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DNA methylation and bisulfite conversion affect oil palm fruit production

DNA Methylation and ‘Bad Karma’ To Blame for Oil Palm Trees’ Useless Fruit

September 22, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

“Bad karma” and epigenetics are to blame for the spoiling of tens of thousands of young oil palms grown at large plantations in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, according to a group of researchers at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Not only have millions of dollars been wasted on these plants, also known as African oil palm or Elaeis guineensis, but the tropical environment has suffered as a result of some faulty epigenetic machinery. Researchers utilized bisulfite conversion and microarrays to [more…]

Short-Term Sleep Loss Alters DNA Methylation of Clock Genes

September 15, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Sleep is crucial to our well-being and helps in the process of learning and memory formation. Without proper sleep we can feel moody, irritable, and have difficulty solving problems. We can even be less creative when we don’t get enough sleep. Now, research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism is showing us that just one night of poor sleep can lead to epigenetic changes to our DNA, specifically to our “clock genes” which control our circadian clock. [more…]

Histone Modifications could Reverse Aging

Histone Modifications and Epigenetic Regulation Could Hold the Key to Reversing Aging

September 8, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Epigenetics has numerous connections to the process of aging, research hinting at the association between longevity and factors such as transcriptome length and DNA methylation patterns. Clearly, understanding the molecular controls of aging proves to be an intriguing endeavor as we try to interpret the clues of how we might slow down and perhaps even reverse aging. Although research has a long way to go before we can expect anything akin to a fountain of youth, studies are offering new [more…]

Diabetes and Mitochondrial DNA Methylation

Mitochondrial DNA Methylation Gives Clues to Insulin Response in Pre-Diabetics

September 1, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

What if those who are resistant to insulin but don’t have diabetes could help prevent themselves and others from developing the disease? Researchers from Virginia Tech have discovered a biomarker in those who are pre-diabetic that could prevent them and potentially others from getting type 2 diabetes. The researchers uncovered that pre-diabetics, or people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, who do not respond to insulin had altered DNA in their mitochondria and had an increased [more…]

5-hmC DNA Hydroxymethylation Affects Retinal Development

Epigenetics in the Eye of the Beholder: DNA Hydroxymethylation Affects Retinal Development

August 25, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Something we may take for granted is how effortless it is for us to see, to experience the world around us without a second thought. But vision is an incredibly complex process that comes with a complicated functional network involving the generation, positioning, and synaptic wiring of neurons. Consisting of unique nerve cells constructed during early development, these neuronal circuits are typically created within the first week the eye is directly exposed to light. At this time, differentiation of neuronal [more…]

DNA Methyltransferase (DNMT) Control the Brain’s ‘Gender’?

Does DNA Methyltransferase Control the Brain’s ‘Gender’?

August 18, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Did you know that most animals’ brains develop to be either female or male? Certain portions are different sizes and the amount of neurons and synaptic connections vary. These structural differences likely explain why women and men generally differ in terms of language abilities, navigational skills, and response to emotional situations. While the sexualization of the brain happens prenatally, scientists are still wondering how exactly this differentiation happens. A study conducted by a research team at UM SOM, the University [more…]

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Study Uncovers Stem Cells' Ability to Form into Pancreatic Cells and Not Liver Cells

New Function of ‘Master Regulator’ in Pancreatic Cell Formation Uncovered in Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Study

August 11, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Can a gene direct embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to develop into one organ, while also serving to prevent it from becoming another? Researchers at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore used a technique known as chromatin immunoprecipitation to demonstrate this occurrence. They found that one particular human gene directs ESCs to develop into a pancreas but also, at the same time, it acts as a repressor by preventing the stem cells from turning into liver cells. [more…]

Chromatin immunoprecipitation hints that HDACi drug could slow cancer growth

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Study Supports HDAC Inhibitor as Possible Lung Cancer Treatment

July 28, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

A person’s genetic code can contribute to their risk for developing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for about 85% of lung cancers. Epigenetics, the study of chemical tags that impact gene expression without altering the genetic sequence, is shown to also profoundly influence the development of cancer. In a study by Asan Medical Center researchers from The University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Korea, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-on-chip assays and other techniques were used to investigate the epigenetic [more…]

New Research Sheds Light on the Epigenetics of Common Variable Immunodeficiency

July 21, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

For the very first time, epigenetic alterations have been linked to common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), the most commonly diagnosed primary immunodeficiency that leads to a decrease in antibodies and an increase in developing an infection. Scientists at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and La Paz Hospital (IDIPAZ) in Spain looked at monozygotic twins and measured epigenetic differences, specifically DNA methylation levels, between one twin with CVID and the other without the disease. The group of researchers, directed by Dr. [more…]

Histone Demethylation Plays a Role in Turning Stem Cells into Blood Vessel Cells

July 7, 2015 Bailey Kirkpatrick

How stem cells become specific cell types is an intricate process, yet understanding the mechanisms that trigger this process may well prove to be beneficial for use in repairing and regenerating tissue. In a recent study, scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago investigated the molecular mechanism, histone demethylation, and how it plays an essential role in mediating the conversion of stem cells into mature endothelial cells, which then produce blood vessels. Their findings, recently published in Stem Cell [more…]

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