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Dynamic Pseudouridylation of ncRNA and mRNA

December 15, 2014

Pseudouridine (Ψ) is not only the most abundant post-translational modification (PTM) of RNA in all organisms, but it is also amongst the first discovered, way back in the futuristic 50’s, where it was deemed the 5th nucleotide of RNA. Ψ doesn’t discriminate against cellular functions or evolutionary distinct species. And while studied intently in rRNA […]

Epigenetic Exploitation of Host Cells by Viruses

December 14, 2014

Exploitation is a common theme in all fields of biology and viruses are no exception. But now it seems that viruses are up to some creative tricks when it comes to keeping a low profile in preparation for their full attack and sneaking out a few infections, a process known as viral latency. While DNA methylation may function as […]

Epigenetics Mediates Immortality of Adult Stem Cells

December 13, 2014

What would you do to ensure your immortality? Drink a potion? Cast a spell? Or even set out on an expedition to find the fountain of youth? Researchers from the Adult Stem Cell Technology Centre in Boston, USA have discovered that adult stem cells in the mouse have another more intricate strategy towards living forever […]

Newly Evolved Ribozyme Is Proof-of-principle for the Origin of Life

December 13, 2014

Life is complicated. While that does apply to ordering your daily caffeine fix at Starbucks, what we’re talking about here is darwinian, entropy-defying, self-replicating life. Just to store, read, and apply genetic information requires 3 different types of molecules: DNA, RNA, and proteins. That makes it tough to imagine how life could ooze into being in […]

Reprogramming to Pluripotency: Lessons from the Egg

December 8, 2014

Have you ever wish you could just clone yourself? How much more work you’d be able to get done in a day! While creating an exact copy of yourself that knows everything you do is still very much in the realms of science fiction, cloning human cells is a reality. The first big leap came […]

T Cell Blockade Offers Safe Haven for Stem Cell Transplants

December 6, 2014

As if human embryonic stem cells didn’t have enough trouble already making it through governmental legislation, they also face rejection from another source: the immune system. In their latest study, Herman Waldmann and his team of talented immunologists from the University of Oxford report a simple strategy to induce long-lasting immune tolerance to stem cell […]

Stem Cells Out of Position – A New Paradigm for Colorectal Cancer?

December 5, 2014

Colorectal cancer is, unfortunately, a common condition, making up 10% of global cancer cases. Therefore, a full understanding of the initiation and development of these tumor types should improve diagnosis and treatment decisions. A recent study from the University of Oxford has identified a potentially important mechanism of colorectal tumor formation that not only challenges current […]

Understanding How H3K4me1 Affects the Ageing Stem Cell

December 4, 2014

Even though we don’t want to admit it, we all see changes in ourselves as the years pass by. A few more inches round the waistline here, and a little less muscle tone there, all due to a little less exercise and a little more food and drink! But what changes occur in our stem […]

Unwinding the Chromatin–Cancer Connection

December 4, 2014

There’s no denying that epigenetics and cancer are intimately intertwined, and that untangling this connection is vitally important in expanding our understanding of cancer initiation and development. Epigenetic signals are reversible regulators of gene expression and as such, make compelling targets in the study and treatment of cancer. As high-throughput data analysis becomes the norm, entire panels […]

EpiGenie Book Review: Epigenetics in Psychiatry

December 3, 2014

Epigenetics in Psychiatry brings together a collection of researchers in the field of neuroepigenetics to provide insight into research on the role of epigenetics in a range of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and suicide. Not content with covering only these topics it also provides information on the techniques and animal models […]