Epigenetic Modifications
Epigenetic Modifications - Related Videos
10:21
An Overview of Epigenetics
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2023
Since the early days of genetics research, scientists have noted certain heritable phenotypic differences that are not due to differences in the nucleotide sequence of DNA. Current evidence suggests that these “epigenetic” phenomena might be controlled by a number of mechanisms, including the modification of DNA cytosine bases with methyl groups, the addition of various chemical groups to histone proteins, and the recruitment of protein factors to specific DNA sites via interactions with...
01:46
Epigenetic Regulation
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2019
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer. In most mammals, females have two X chromosomes (XX) while males have an X and a Y chromosome (XY). The X chromosome contains significantly more genes than the Y chromosome. Therefore, to prevent an excess of X chromosome-linked gene expression in females, one of the two X chromosomes is randomly silenced during early development.
12:34
DNA Methylation: Bisulphite Modification and Analysis
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Cited by 75 •
2011
The gold standard for DNA methylation analysis is genomic sequencing of bisulphite converted DNA. This method takes advantage of the increased sensitivity of cytosine compared with 5-methylcytosine (5-MeC) to bisulphite deamination under acidic conditions. Unmethylated cytosines can be distinguished from methylated cytosines after PCR amplification of the target genomic DNA.
10:54
Extraction of Histones from Clinical Specimens for Epigenetic Profiling by Mass Spectrometry
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2025
This protocol enables efficient histone extraction from various clinical samples for subsequent post-translational modification analysis by LC-MS/MS. By facilitating robust detection of key histone modifications, it serves as a valuable tool for comprehensive epigenetic profiling in large clinical cohorts.
08:01
A Two-Step Strategy that Combines Epigenetic Modification and Biomechanical Cues to Generate Mammalian Pluripotent Cells
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Cited by 6 •
2020
We here present a method that combines the use of chemical epigenetic erasing with mechanosensing-related cues to efficiently generate mammalian pluripotent cells, without the need of gene transfection or retroviral vectors. This strategy is, therefore, promising for translational medicine and represents a notable advancement in stem cell organoid technology.
FAQs
DNA methylation and histone modification help determine how accessible regions of chromatin are to the machinery involved in transcription. By changing this access, they can increase or decrease the activity of particular genes without changing their DNA sequence. Their effects are therefore important when researchers examine how cells maintain different functional programs during development or disease.
Chromatin remodeling changes the structural organization of DNA and associated proteins, influencing whether genes are more or less accessible. Noncoding RNAs provide another regulatory layer that can affect gene activity without serving as templates for proteins. Considering both mechanisms alongside DNA methylation and histone modification gives a broader view of how transcription is controlled.
Cells can share the same DNA sequence while activating different sets of genes. Epigenetic modifications help establish and maintain these distinct patterns of gene activity, allowing cells to adopt specialized functions during development. Because the modifications can also respond to environmental or cellular signals, they connect stable cellular identity with changing biological conditions.
A biology investigation can examine DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and noncoding RNA regulation together with their effects on transcription. Researchers can then relate these regulatory changes to development, cellular identity, or abnormal gene activity. This approach helps connect molecular mechanisms with larger biological outcomes rather than treating gene expression as a result of DNA sequence alone.
Epigenetic modifications are relevant to research on cancer, inherited disorders, development, and aging. In these settings, investigators study how altered regulation may contribute to abnormal cell behavior, disease-associated gene activity, or changes that accompany biological aging. The same framework also supports comparisons between normal and disrupted regulatory states in cells.
Patterns of epigenetic regulation can help researchers search for biomarkers associated with disease or other biological states. They also inform strategies designed to modify abnormal gene regulation, particularly when altered activity contributes to cancer or inherited disorders. These applications make epigenetic research useful both for identifying measurable indicators and for exploring ways to correct dysregulated cellular programs.