scholarly journals DNA Methylation Pattern as Important Epigenetic Criterion in Cancer

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Ghavifekr Fakhr ◽  
Majid Farshdousti Hagh ◽  
Dariush Shanehbandi ◽  
Behzad Baradaran
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Methylation Pattern ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Causative Factors ◽  
Cancerous Cells ◽  
Structure And Activity ◽  
Epigenetic Pattern ◽  
Epigenetic Processes

Epigenetic modifications can affect the long-term gene expression without any change in nucleotide sequence of the DNA. Epigenetic processes intervene in the cell differentiation, chromatin structure, and activity of genes since the embryonic period. However, disorders in genes’ epigenetic pattern can affect the mechanisms such as cell division, apoptosis, and response to the environmental stimuli which may lead to the incidence of different diseases and cancers. Since epigenetic changes may return to their natural state, they could be used as important targets in the treatment of cancer and similar malignancies. The aim of this review is to assess the epigenetic changes in normal and cancerous cells, the causative factors, and epigenetic therapies and treatments.

Environmental Chemicals and their Effects on Human Physiology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel A. Maruniak
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Human Physiology ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes

Environmental chemicals interact with the normal processes occurring in human bodies in many detrimental ways. Chapter 3 discusses the basic mechanisms by which exposures to environmental chemicals perturb normal homeostasis; interfere with the communication systems that coordinate proper functioning of cells, tissues, and organs; and modify gene expression by inducing epigenetic changes. Environmental chemicals disrupt homeostasis in adults, but fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents, whose homeostatic control systems are continuing to develop, are at the greatest risk for long-term adverse health outcomes due to even brief exposures during vulnerable periods in development.

scholarly journals Epigenetic Regulation and Measurement of Epigenetic Changes

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly E. Stephens ◽  
Christine A. Miaskowski ◽  
Jon D. Levine ◽  
Clive R. Pullinger ◽  
Bradley E. Aouizerat
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Epigenetic Regulation ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Small Noncoding Rna ◽  
Transcript Stability ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Specific Tissue

Epigenetic mechanisms provide an adaptive layer of control in the regulation of gene expression that enables an organism to adjust to a changing environment. Epigenetic regulation increases the functional complexity of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by altering chromatin structure, nuclear organization, and transcript stability. These changes may additively or synergistically influence gene expression and result in long-term molecular and functional consequences independent of the DNA sequence that may ultimately define an individual’s phenotype. This article (1) describes histone modification, DNA methylation, and expression of small noncoding RNA species; (2) reviews the most common methods used to measure these epigenetic changes; and (3) presents factors that need to be considered when choosing a specific tissue to evaluate for epigenetic changes.

Environmental epigenomics: understanding the effects of parental care on the epigenome

2010 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 275-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick O. McGowan ◽  
Moshe Szyf
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Covalent Modification ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Genetic Sequence ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Epigenetic Programming ◽  
Epigenetic Patterns ◽  
Epigenetic Pattern ◽  
Epigenetic Processes

An organism’s behavioural and physiological and social milieu influence and are influenced by the epigenome, which is comprised predominantly of chromatin and the covalent modification of DNA by methylation. Epigenetic patterns are sculpted during development to shape the diversity of gene expression programmes in the organism. In contrast with the genetic sequence, which is determined by inheritance and is virtually identical in all tissues, the epigenetic pattern varies from cell type to cell type and is potentially dynamic throughout life. It is postulated that different environmental exposures could effect epigenetic patterns relevant for human behaviour. Because epigenetic programming defines the state of expression of genes, epigenetic differences could have the same consequences as genetic polymorphisms. Yet in contrast with genetic sequence differences, epigenetic alterations are potentially reversible. In the present chapter, we will discuss evidence that epigenetic processes early in life play a role in defining inter-individual trajectories of behaviour, with implications for mental health in adulthood.

scholarly journals Sugarcane mosaic virus mediated changes in cytosine methylation pattern and differentially transcribed fragments in resistance-contrasting sugarcane genotypes

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241493
Author(s):  
Marcel Fernando da Silva ◽  
Marcos Cesar Gonçalves ◽  
Michael dos Santos Brito ◽  
Cibele Nataliane Medeiros ◽  
Ricardo Harakava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Cytosine Methylation ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Genetic Resistance ◽  
Methylation Pattern ◽  
Resistant Cultivar ◽  
Sugarcane Mosaic Virus ◽  
Epigenetic Changes

