Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kei Fukuda, Takeshi Shimi, Chikako Shimura, Takao Ono, Takehiro Suzuki, Kenta Onoue, Satoko Okayama, Hisashi Miura, Ichiro Hiratani, Kazuho Ikeda, Yasushi Okada, Naoshi Dohmae, Shigenobu Yonemura, Azusa Inoue, Hiroshi Kimura, Yoichi Shinkai
Summary: Heterochromatin, a critical architectural feature of eukaryotic chromosomes, plays crucial roles in cell type-specific gene expression and genome stability. The spatial organization of heterochromatin is poorly understood, and this study investigates the role of H3K9 and H3K27 methylation in heterochromatin organization. The findings demonstrate that the loss of H3K9 methylation leads to the redistribution of H3K27me3 and impaired condensation and spatial organization of heterochromatin in mammalian cells.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Darren J. J. Burgess
Summary: A new study in Cell has used epigenome engineering to pass on DNA methylation states and metabolic traits across generations in mice.
NATURE REVIEWS GENETICS
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jana Svorcova
Summary: In recent years, increasing evidence suggests the non-genetic heredity of the effects of separation from parents, life-threatening events, and other traumatising experiences. This heredity is mediated by epigenetic regulations and can be transmitted over generations. The reviewed studies on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) and intergenerational studies on trauma or stressful experiences reveal universal changes initiated by stress exposure at various levels of organization. Understanding these processes can help elucidate the evolutionary pathways of diseases and disorders associated with trauma exposure.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Maria Florencia Rossetti, Guillermina Canesini, Virginia Lorenz, Maria Mercedes Milesi, Jorgelina Varayoud, Jorge Guillermo Ramos
Summary: Glyphosate and its metabolites can induce epigenetic changes in humans and rodents, affecting global DNA methylation, gene-specific methylation, histone modification, and differential expression of non-coding RNAs. These changes may have heritable implications and could lead to disease long after exposure has ceased.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Biomedical
Ryan Stowers, Ovijit Chaudhuri
Summary: The DNA methylation of the oncogenic Yes-associated protein is reversibly regulated by the stiffness of the extracellular matrix.
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Toxicology
Satheeswaran Balasubramanian, Ekambaram Perumal
Summary: Fluoride, a global groundwater contaminant, has been found to have both positive and negative effects on biological systems. This systematic review focuses on the epigenetic regulation of fluoride toxicity and summarizes current knowledge from in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies. Preliminary evidence suggests a correlation between fluoride exposure and epigenetic processes, highlighting the need for further research on the mechanisms of epigenetic alterations induced by fluoride toxicity.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Velimir Mladenov, Vasileios Fotopoulos, Eirini Kaiserli, Erna Karalija, Stephane Maury, Miroslav Baranek, Naama Segal, Pilar S. Testillano, Valya Vassileva, Gloria Pinto, Manuela Nagel, Hans Hoenicka, Dragana Miladinovic, Philippe Gallusci, Chiara Vergata, Aliki Kapazoglou, Eleni Abraham, Eleni Tani, Maria Gerakari, Efi Sarri, Evaggelia Avramidou, Mateo Gasparovic, Federico Martinelli
Summary: The review discusses the general aspects of plant responses to environmental stresses and the role of transgenerational epigenetic modifications in crops, as well as introduces the goals of EPI-CATCH, an international consortium aiming to standardize the study of epigenetic mechanisms in plants and enhance knowledge dissemination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Muthusamy Ramakrishnan, Zhijun Zhang, Sileesh Mullasseri, Ruslan Kalendar, Zishan Ahmad, Anket Sharma, Guohua Liu, Mingbing Zhou, Qiang Wei
Summary: Understanding the stress memory of plants under extreme temperatures can contribute to plant development. Plants use different types of stress memories regulated by epigenetic changes, playing a key role in gene regulation from early development to maturity. Some of the modifications can be passed on to offspring, while others are reactivated during reproduction. However, the mechanisms of stress memory inheritance and the integrated view of regulatory mechanisms in plants are still lacking.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Erina Sugita, Kaori Hayashi, Akihito Hishikawa, Hiroshi Itoh
Summary: Epigenetic alterations in podocytes are associated with chronic kidney disease, including diabetic nephropathy. Detection of these changes may serve as a promising strategy for estimating kidney damage and prognosis. Targeting epigenetic podocyte changes and associated DNA damage could be a novel therapeutic approach for preventing progression to end-stage renal disease in diabetic nephropathy patients.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Qi Chen
Summary: Emerging evidence suggests that mammalian sperm carry various types of RNAs that can respond to the paternal environment and mediate the transmission of specific phenotypes to offspring. This offers the potential for programming offspring characteristics during embryonic development. The study also discusses the challenges and opportunities in understanding the mechanisms of sperm RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance and the potential applications in improving animal production and human health.
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marcin Samiec, Maria Skrzyszowska
Summary: The effectiveness of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in mammals is hindered by low rates of cloned embryos, fetuses, and progeny. These rates are influenced by the technique used for nuclear-transferred oocytes reconstruction and the ability of donor nuclei to be epigenetically reprogrammed. The epigenetic reprogrammability of donor nuclei in SCNT-derived embryos can be biased by cytoplasmic inheritance of mitochondrial DNA and impacted by impaired epigenetic rearrangements within telomeres.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Andrea Shang, Kasia M. Bieszczad
Summary: Neuroepigenetics has revealed the significance of chromatin modification in bridging experience and brain function. Histone acetylation and DNA methylation, as epigenetic mechanisms, regulate gene expression in the brain, facilitating the transformation of experiences into long-term memories. Evidence from sensory models of memory suggests that epigenetic regulation of activity-dependent transcription plays a crucial role in precise memory recall. Chromatin modifications are key for long-term recapitulation of transient sensory cue features. The control of sensory system neuroplasticity by epigenetics is vital in regulating the amount and type of sensory information retained in long-term memories by influencing neural representations of behaviorally relevant cues, making it of broad importance in the field of neuroscience.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Craig T. Werner, Rachel D. Altshuler, Yavin Shaham, Xuan Li
Summary: A growing body of evidence over the past 15 years implicates epigenetic mechanisms in the behavioral effects of addictive drugs, focusing on psychomotor sensitization and drug reinforcement. Studies have shown long-lasting changes in epigenetic enzymes and molecules after prolonged abstinence, inspiring further research on relapse mechanisms.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Donald W. Kufe
Summary: The MUC1-C protein plays a role in promoting inflammatory adaptation in mammals and affects stem cells and immune cells in barrier tissues. However, prolonged activation of MUC1-C in chronic inflammation can lead to adverse effects and promote cancer. Aberrant expression of MUC1 has been found in various tumors, indicating its involvement in infection and environmental stress.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fumiaki Tanemoto, Masaomi Nangaku, Imari Mimura
Summary: Cells have the ability to retain and transmit epigenetic marks, known as epigenetic memory, which can affect gene expression patterns. In kidney diseases, the memory of acute kidney injury (AKI) can lead to the progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Studies have shown that this memory can contribute to disease progression by altering the regulation of gene expression. Additionally, there is a type of memory called priming memory, which enhances the response to a second stimulus and contributes to the transition from AKI to CKD.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)