November 2014 | What is Epigenetics?

dna methylation acetylation deacetylation epigenetic mechanisms of thanksgiving feast

The Epigenetic Benefits of Your Thanksgiving Feast

November 25, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Thanksgiving is a time for people to come together to share what they are thankful for, enjoy each other’s company and, perhaps most importantly, eat. Sharing a large feast is a great way to strengthen the bond between family and friends during Thanksgiving, but you might not know it’s an opportunity to make the best of the nutriepigenetic benefits of your food. Nutriepigenomics looks at the effects different types of food and various nutrients have on the human body via [more…]

DNA methylation epigenetic signature found in ice babies after prenatal stress

Prenatal Maternal Stress Triggers Distinct DNA Methylation Signatures in Ice Storm Babies

November 18, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

The Quebec Ice Storm of 1998 was a devastating time that plunged more than 3 million Quebecers into frigid darkness without electricity for as long as 45 days. Now, more than 15 years later, researchers from McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University are finding out that the length of time a pregnant woman went without electricity during this time predicts her child’s epigenetic profile. Scientists have discovered a unique DNA ‘signature’ of children who were in the womb [more…]

dna methylation epigenetic signature atherosclerosis and diet change

The Consequences of a Poor Diet Could Epigenetically Persist Despite Improving Eating Habits

November 11, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A majority of people know that improving your diet will lead to an improvement in your health. But not everyone knows that the consequences of eating poorly can actually persist even after you’ve changed your dietary habits for the better. New research on mice suggests that even following the treatment of atherosclerosis – the build-up of plaque in your arteries – by lowering blood cholesterol and improving diet, the detrimental effects of poor eating continues to affect the functioning of [more…]

histone ubiquitination bre1 protein epigenetics

Researchers Discover ‘Goldilocks Effect’ of Protein Bre1 Influences Epigenetic Regulation

November 4, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Every cell in the human body contains every human gene. However, not all genes are expressed, or turned “on”, in each cell. Depending on the type of cell, certain genes will need to be expressed and others not. For example, a heart cell possesses genes necessary for appropriate kidney function, but in a healthy heart cell these genes won’t be expressed. Similarly, a kidney cell has genes for proper heart function, but only the genes relevant to kidney functioning should [more…]

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