February 2018 | What is Epigenetics?

Paternal Environmental and Lifestyle Factors Influence Epigenetic Inheritance

February 28, 2018 Estephany Ferrufino

There is strong evidence that suggests certain environmental or lifestyle factors may lead to increased risk of developing chronic diseases. These factors such as diet, behavior, stress, exposure to pollutants, and physical activity have been known to cause epigenetic changes which may be passed down from one generation to the next. It is believed that a father’s exposure to environmental factors can play a role in an offspring’s epigenetic patterns and health. Recent evidence suggests that sperm epigenetic modifications can [more…]

Maybe She’s Born With it, Maybe it’s Epigenetics: 5 Tips for Beauty and Anti-Aging

February 20, 2018 Bailey Kirkpatrick

We might say a beautiful woman is born with her looks or that she was endowed with good genes. But what if some of her beauty comes from reversible marks on top of her genes? The epigenetic tags on her DNA might be contributing to her glowing skin, young complexion, and silken hair. Interestingly, there may even be ways in which simple lifestyle changes could adjust these epigenetic tags, modulating the expression of certain genes that promote beauty and health. [more…]

Muscles ‘Remember’ Previous Exercise in the Form of Epigenetic Tags on DNA

February 13, 2018 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Our muscles may actually possess a molecular memory in the form of epigenetic marks on our DNA. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, these chemical tags tell a tale of when skeletal muscles grew after exercise and could possibly help them grow bigger later on. Although you might think that month-long resistance training class that you’ve been meaning to sign up for again was all for naught, your muscles might actually remember it. Even if taking an exercise [more…]

Erasure of Tet-Oxidized 5-Methylcytosine by SRAP1

February 9, 2018 Estephany Ferrufino

DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mechanism that plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression during embryonic development. The erasure of Tet-oxidized 5-Methylcytosine (5-mC) is not only important during the reprogramming steps but as well as the cell differentiation stages of development. In their study, Kweon et al. (2017) have shown that the SOS response-associated peptidase domain protein, SRAP1, binds to Tet-oxidized forms of 5-mC in DNA and selectively cleave DNA containing Tet-oxidized 5-methylcytosine. They also reveal [more…]

Epigenetics Diet Including Grapes That Might Help Reduce Depression

Natural Compounds in Grapes Could Lead Us to An Epigenetic Treatment for Depression

February 6, 2018 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Recent research suggests that our diet and lifestyle can change the expression of our genes. This occurs by adjusting epigenetic marks on top of our DNA without actually making any changes to the underlying genetic sequence. For example, blueberries were found to epigenetically reduce DNA damage and drinking green tea may turn some genes on or off in women. In a new epigenetic study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified two [more…]

If you like reading our articles…