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Understanding mental illness through gene-environment interactions
March 17, 2009Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, is very pleased to present a special section of its February 1st issue devoted to fundamental new insights into epigenetics, a field of research devoted to understanding how the environment can produce long-lasting or even heritable changes in gene function without altering the DNA sequence.
The study of epigenetics in psychiatry promises several key advances, as noted by Eric J. Nestler, M.D., Ph.D., a Deputy Editor for Biological Psychiatry and an expert in this field. First, it enables, for the first time, direct study of mechanisms controlling transcription, the process of expressing the genetic information coded within DNA, in the brains of behaving animals as well as in brain tissue from humans studied at autopsy. Second, some epigenetic changes in the brain are likely to be extremely long-lived, and thereby represent potential mechanisms by which life events, or psychotropic drugs or even psychotherapy, can produce stable, long-lasting changes in behavior. Third, epigenetics can be viewed as a third general type of mechanism, in addition to genetic and environmental factors, that contributes to an individual's unique vulnerability or resistance to a psychiatric disturbance. Dr. Nestler adds that, "for example, epigenetic changes, including those that occur randomly during the highly complex process of brain development, could help explain the high discordance rates between monozygotic twins seen for many psychiatric syndromes, the chronic relapsing nature of these syndromes, and the striking differences in prevalence for several psychiatric illnesses observed between men vs. women."
In all, these epigenetics papers provide fundamental new insights into the complex issues of gene-environment interactions and will aid future work that attempts to advance our understanding of mental illness.
Elsevier
Epigenetics Current Events and Epigenetics News RSSEvolutionarily preserved mechanism governs use of genes
Researchers at Uppsala University have found that the protein coding parts of a gene are packed in special nucleosomes. The same type of packaging is found in the roundworm C elegans, which is a primeval relative of humans.
Scientists Take Early Steps Toward Mapping Epigenetic Variability
The study of eipigenetic variability in cells and tissues could someday help diagnose diseases more precisely and provide more targeted treatments for chronic ailments.
Silenced genes as a warning sign of blood cancer
In many types of cancer, parts of the genetic material of tumor cells are switched off by chemical labels called methyl groups. This kind of methyl labeling ranges among the epigenetic changes that do not change the sequence of DNA building blocks.
Cancer's distinctive pattern of gene expression could aid early screening and prevention
Distinctive patterns of genes turned off - or left on - in healthy versus cancerous cells could enable early screening for many common cancers and maybe help avoid them, Medical College of Georgia scientists say.
New Piece Found in the Puzzle of Epigenetics
A team of scientists led by Professor Dirk Eick of Helmholtz Zentrum München has identified the enzyme TFIIH kinase as an important factor in the epigenetic regulation of the cell nucleus enzyme RNA polymerase II.
100 reasons to change the way we think about genetics
For years, genes have been considered the one and only way biological traits could be passed down through generations of organisms.
New Method Developed by UC San Diego Bioengineers Gives Regenerative Medicine a Boost
Bioengineers at UC San Diego have developed a breakthrough method for sequencing-based methylation profiling, which could help fuel personalized regenerative medicine and even lead to more efficient and cost-effective methods for studying certain diseases.
New nucleotide could revolutionize epigenetics
Anyone who studied a little genetics in high school has heard of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine -- the A,T,G and C that make up the DNA code.
The new 'epigenetics:' Poor nutrition in the womb causes permanent genetic changes in the offspring
The new science of epigenetics explains how genes can be modified by the environment, and a prime result of epigenetic inquiry has just been published online in The FASEB Journal: You are what your mother did not eat during pregnancy.
Einstein scientists propose new theory of autism
Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.
