Folate Deficiency in a Father’s Diet Could Cause Negative Pregnancy Outcomes by Changing Sperm Epigenome

December 18, 2013 WhatIsEpigenetics

Scientists at McGill University, Canada reported that folate deficiency in a father’s diet could increase birth defects in the offspring by altering sperm epigenome. These defects include craniofacial and musculoskeletal malformations. The scientists fed male mice either a folate-deficient or folate-sufficient diet throughout life and then performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis and subsequent functional analysis to identify differential methylation in sperm of genes implicated in development, and chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, autism and schizophrenia. They found that >300 [more…]

mRNA Stability Is Regulated By Dynamic m6A RNA Methylation

December 18, 2013 Milka Rodriguez

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA molecule that is essential in mediating the transfer of genetic information from DNA by serving as a template for protein synthesis. There are several mechanisms involved in regulating the stability of messenger RNA to influence the level and timing of protein production.  Such mechanisms include regulatory elements such as sequence elements or structural motifs that can target mRNA for degradation. Furthermore, post-transcriptional modifications such as dynamic methylation of mRNA could also be involved [more…]

Conserved, Widespread, Dynamic mRNA Methylation Program in Yeast Meiosis Revealed by High-Resolution Mapping

December 4, 2013 Milka Rodriguez

In eukaryotic RNA, the methylation of adenosine at the N6 position to form N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common and abundant postsynthesis modification known. Until recently, the biological significance of this RNA modification has remained unclear due to technical and experimental limitation. These include: detection methods that are mostly limited to immunoprecipitation; low resolution mapping of m6A around methylation sites which cause precise locations to be unclear; and the lack of an experimental model for depletion of the methylation complex [more…]

The Epigenetic Landscape is a Key Determinant of Gene Expression Reprogramming in Cardiac Hypertrophy

December 4, 2013 WhatIsEpigenetics

The epigenetic signature for cardiac hypertrophy, which can progress to heart failure through an adaptive response of the myocardium to stress, is still poorly understood. The scientists at Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy report on the genome-wide distribution of seven histone modifications in adult mouse cardiomyocytes subjected to a prohypertrophy stimulus in vivo. They found a set of promoters with an epigenetic pattern that distinguishes specific functional classes of genes regulated in hypertrophy and identified 9,207 candidate active [more…]

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