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The new 'epigenetics:' Poor nutrition in the womb causes permanent genetic changes in the offspring
April 14, 2009New research study in the FASEB Journal explains how poor maternal nutrition passes health risk across generations
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 (http://www.fasebj.org): You are what your mother did not eat during pregnancy. In the research report, scientists from the University of Utah show that rat fetuses receiving poor nutrition in the womb become genetically primed to be born into an environment lacking proper nutrition. As a result of this genetic adaptation, the rats were likely to grow to smaller sizes than their normal counterparts. At the same time, they were also at higher risk for a host of health problems throughout their lives, such as diabetes, growth retardation, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neurodevelopmental delays, among others. Although the study involved rats, the genes and cellular mechanisms involved are the same as those in humans.
The scientists made this discovery through experiments involving two groups of rats. The first group was normal. The second group had the delivery of nutrients from their mothers' placentas restricted in a way that is equivalent to preeclampsia. The rats were examined right after birth and again at 21 days (21 days is essentially a preadolescent rat) to measure the amount of a protein, called IGF-1, that promotes normal development and growth in rats and humans. They found that the lack of nutrients caused the gene responsible for IGF-1 to significantly reduce the amount of IGF-1 produced in the body before and after birth.
"The new 'epigenetics' has taught us how nature is changed by nurture," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "The jury's in and, yes, expectant moms really are eating for two. This study shows not only that we need to address problems such as preeclampsia during pregnancy, but also that prenatal care is far more important than anyone could have imagined a decade ago."
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
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.
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.
Ali Shilatifard and Colleagues Aim to Clarify the Definition of "Epigenetics"
Ali Shilatifard, Ph.D., Investigator, has joined with a team of colleagues to propose an operational definition of "Epigenetics" - a rapidly growing research field that investigates heritable alterations in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in DNA sequence.
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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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Ghost in Your Genes Starring: Nova Directed By: n/a Identical twins share the same genes and are often startlingly alike. Why, then, should they often meet such different fates one twin developing a serious disease like cancer while the other remains unscathed? In a compelling scientific detective story, The Ghost in Your Genes explores the provocative idea that there may be more to inheritance than genes alone. New clues reveal that a second epigenetic chemical code sits on top of our regular DNA and controls how our genes are expressed, turning them on or off with dramatic consequences for our health. This revolutionary finding has vital implications not only for treating disease but for how we take care of ourselves. While we inherit the epigenome much as we do DNA, it appears to respond far more to our environment and... |
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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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