Jumping Enzyme Discovered in Nucleus Influences Epigenetic Regulation

August 26, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A study led by a team of researchers at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta sheds light on a new, interesting way metabolism is connected to DNA regulation. The discovery may add an important piece to the puzzle in scientists’ quest to understand diseases and their epigenetic basis. One such disease commonly focused on is cancer. Inside the cell’s nucleus, DNA tightly winds itself around histones, a specialized type of protein responsible for the formation [more…]

Molecular Memory and a Two-Step Process of Epigenetic Inheritance

August 13, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

New evidence supports the epigenetic mechanism by which acquired traits may be inherited. The research found that cells silence genes by recognizing chemical tags or marks that are passed down through the generations rather than using information from the hardwired DNA sequences. The chemical tags on the DNA act as a molecular memory which is used by cells to recognize and then silence certain genes in successive generations. The research, conducted by scientists at Indiana University, illustrates how plant cells [more…]

Epigenetic Tags on Serotonin Transporter Gene Linked to Stress

August 6, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A new study offers an epigenetic explanation as to why some people are more reactive to stress or more vulnerable to disorders related to stress. A team of researchers at Duke University have found that methylation of a gene linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and clinical depression can affect how an individual reacts to threats or stress. Recently published online in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the results highlight the link between the common epigenetic mechanism of DNA methylation and [more…]

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