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) is the causal agent of sugarcane mosaic disease (SMD) in Brazil; it is mainly controlled by using resistant cultivars. Studies on the changes in sugarcane transcriptome provided the first insights about the molecular basis underlying the genetic resistance to SMD; nonetheless, epigenetic modifications such as cytosine methylation is also informative, considering its roles in gene expression regulation. In our previous study, differentially transcribed fragments (DTFs) were obtained using cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism by comparing mock- and SCMV-inoculated plants from two sugarcane cultivars with contrasting responses to SMD. In this study, the identification of unexplored DTFs was continued while the same leaf samples were used to evaluate SCMV-mediated changes in the cytosine methylation pattern by using methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism. This analysis revealed minor changes in cytosine methylation in response to SCMV infection, but distinct changes between the cultivars with contrasting responses to SMD, with higher hypomethylation events 24 and 72 h post-inoculation in the resistant cultivar. The differentially methylated fragments (DMFs) aligned with transcripts, putative promoters, and genomic regions, with a preponderant distribution within CpG islands. The transcripts found were associated with plant immunity and other stress responses, epigenetic changes, and transposable elements. The DTFs aligned with transcripts assigned to stress responses, epigenetic changes, photosynthesis, lipid transport, and oxidoreductases, in which the transcriptional start site is located in proximity with CpG islands and tandem repeats. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results revealed significant upregulation in the resistant cultivar of aspartyl protease and VQ protein, respectively, selected from DMF and DTF alignments, suggesting their roles in genetic resistance to SMD and supporting the influence of cytosine methylation in gene expression. Thus, we identified new candidate genes for further validation and showed that the changes in cytosine methylation may regulate important mechanisms underlying the genetic resistance to SMD.

scholarly journals The developmental environment, epigenetic biomarkers and long-term health

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Godfrey ◽  
P. M. Costello ◽  
K. A. Lillycrop
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Epigenetic Biomarkers ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Nutritional Environment ◽  
Epigenetic Processes

Evidence from both human and animal studies has shown that the prenatal and early postnatal environments influence susceptibility to chronic disease in later life and suggests that epigenetic processes are an important mechanism by which the environment alters long-term disease risk. Epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNAs, play a central role in regulating gene expression. The epigenome is highly sensitive to environmental factors in early life, such as nutrition, stress, endocrine disruption and pollution, and changes in the epigenome can induce long-term changes in gene expression and phenotype. In this review we focus on how the early life nutritional environment can alter the epigenome leading to an altered susceptibility to disease in later life.

Long term dietary intake of aromatic amino acids are associated with leptin gene expression in adipose tissues of non-diabetic adults

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golaleh Asghari ◽  
Emad Yuzbashian ◽  
Maryam Zarkesh ◽  
Parvin Mirmiran ◽  
Mehdi Hedayati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Aromatic Amino Acids ◽  
Adipose Tissues

Stage 1 Registered Report Manuscript - Transcriptional Correlates of Savings Memory: Is Forgetting Due to Decay or Retrieval Failure?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Calin-Jageman ◽  
Irina Calin-Jageman ◽  
Tania Rosiles ◽  
Melissa Nguyen ◽  
Annette Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Memory Trace ◽  
Aplysia Californica ◽  
Retrieval Failure ◽  
Initial Learning ◽  
Rigorous Test ◽  
Regulated Gene Expression ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Weak Similarity

[[This is a Stage 1 Registered Report manuscript. The project was submitted for review to eNeuro. Upon revision and acceptance, this version of the manuscript was pre-registered on the OSF (9/11/2019, https://osf.io/fqh8j) (but due to an oversight not posted as a preprint until July 2020). A Stage 2 manuscript is now posted as a pre-print (https://psyarxiv.com/h59jv) and is under review at eNeuro. A link to the final Stage 2 manuscript will be added when available.]]There is fundamental debate about the nature of forgetting: some have argued that it represents the decay of the memory trace, others that the memory trace persists but becomes inaccessible due to retrieval failure. These different accounts of forgetting make different predictions about savings memory, the rapid re-learning of seemingly forgotten information. If forgetting is due to decay then savings requires re-encoding and should thus involve the same mechanisms as initial learning. If forgetting is due to retrieval-failure then savings should be mechanistically distinct from encoding. In this registered report we conducted a pre-registered and rigorous test between these accounts of forgetting. Specifically, we used microarray to characterize the transcriptional correlates of a new memory (1 day from training), a forgotten memory (8 days from training), and a savings memory (8 days from training but with a reminder on day 7 to evoke a long-term savings memory) for sensitization in Aplysia californica (n = 8 samples/group). We find that the transcriptional correlates of savings are [highly similar / somewhat similar / unique] relative to new (1-day-old) memories. Specifically, savings memory and a new memory share [X] of [Y] regulated transcripts, show [strong / moderate / weak] similarity in sets of regulated transcripts, and show [r] correlation in regulated gene expression, which is [substantially / somewhat / not at all] stronger than at forgetting. Overall, our results suggest that forgetting represents [decay / retrieval-failure / mixed mechanisms].

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