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Epigenetics by C. David Allis (Author), Thomas Jenuwein (Author), Danny Reinberg (Author), Marie-Laure Caparros (Author) The regulation of gene expression in many biological processes involves epigenetic mechanisms. In this new volume, 24 chapters written by experts in the field discuss epigenetic effects from many perspectives. There are chapters on the basic molecular mechanisms underpinning epigenetic regulation, discussion of cellular processes that rely on this kind of regulation, and surveys of organisms in which it has been most studied. Thus, there are chapters on histone and DNA methylation, siRNAs and gene silencing; X-chromosome inactivation, dosage compensation and imprinting; and discussion of epigenetics in microbes, plants, insects, and mammals. The last part of the book looks at how epigenetic mechanisms act in cell division and differentiation, and how errors in these pathways contribute... |
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The Genie in Your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention by Dawson Church (Author) Voted Best Health Book, USA Booknews National Awards. Your genes don't control your health or happiness outcomes; in fact many of the choices you make turn genes on or off. Author Dawson Church applies the insights of the new field of Epigenetics (epi=above, i.e. control above the level of the gene) to healing. Citing 417 scientific studies, he shows how consciousness - in the form of beliefs, altruism, optimism, meditation, emotions, and energy psychology methods like EFT - can trigger the expression of DNA strands. He focuses on a class of genes called Immediate Early Genes or IEGs. These genes turn on within a few seconds of a stimulus. They can be triggered by thoughts or emotions ("I loved that unexpected gift of roses Bill gave me" or "I'm so mad about what Uncle John said at... |
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Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life (Life and Mind: Philosophical Issues in Biology and Psychology) by Eva Jablonka (Author), Marion J. Lamb (Author) Ideas about heredity and evolution are undergoing a revolutionary change. New findings in molecular biology challenge the gene-centered version of Darwinian theory according to which adaptation occurs only through natural selection of chance DNA variations. In Evolution in Four Dimensions, Eva Jablonka and Marion Lamb argue that there is more to heredity than genes. They trace four "dimensions" in evolution—four inheritance systems that play a role in evolution: genetic, epigenetic (or non-DNA cellular transmission of traits), behavioral, and symbolic (transmission through language and other forms of symbolic communication). These systems, they argue, can all provide variations on which natural selection can act. Evolution in Four Dimensions offers a richer, more complex view of... |
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Epigenetics by Jorg Tost (Author) |
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Epigenetic Principles of Evolution by Nelson R. Cabej (Author) Epigenetic Principles of Evolution is a postgenetic treatment of the problem of metazoan evolution. It presents a radically novel epigenetic theory of evolution describing epigenetic mechanisms of evolutionary changes as they arise in the process of individual development. In seven chapters of Part 1 (Epigenetic Basis of Metazoan Heredity, pp. 21-216) the author introduces the reader to the epigenetic system of heredity - a function of the integrated control system. Cabej describes the dominant role of the epigenetic system of heredity in the processes of reproductive functions (chapter 3), in gametogenesis and in the process of the deposition of parental cytoplasmic factors (=epigenetic information) in gametes (chapter 4). In chapter 5 the author shows how the epigenetic information... |
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Epigenetics Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology) by Trygve O. Tollefsbol (Editor) A collection of state-of-the-art methods for epigenetic analysis, including recent breakthrough techniques that have great potential in the rapidly expanding field of non-Mendelian genetics. The authors provide techniques for the analysis of chromatin remodeling, such as histone acetylation and methylation. In addition, methods in newly developed and especially promising areas of epigenetics, such as telomere position effects, quantitative epigenetics, and ADP ribosylation are covered. There is also an updated analysis of techniques involving DNA methylation and its role in the modification, as well as the maintenance, of chromatin structure. Of special interest are potentially revolutionary techniques. These include methods for determining changes in native chromatin, methods of... |
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Nutrients and Epigenetics by Sang-Woon Choi (Author), Simonetta Friso (Author) Explores the Newly Discovered Link Between Nutrition and Epigenetics Current research suggests that nutrients are more than just food components and that certain nutrients can impact the expression of genes that lead to the development of chronic diseases. With contributions from experts in both fields, Nutrients and Epigenetics examines the epigenetic phenomena and the fascinating implications of diet on this largely uncharted field. Generously laden with tables and illustrations, many in color, this book addresses how nutrients alter physiologic and pathologic processes in the human body through epigenetic changes without affecting the DNA sequence. It also explains the detailed molecular structures of epigenetic phenomena and closely examines the... |
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Epigenomics by Anne C. Ferguson-Smith (Editor), John M. Greally (Editor), Rob A. Martienssen (Editor) Epigenetic modifications act on DNA and its packaging proteins, the histones, to regulate genome function. Manifest as the heritable methylation of DNA and as post-translational histone modifications, these molecular flags influence the architecture and integrity of the chromosome, the accessibility of DNA to gene regulatory components and the ability of chromatin to interact within nuclear complexes. While a multicellular individual has only one genome, it has multiple epigenomes reflecting the diversity of cell types and their properties at different times of life; in health and in disease. Relationships are emerging between the underlying DNA sequence and dynamic epigenetic states and their consequences,such as the role of RNA interference and non-coding RNA. These integrated... |
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Epigenetics and Chromatin (Progress in Molecular and Subcellular Biology) by Philippe Jeanteur (Editor) Epigenetics refers to heritable patterns of gene expression which do not depend on alterations of genomic DNA sequence. This book provides a state-of-the-art account of a few selected hot spots by scientists at the edge in this extremely active field. It puts special emphasis on two main streams of research. One is the role of post-translational modifications of proteins, mostly histones, on chromatin structure and accessibility. The other one deals with parental genomic imprinting, a process which allows to express a few selected genes from only one of the parental allele while extinguishing the other. |
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Epigenetics in Biology and Medicine by Manel Esteller (Editor) Anomalous epigenetic patterns touch many areas of study including biomedical, scientific, and industrial. With perspectives from international experts, this resource offers an all-inclusive overview of epigenetics, which bridge DNA information and function by regulating gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetics, in its most basic form, means heredity is not the sole determining factor in disease development. Rather, environmental and dietary factors can trigger a gene to behave in an unintended way, while the gene itself remains unchanged. Epigenetics in Biology and Medicinediscusses cell biology and epigenetics’ role in human, animal, and plant diseases, including distortions in DNA methylation. The text also covers histone modifications, and... |
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