Messing Up Methylation: Formaldehyde is a Targeted Bull in a China Shop November 27, 2023Just like a bull in a china shop, formaldehyde (FA) was thought to damage almost everything it bumped into. But new research shows that it’s a lot more targeted, and it really likes proteins involved in DNA methylation. Sure, FA can preserve brains in jars, but it’s most often used in consumer products like glues and […]
Differential Methylation Data Are Quick, Easy, and Inexpensive with FML-seqNovember 7, 2023Sometimes you just want to get straight to the point. Along those lines, FML-seq (fragmentation at methylated loci and sequencing) cuts to the chase by providing a quick look at differential methylation data without the labor and expense of other approaches. Granted, some methods like whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) tell you where every methylation event is, […]
5hmC Stands Apart from 5mC Through Single-Cell Multi-omic MethodsOctober 23, 2023Sometimes, you really want to stand out from the crowd. For years, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) has lurked in the shadows, often lumped together with 5-methylcytosine (5mC). However, these modifications have different effects—5mC generally turns down expression and 5hmC ramps it up. Sure, several methods can tease apart 5mC and 5hmC, but they require a lot of sample […]
Kacme: A New Histone Modification Couples Methylation and Acetylation to Mark Active TranscriptionOctober 23, 2023Some couples seem unlikely, yet somehow, they work (a recent pop star-football player pair comes to mind). Now, an even more surprising couple—a methyl group and an acetyl group—hanging out together on the very same lysine residues on histone H4s has just been spotted across species and appears to be involved in active transcription. Mind. […]
The Missing LncRNA: How the Gut Microbiome Communicates with their Host to Regulate MetabolismOctober 23, 2023Bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the mammalian gut microbiome vastly outnumber the cells in the human body; however, the detailed mechanisms these gut-dwelling commensal partners use to communicate with their generous hosts and induce responses represent somewhat of a “missing link” in this research. Now, a new epigenetics-based study shows that we should have been […]
eBook: RNA & TranscriptomicsOctober 13, 2023Analysis of the working of our RNA, from transcription and splicing to translation, began in a simpler time – when we talked about “RNA” and hadn’t yet recognized the whole range of RNA species, including miRNAs, ncRNAs, and more. These days, we are learning as much about the epigenetic modification of RNA and the role […]
Let It Rain: Droplets Generate Single-Nuclei Multiomes of Either Histone or RNA ModificationsSeptember 25, 2023A downpour of single-cell and single-molecule multiomics methods are prompting us to exclaim, “Let it rain!” We recently told you about a couple of single-molecule epigenetic mapping methods involving chromatin. And now, two new papers show how using a droplet-based microfluidic platform can provide multiomic information about single-cell transcriptomes along with histone modifications or RNA […]
Keeping COVID-19 in the Family – SARS-CoV-2 Infection Reprograms Immune Responses Through Epigenetic MemorySeptember 24, 2023We try to keep exciting research findings in our epigenetic “family,” and a recent article now reports that our stem and immune cells are not so different when it comes to their epigenetic memory of SARS-CoV-2 infection! A new study now describes how SARS-CoV-2-mediated epigenetic reprogramming in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) severely impacts […]
Just Add HiDRO to Figure Out How Genomes Fold in Single CellsSeptember 14, 2023Water hydrates and is essential for life—for plants, humans, and even fish. So, it’s fitting that a new technique called HiDRO takes high-throughput FISH to the next level to identify factors that help genomes fold in 3D at high throughput in single cells. Cohesin helps DNA form loops, which can then form topologically associated domains (TADs). […]
“Dynamite” Study Uses TNT To Destroy Epigenetic Memories in Human iPSCsSeptember 11, 2023While lingering memories can represent unwelcome guests, destroying them with the power of dynamite may seem like overkill! However, a volatile new study now describes TNT or transient-naïve-treatment as a simple means of ridding human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) of their epigenetic memories and improving their therapeutic potential. An explosive epigenetic team headed by […]