Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance of a Trio of Epigenomic Changes Induced by DDTMarch 27, 2018DNA methylation has long been the shining star of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance work, with other mechanisms signing backup. But now, the solo act has now become a trio, with histone modifications and non-coding (ncRNA) stepping into the limelight. For an in utero exposure to be truly transgenerational, and not an intergenerational effect, it must impact […]
The Single-Cell Trifecta: Nucleosome Occupancy, DNA Methylation, and Gene ExpressionFebruary 27, 2018While recent advancements let us map the epigenome of a single-cell, the same studies can leave us a bit single-minded when facing the many layers of the epigenetic landscape. Thankfully, to quench our integrative omics thirst, a clever new technique reveals that just because you’re looking at single cells doesn’t mean you only need to […]
An endosiRNA Trap Shoots Down the Transposable Element Rebellion of Embryonic DevelopmentNovember 12, 2017During early embryonic development, our genome lets down its DNA methylation defenses and becomes vulnerable to rebellious transposable elements (TEs). However, those rebel scum are quickly met with a barrage of endogenous short interfering RNAs (endosiRNAs), all before they realize even realize that “It’s A Trap!” The mechanism of this cunning tactic employed by our […]
Base Resolution Profiling Details the Intricacies of the m1A RNA ModificationNovember 4, 2017Insurance contracts, loan agreements, and scientific studies; while it’s easy to pretend that we know what´s going on after a quick skim, we often require a detailed interpretation of the complex combinations of letters, numbers, symbols, and accents to gain a fuller comprehension of the matter at hand. In the realm of our epitranscriptomic language, […]
Running Around in Circles to Understand N6-methyladenosine (m6A)September 10, 2017While most studies on the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification have been on the straight and narrow, the research trajectory taken by the labs of Cosmas C. Giallourakis and Alan C. Mullen will have you running around in circles! More specifically, Chan Zhou and Benoit Molinie (along with their tight circle of friends) sought to discover […]
Running in Circles: circRNAs Act as Shuttles for miRNA CargoAugust 15, 2017Feeling out of the loop about all the different non-coding RNAs being described? Well hold on, because circular RNAs (circRNA) are about to throw you for a loop. Mammalian circRNAs are created by covalent closure of transcribed exons into loops. These circRNAs are highly expressed in specific brain regions, and conserved between mice and humans. They […]
Genome Protection in the Embryo: A Big Role for Small RNAs!July 27, 2017It’s not how big it is, it’s what you do with it that counts. Here at Epigenie, we don’t think that size matters, as evidenced by our excitement over studies showing that small RNAs in sperm can mediate huge intergenerational effects related to paternal exercise and diet! Now, a fascinating study from the lab of […]
Exploring the TERRA Incognita of Long Non-Coding RNAs!July 14, 2017Decades of diligent exploration in the mammalian genome has led to the discovery that while only around 2% of this base-pair jungle represents protein-coding sequence, over 90% of our genome gets transcribed into RNA species such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, our knowledge base on many lncRNAs remains in “terra incognita” with scant details […]
Environmentally Reprogrammed Sperm Epigenetically Transmit Behavior Across GenerationsJuly 11, 2017Life’s full of experiences that often seem like a coin toss. Should you go the gym or feast on some sushi? While the epigenetic mechanisms behind the outcomes of these two events may seem quite different at first, when considering the epigenetics of sperm, it turns out they’re two-sides of the same coin. Intergenerational Effect […]
The PARTICLE Accelerator of DNA and Histone Methylation CoordinationJune 8, 2017Finding the links between DNA methylation and histone modification is no easy chore. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be the answer; they are a huge part of the transcriptome, and many appear to be functional. There is growing evidence that lncRNAs act to “lnc” other epigenetic regulators together and coordinate their function. Adding to that […]