and also low alignment rates. These limitations mean a high (financial) […]
TERRA lncRNA Tailors a Trimethylation Trio at TelomeresApril 27, 2018A good tailor will make any scientist look presentable in an expensive suit or a glitzy dress (when we escape the confines of a lab coat) and now, the group of Maria A. Blasco (CNIO, Madrid, Spain) describes how long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) tailor our telomeric DNA with just enough trimethylated histones to suit any […]
Transposons and DNA Methylation Learn to Get AlongApril 26, 2018A lot of things just don’t mix well, dogs and cats, oil and water, and as most geneticists would agree, transposons and DNA methylation. DNA methylation is the mortal enemy of transposon activity; across the tree of life it has a conserved role silencing transposable elements from plants, to algae, to vertebrates. This suggests DNA […]
dmrseq Powers-Up Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing AnalysisApril 16, 2018In our modern world, power is everything. Whether it be political, social, or even statistical, humankind always thirsts for more. While political and social power may be a little beyond our scope, a new bioinformatic package has come forth to power up your ability to detect differentially methylated regions (DMRs) from whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) […]
If You Snooze, You Lose: DNA Methylation Loss at Late Replicating Regions Tracks Cellular AgingApril 13, 2018“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!” While many night owls happily ignore this sage advice and enjoy a few extra hours in bed in the mornings, a new study regarding DNA methylation dynamics in normal and cancer cells gives credence to the old axiom “If you snooze, […]
Classification Conundrums: DNA Methylation and Central Nervous System TumorsApril 13, 2018It’s human nature to categorize the world around us. From the earliest taxonomic classification defining us as Homo sapiens, we’ve grouped dogs by breed (pugs, bulldogs, retrievers), wines by grape (merlots, chardonnays, pinot noirs), and of course, cancers by origin (gliomas, melanomas, sarcomas). You can order a DNA test for your dog, or ask the […]
Don’t Blame Mom, Thank Her! Extra Maternal Care Creates a Stress Resilient Epigenomic Profile in the Developing BrainApril 10, 2018Stress is something we are all too familiar with. When it comes down to a stressful situation, it seems that there are almost two types of people: those stricken by anxiety and depression, and those who keep on walking on as if nothing has happened. But what shapes such a distinction between people? One contributing […]
A Long non-coding RNA Superhero is GUARDIN our Genome from DNA Damage!April 4, 2018Batman swoops through Gotham, Supergirl flies over National City, and the Black Panther keeps his keen eyes on Wakanda; every superhero acts as a guardian of the beloved place they call home, protecting from any number of devious and dastardly threats. Now, researchers from the laboratory of Xu Dong Zhang and Mian Wu (Henan Provincial […]