environmental alterations
« Previous EntriesEpigenetics in Focus at Nature Reviews Genetics
Monday, March 26th, 2007Following closely on the heels of the special issue of Cell on epigenetics, Nature Reviews Genetics today published its own focus issue on epigenetics (April 2007), with reviews from some of the most prominent experts in several sub-disciplines within epigenetics, including stem cell research, cancer epigenomics, and environmental epigenetics. The editors of the journal open [...]
Cell Reviews Epigenetics and Chromatin Organization
Monday, February 26th, 2007The journal Cell has released a special review issue, “Epigenetics and Chromatin Organization.” The issue contains 11 review articles, beginning with a review of one of the most exciting aspects of epigenetics: its effect on evolution.
According to classical evolutionary theory, phenotypic variation originates from random mutations that are independent of selective pressure. However, recent findings [...]
Transgenerational Epigenetic Modification with Nutritional Supplementation
Monday, February 5th, 2007Reader Israel Barrantes recently commented on what he considered to be the “most memorable epigenetic moment of the year” for 2006, which was a groundbreaking paper by Cropley et al. that appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in November (1). I couldn’t argue with that nomination, so I decided to write about [...]
Epigenetics Garners Fifth Spot in Discover’s Top Science Stories of 2006
Saturday, January 6th, 2007Discover Magazine has recognized several related discoveries in the field of epigenetics as the fifth top science story of 2006.
Biomarkers In Focus At Environmental Health Perspectives
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007The Focus article in the December issue of Environmental Health Perspective covers a term that should be very familiar to anyone following epigenetics: biomarker.
Was 2006 a Good Year for Epigenetics? (Part II)
Sunday, December 31st, 2006In an earlier post, I began taking a look back at the year 2006 in epigenetics. With the last day of 2006 upon us, it seemed like a good time to complete the review of the year’s most memorable events (covered by Epigenetics News).
Was 2006 a Good Year for Epigenetics?
Tuesday, December 19th, 2006Epigenetics, the study of heritable changes not involving changes in DNA sequence, saw a huge boost in public awareness in 2006. There were a number of high profile discoveries in the realm of epigenetics that were unveiled (or progressed) in 2006, which aid in increasing awareness of the field as a legitimate avenue to exciting [...]
Epigenetics May Hold Promise for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Saturday, November 25th, 2006A recent article in The New Zealand Herald reports on research investigating the cause of a common childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
New Research: Epigenetic Transgenerational Adult-Onset Disease
Friday, November 24th, 2006New research from the laboratory of Dr. Michael Skinner at Washington State University shows that the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin, a fungicide used in agricultural crops such as grapes grown for the wine industry, can induce adult-onset diseases in the offspring of an exposed pregnant female rat such as prostate disease, kidney disease, immune system abnormalities, and tumor development that remain highly prevalent in four generations of offspring.
Declining Rates of Fertility and Epigenetics Research
Sunday, November 12th, 2006The Focus article in the November 2006 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, entitled “Fertile Grounds for Inquiry: Environmental Effects on Human Reproduction,” is an interesting read for those interested in the reproductive effects of environmental toxicants and epigenetics.
CpG Methylation System Revealed in Western Honey Bee
Monday, October 30th, 2006Last week Science published several new reports on Apis mellifera, the honey bee, including a report from Wang et. al on the functional CpG methylation system in this newly sequenced genome. The methylation report has a number of key findings and implications for further research:While the widely used genetics model Drosophila melanogaster shows only [...]
An Epigenetic Factor in Increased Infant Mortality
Monday, October 16th, 2006Epigenetics may play a role in the higher rates of infant mortality and low birth weight babies born to black women. The News and Advance reports this from Dr. Michael Lu of the UCLA School of Medicine and School of Public Health, as well as a co-principal investigator on a three-year, $15 million [...]
Hypermethylation of WRN Gene Promoter Linked to Human Cancer
Sunday, June 25th, 2006New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that increased methylation of the promoter sequence of the WRN gene is highly correlated with inactivation of the gene in human cancer cell lines.In this manuscript, we demonstrate that WRN undergoes CpG island promoter methylation-associated gene silencing in human cancer cells. The [...]
The Epigenetics of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Tuesday, June 20th, 2006Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), which is the most common form of lupus, affects one out of every 285 Americans (Lupus Research Institute). Lupus is characterized as an autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system becomes hyperactive and produces antibodies that attack normal tissues and organs, such as the skin, brain, kidney, heart, lungs, and blood. [...]
David Haig Talks Genomic Imprinting
Tuesday, June 20th, 2006David Haig, associate professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University, is interviewed in ten questions with Razib at Gene Expression. The interview covers a number of topics on genomic imprinting, as well as the role of epistasis in evolutionary processes, maternally- and paternally-expressed genes, and the potential effects of deleterious mutations on the [...]
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