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Stressed Fathers could epigenetically give their children high blood sugar

Could Stressed Fathers Epigenetically Give their Children High Blood Sugar?

March 1, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

What if stress experienced by fathers could actually be passed down epigenetically to their children, who then experience its effects later in life? Previous research has hinted that, in mice, trauma experienced by a father leaves epigenetic marks on his sperm RNA, which is inherited by his offspring who later express the same depressive behaviors as their dad. Also, another study that investigated the devastating Quebec Ice Storm of 1998 has suggested that prenatal maternal stress could trigger distinct DNA [more…]

Histone Modifications Reveal Further Insight into the Process of Aging

February 23, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Epigenetic research on the potential molecular causes of aging has piqued the curiosity of many people who want to know if it’s possible to slow aging or, perhaps, stop it altogether. The process of aging comes along with physiological changes that decrease the body’s ability to repair tissue and increase vulnerability to metabolic diseases. Overall, metabolic activity levels are reduced and missteps in gene activity regulation occur more often as one ages. In a new article published in EMBO Reports, [more…]

Histone demethylase reduction could impact embryo development

Epigenetic Reprogramming Gone Awry in Embryo May Lead to Abnormal Adult Behavior

February 16, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Epigenetic reprogramming occurs to the developing mammalian zygote immediately after fertilization and is crucial for proper development. This reprogramming is defined as the erasure of epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation and histone modifications. Researchers continue to uncover new information about the changes made to epigenetic marks on the embryo’s epigenome. In fact, a new study has found that when the process of epigenetic reprogramming goes awry, it can have severe consequences later in development, for instance, leading to abnormal [more…]

Bisulfite Sequencing used to sequence great tit's methylome in epigenetic study

Bisulfite Sequencing Reveals the Evolution of a Popular Songbird’s Memory and Learning

February 9, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

The genome and methylome of a popular songbird, Parus major, or more commonly called the great tit, has just been revealed. Researchers have long awaited this data and can now use these findings to learn more about how one the field’s favorite songbirds has adapted to the changing world. Using bisulfite conversion followed by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, the results indicate that the chemical marks above the DNA sequence that influence gene expression – known as epigenetic modifications – play an [more…]

Dnmt3a epigenetic protein cuold reduce anxiety improve memory

DNA Methyltransferase (DNMT) Could Help Boost Memory and Reduce Anxiety

February 2, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Imagine if increasing a certain type of epigenetic enzyme could ease anxiety or cure post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by simply erasing troubling memories? What if it could also enhance cognitive abilities and improve long-term memory and learning? In previous blog articles, researchers found that an immune-suppressing drug that inhibits HDACs could stop aversive memories and the epigenetic mechanism known as histone acetylation might play a role in memory plasticity. Although we are far from developing epigenetic therapies to erase traumatic [more…]

Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) and Histone Acetyltransferase (HAT) Inhibitors Reprogram Social Behavior in Carpenter Worker Ants

HDAC and HAT Inhibitors Reprogram Social Behavior in Carpenter Ants

January 26, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Florida carpenter ants, or Camponotus floridanus, are social creatures that can develop into one of two distinct castes of workers – majors or minors. These two types of worker ants display specific differences in foraging and scouting behavior for their entire lives. However, a group of researchers conducted a study at the University of Pennsylvania and discovered that these castes can actually be epigenetically reprogrammed via histone acetylation with the help of epigenetic inhibitors. Surprisingly, the ant’s genetic makeup didn’t [more…]

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and Histone Modifications in Planarian Stem Cell Differentiation

ChIP Reveals Unexpected Insight into Flatworm Tissue Regeneration and Histone Modifications

January 19, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Planaria, or flatworms, are often used as a model organism to investigate the fascinating process of how tissues and organs can regenerate. The flatworm has numerous stem cells called neoblasts and, when it’s injured, this intriguing creature can actually restore its own body parts. Researchers conducted the study at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in the lab of Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. In two related studies, they examined stem cell differentiation and the [more…]

Epigenetic Modification DA Hydroxymethylation (5-hmC) Impact EBV Virus Gene Expression

DNA Hydroxymethylation Regulates Gene Expression of Cancer-Causing Epstein-Barr Virus

January 12, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is one of the most common human viruses found all over the world. It spreads via bodily fluids, especially saliva, and causes what many may be familiar with – infectious mononucleosis, or mono. This virus, when in its latent form in humans, can also lead to cancer of the upper-throat, or nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that an epigenetic mechanism known as DNA hydroxymethylation can alter the virus’s DNA and impact [more…]

Herpes Simplex Virus is Impacted by Histone Modifications Methylation and Phosphorylation

Histone Modifications Reveal Surprising Clues to Herpes Simplex Virus Reactivation

January 5, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

If you’ve ever had a cold sore – you know those pesky, unsightly blisters that pop up on your lip right before an interview or a first date – you may have herpes. But, wait, the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is probably not as bad as you think and it’s very common. There are actually two different types. Type 1 is associated with oral herpes, which is the virus most likely causing the cold sores, whereas type 2 is associated with [more…]

HDAC inhibitors reduces kidney damage from cancer chemotherapy drug

HDAC Inhibitors Reduce Kidney Damage Caused by Cancer Therapy

December 29, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

The chemotherapy drug cisplatin has been successful in combating aggressive cancers, including neck and head, lung, and ovarian cancers, for nearly 40 years. However, many patients suffer from kidney damage as a result of the drug and there is currently no therapy available for treating or preventing cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Researchers have found that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can improve the kidneys in the presence of the cancer drug by eliminating 80 to 90 percent of kidney toxicity. They published their [more…]

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