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Posts Tagged ‘Epigenetics’

It’s nice to see this

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on October 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

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Cell Symposia: Epigenetics and the Inheritance of Acquired States

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on September 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Check it out! October 30 – November 1, 2011, The Westin Boston Waterfront, Boston, MA, USA The field of epigenetics has come to the fore in recent years, making its mark in both basic research and also fields relevant to human disease, such as stem cells and cancer. “Epigenetics” has become synonymous with modifications to [...]

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Maps of maps of maps of maps …

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on June 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

THE ultimate guide to your genome … ‘nuf said. The mission of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project is to enable the scientific and medical communities to interpret the human genome sequence and apply it to understand human biology and improve health. The ENCODE Consortium is integrating multiple technologies and approaches in a collective [...]

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Why is our genome methylated? Because it’s a junk pile.

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on February 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

DNA methylation is THE key driver of epigenetic regulation.  Where goest CpG methylation, then followest chromatin remodelling … NOT the other way around. “The heritability of genomic methylation patterns clearly shows that once established, DNA methylation is dominant over chromatin modifications.” Some neurodevelopmental processes (here) seem to depend on DNA methylation, but, is this the [...]

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I’m bummed, can someone please methylate lysine 9 of my histone H3 protein?

Posted in SETDB1, tagged , , on February 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Can you imagine uttering that phrase in the future? Yep. “… transgenic mice with increased Setdb1 expression in adult forebrain neurons show antidepressant-like phenotypes in behavioral paradigms for anhedonia, despair and learned helplessness.” SETDB1 is a protein that helps methylate lysine #9 on the histone H3 DNA binding protein … which leads to DNA CpG [...]

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That 70s personal genome

Posted in Chromosome structural variants, tagged , , , , on February 3, 2011 | 1 Comment »

“Listen Eric, you should think about how useful your newfangled Personal Genome is going to be.  There are a lot of reasons why all this information doesn’t tell you much” “For example, have you thought about epigenetic effects that might be environmentally induced and can be transmitted across multiple subsequent generations?  Genotypes of individuals in [...]

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Overheard on the subway: epigenetic inheritance via the male germline

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on December 28, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Image via Wikipedia Playa with gold NY Yankees hat worn sideways:  Man, I’ve got mad feva for the flava of these chips. Hipster girl with multicolor wool sherpa hat:  You better watch out playa, you’ll pass on some ill health to your kids. Playa:  Kids! I ain’t tryin’ to have no kids.  Besides, that’s some [...]

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My white matter needs epigenetic change encoded by the genome

Posted in HDACs, tagged , , , , on November 26, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Image by Myelin Repair Foundation via Flickr from Ye et al., 2009: HDAC1/2 genes encode proteins that modify the epigenome (make it less accessible for gene expression). When HDAC1/2 functions around the HES5 and ID2/4 (repressors of white matter development) genes, the epigenetic changes (less acetylation of chromatin) helps to repress the repressors. This type [...]

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DNMT helps neurons remember epigenetic stuff

Posted in BDNF, DNMT, Hippocampus, RLN, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Image by DerrickT via Flickr Most cells in your adult body are “terminally differentiated” – meaning that they have developed from stem cells into the final liver, or heart, or muscle or endothelial cell that they were meant to be.  From that point onward, cells are able to “remember” to stay in this final state [...]

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PARP-1 is the epigenetic handyman of learning and memory

Posted in Hippocampus, PARP-1, tagged , , , , , , on October 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

The human brain has some 100 billion neurons.  That sounds like a lot, but I’m still keen on keeping ALL of mine healthy and in good working order.  One way that cells protect themselves from damage and untimely death is by protecting their DNA – by wrapping it up and coiling it tightly – using [...]

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Movie star SIRT1 makes for a great body but an old brain

Posted in CREB, SIRT1, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 20, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Image by Smeerch via Flickr As far as science movies go, the new movie, “To Age or Not To Age” seems like a lot of fun.  The interview with Dr. Leonard Guarente suggests that the sirtuin genes play a starring role in the film.  Certainly,  an NAD+ dependent histone deacetylase – makes for a sexy [...]

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Intronic risk – where Mother Nature meets Mother Nurture

Posted in Intronic or repetitive sequences, tagged , , on July 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Image via Wikipedia The current buzz about about GWAS  and longevity and GWAS in general has stirred up many longstanding inconvenient issues that arise when trying to interpret the results of very large, expensive and worthwhile genetic studies.  Its seems that Mother Nature does not give up her secrets without a fight. One of the [...]

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Inheritance of epigenetic change?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 27, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Image via Wikipedia pointer to the NOVA program on epigenetics “Ghost in Your Genes” (YouTube link here).  Fantastic footage.  Great intro to epigenetics and so-called trans-generational effects and the inheritance of epigenetic marks – which, in some cases – are left by adverse or stressful experience.  A weird, wild, game-changing concept indeed – that my [...]

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Don’t ask what the genes for Prader-Willi syndrome do, ask where

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 8, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Image by Si1very via Flickr In an earlier post on Williams Syndrome, we delved into the notion that sometimes a genetic variant can lead to enhanced function – such as certain social behaviors in the case of WS.  A mechanism that is thought to underlie this phenomenon has to do with the way in which [...]

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On the genetics of epigenetics (part un)

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Last year I dug a bit into the area of epigenetics (indexed here) and learned that the methylation (CH3) and acetylation (OCCH3) of genomic DNA & histones, respectively, can have dramatic effects on the structure of DNA and its accessibility to transcription factors – and hence – gene expression.  Many of the papers I covered [...]

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Epigenetics and cognitive development – quick sketch overview

Posted in BDNF, MECP2, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 16, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Some quick sketches that might help put the fast-growing epigenetics and cognitive development literature into context.  Visit the University of Utah’s Epigenetics training site for more background! The genome is just the A,G,T,C bases that encode proteins and other mRNA molecules.  The “epi”genome are various modification to the DNA – such as methylation (at C [...]

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Epigenetic loss of an insensitive period of cognitive development

Posted in Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, NRXB1, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

We are all familiar with the notion that genes are NOT destiny and that the development of an individual’s mind and body occur in a manner that is sensitive to the environment (e.g. children who eat lots of healthy food grow bigger and stronger than those who have little or no access to food).  In [...]

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Know thy epigenome in fatal purpose of the Heart

Posted in Cerebellum, Frontal cortex, NTRK2, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Image by sludgegulper via Flickr Few events are as hard to understand as the loss of a loved one to suicide – a fatal confluence of factors that are oft scrutinized – but whose analysis can provide little comfort to family and friends.  To me, one frightening and vexing aspect of what is known about [...]

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Nature meets nurture on BDNF promoter IV

Posted in BDNF, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

According to Joseph LeDoux, “One of the most important contributions of modern neuroscience has been to show that the nature/nurture debate operates around a false dichotomy: the assumption that biology, on one hand, and lived experience, on the other, affect us in fundamentally different ways” (ref).  Indeed.  While I know not where the current debate [...]

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podcast: Rett Syndrome Research Trust

Posted in MECP2, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

It was a delight today to chat with Monica Coenraads, Executive Director of the Rett Syndrome Research Trust.  The RSRT has teamed up with a deeply focused world-class team of research scientists to translate the fruits of basic research on Rett syndrome into viable cures.   Whether you are a scientist, student or concerned family member, [...]

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