Search results for "Epigenetic"
showing 10 items of 632 documents
A Radical Signal Activates the Epigenetic Regulation of Longevity
2013
Hormesis is an adaptive stress response implicated in longevity regulation. Schroeder et al. (2013) have now connected stress, epigenetic changes, and aging in yeast by showing that mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species modulate the chromatin binding capacity of the histone demethylase Rph1p at subtelomeres, resulting in lifespan extension.
Epigenetics, oxidative states and diabetes
2020
Abstract Although controlling a wide range of physiological cell functions, redox states unbalance during inflammation toward oxidative stress. Specific regions of our genome are extremely sensitive to both oxygen and reactive oxygen species, therefore modulating gene transcription in response to this specific epigenetic effect. Additional epigenetic mechanisms may include the alteration of the methylation states of DNA, protein and lipid nitration or modulation of specific microRNAs. A crucial role in finely tuning redox states is also played by mitochondria, where oxidative phosphorylation is epigenetically controlled. Diabetes, the most considerable “epigenetic” clinical disorder, exacer…
Nucleic Acids and Nuclear Proteins
1994
DNA deserves the most attention in any book dealing with molecular variety in animals. The complete genetic information of the organism is encoded in the order of the bases, and with it also is the whole spectrum of genetically determined variation within and between individuals. One can view DNA as a text in which each of the four letters at each position has a unique meaning. Some information and variety is lost en route from the DNA via RNA to the proteins and the complex morphological and physiological characters because only part of the DNA is transcribed into RNA, and not all RNA codes for proteins; furthermore, the genetic code is degenerate and the 64 possible triplet codons define …
Epigenetics and role of glutathione in redox regulation
2012
Role of epigenetic factors in the selection of the alternative splicing isoforms of human
2017
Mutation-driven activation of KRAS is crucial to cancer development. The human gene yields four mRNA splicing isoforms, 4A and 4B being translated to protein. Their different properties and oncogenic potential have been studied, but the mechanisms deciding the ratio 4A/4B are not known. To address this issue, the expression of the four KRAS isoforms was determined in 9 human colorectal cancer cell lines. HCT116 and SW48 were further selected because they present the highest difference in the ratio 4A/4B (twice as much in HCT116 than in SW48). Chromatin structure was analysed at the exon 4A, characteristic of isoform 4A, at its intronic borders and at the two flanking exons. The low nucleoso…
Circular RNAs in Sepsis: Biogenesis, Function, and Clinical Significance
2020
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body responds to an infection that damages it is own tissues. The major problem in sepsis is rapid, vital status deterioration in patients, which can progress to septic shock with multiple organ failure if not properly treated. As there are no specific treatments, early diagnosis is mandatory to reduce high mortality. Despite more than 170 different biomarkers being postulated, early sepsis diagnosis and prognosis remain a challenge for clinicians. Recent findings propose that circular RNAs (circRNAs) may play a prominent role in regulating the patients’ immune system against different pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. Mou…
An Epigenetic Alphabet of Crop Adaptation to Climate Change
2022
Crop adaptation to climate change is in a part attributed to epigenetic mechanisms which are related to response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Although recent studies increased our knowledge on the nature of these mechanisms, epigenetics remains under-investigated and still poorly understood in many, especially non-model, plants, Epigenetic modifications are traditionally divided into two main groups, DNA methylation and histone modifications that lead to chromatin remodeling and the regulation of genome functioning. In this review, we outline the most recent and interesting findings on crop epigenetic responses to the environmental cues that are most relevant to climate change. In additi…
Role for Chromatin Remodeling Factor Chd1 in Learning and Memory
2019
Precise temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in the brain is a prerequisite for cognitive processes such as learning and memory. Epigenetic mechanisms that modulate the chromatin structure have emerged as important regulators in this context. While posttranslational modification of histones or the modification of DNA bases have been examined in detail in many studies, the role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors (ChRFs) in learning- and memory-associated gene regulation has largely remained obscure. Here we present data that implicate the highly conserved chromatin assembly and remodeling factor Chd1 in memory formation and the control of immediate early gene (IEG) r…
Epigenetic involvement in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome: a mini-review.
2013
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare human genetic disease that leads to a severe premature ageing phenotype, caused by mutations in the <i>LMNA</i> gene. The <i>LMNA</i> gene codes for lamin-A and lamin-C proteins, which are structural components of the nuclear lamina. HGPS is usually caused by a de novo <i>C1824T</i> mutation that leads to the accumulation of a dominant negative form of lamin-A called progerin. Progerin also accumulates physiologically in normal ageing cells as a rare splicing form of lamin-A transcripts. From this perspective, HGPS cells seem to be good candidates for the study of the physiological mechanisms of ageing…
Evolution of anticipatory effects mediated by epigenetic changes.
2022
Abstract Anticipatory effects mediated by epigenetic changes occur when parents modify the phenotype of their offspring by making epigenetic changes in their gametes guided by information from an environmental cue. To investigate when do anticipatory effects mediated by epigenetic changes evolve in a fluctuating environment, I use an individual based simulation model with explicit genetic architecture. The model allows for the population to respond to environmental changes by evolving within generation plasticity, bet-hedging, or track the environment with genetic adaptation, in addition to the evolution of anticipatory effects. The results show that anticipatory effects evolve when the env…