Search results for "Epigenetics"
showing 10 items of 517 documents
FinnTwin12 Cohort: An Updated Review
2019
AbstractThis review offers an update on research conducted with FinnTwin12 (FT12), the youngest of the three Finnish Twin Cohorts. FT12 was designed as a two-stage study. In the first stage, we conducted multiwave questionnaire research enrolling all eligible twins born in Finland during 1983–1987 along with their biological parents. In stage 2, we intensively studied a subset of these twins with in-school assessments at age 12 and semistructured poly-diagnostic interviews at age 14. At baseline, parents of intensively studied twins were administered the adult version of the interview. Laboratory studies with repeat interviews, neuropsychological tests, and collection of DNA were made of in…
Global and gene-specific histone modification profiles of mouse multipotent adult germline stem cells
2010
We previously reported the generation of multipotent adult germline stem cells (maGSCs) from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) isolated from adult mouse testis. In a later study, we substantiated the pluripotency of maGSCs by demonstrating their close similarity to pluripotent male embryonic stem cells (ESCs) at the epigenetic level of global and gene-specific DNA methylation. Here, we extended the comparative epigenetic analysis of maGSCs and male ESCs by investigating the second main epigenetic modification in mammals, i.e. global and gene-specific modifications of histones (H3K4 trimethylation, H3K9 acetylation, H3K9 trimethylation and H3K27 trimethylation). Using immunofluorescence stain…
Stage-specific chromosomal association of Drosophila dMBD2/3 during genome activation.
2002
The Drosophila gene dMBD2/3 encodes a protein with significant homologies to the mammalian methyl-DNA binding proteins MBD2 and MBD3. These proteins are essential components of chromatin complexes involved in epigenetic gene regulation. Because the available in vitro data on dMBD2/3 are conflicting we have started an in vivo characterization of dMBD2/3. We detected expression of two isoforms specifically during embryonic development. Staining of whole embryos combined with high-resolution confocal microscopy revealed a highly regulated spatial distribution. During the syncytial blastoderm stage, dMBD2/3 formed speckles that localized to the cytoplasm. Shortly after, during the cellular blas…
PBDEs affect inflammatory and oncosuppressive mechanisms via the EZH2 methyltransferase in airway epithelial cells
2021
Abstract Aims We aimed to investigate the effect of PBDEs (47, 99, 209) on cellular events involved in epigenetic modification, inflammation, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Materials and methods We studied: 1) ERK1/2 phosphorylation; 2) Enhancer of Zester Homolog 2 (EZH2); 3) Histone H3 tri-methylated in lysine 27 (H3K27me3); 4) K-RAS; 5) silencing disabled homolog 2-interacting protein gene (DAB2IP), 6) let-7a; 7) Muc5AC/Muc5B, and 8) IL-8 in a 3D in vitro model of epithelium obtained with primary Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial cells (pNHBEs) or A549 cell line, chronically exposed to PBDEs (47, 99, 209). Key findings PBDEs (10 nM, 100 nM and 1 μM) increased ERK1/2 phosphor…
The Choice of the Filtering Method in Microarrays Affects the Inference Regarding Dosage Compensation of the Active X-Chromosome
2011
BackgroundThe hypothesis of dosage compensation of genes of the X chromosome, supported by previous microarray studies, was recently challenged by RNA-sequencing data. It was suggested that microarray studies were biased toward an over-estimation of X-linked expression levels as a consequence of the filtering of genes below the detection threshold of microarrays.Methodology/principal findingsTo investigate this hypothesis, we used microarray expression data from circulating monocytes in 1,467 individuals. In total, 25,349 and 1,156 probes were unambiguously assigned to autosomes and the X chromosome, respectively. Globally, there was a clear shift of X-linked expressions toward lower levels…
Stage-specific germ-cell marker genes are expressed in all mouse pluripotent cell types and emerge early during induced pluripotency.
2011
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) generated from the in-vitro culture of blastocyst stage embryos are known as equivalent to blastocyst inner cell mass (ICM) in-vivo. Though several reports have shown the expression of germ cell/pre-meiotic (GC/PrM) markers in ESCs, their functional relevance for the pluripotency and germ line commitment are largely unknown. In the present study, we used mouse as a model system and systematically analyzed the RNA and protein expression of GC/PrM markers in ESCs and found them to be comparable to the expression of cultured pluripotent cells originated from the germ line. Further, siRNA knockdown experiments have demonstrated the parallel maintenance and independen…
Differences in DNA Methylation Patterns and Expression of the CCRK Gene in Human and Nonhuman Primate Cortices
2009
Changes in DNA methylation patterns during embryo development and differentiation processes are linked to the transcriptional plasticity of our genome. However, little is known about the evolutionary conservation of DNA methylation patterns and the evolutionary impact of epigenetic differences between closely related species. Here we compared the methylation patterns of CpG islands (CGIs) in the promoter regions of seven genes in humans and chimpanzees. We identified a block of CpGs in the cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) gene that is more methylated in the adult human cortex than in the chimpanzee cortex and, in addition, it exhibits considerable intraspecific variation both in humans and …
Immunopositivity for histone macroH2A1 isoforms marks steatosisassociated hepatocellular carcinoma.
2012
BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Prevention and risk reduction are important and the identification of specific biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC represents an active field of research. Increasing evidence indicates that fat accumulation in the liver, defined as hepatosteatosis, is an independent and strong risk factor for developing an HCC. MacroH2A1, a histone protein generally associated with the repressed regions of chromosomes, is involved in hepatic lipid metabolism and is present in two alternative spliced isoforms, macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2. These isoforms have been shown to predict lung and colon cancer recurrence but to ou…
Arsenic exposure and human blood DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation profiles in two diverse populations from Bangladesh and Spain.
2021
Abstract Background Associations of arsenic (As) with the sum of 5-mC and 5-hmC levels have been reported; however, As exposure-related differences of the separated 5-mC and 5-hmC markers have rarely been studied. Methods In this study, we evaluated the association of arsenic exposure biomarkers and 5-mC and 5-hmC in 30 healthy men (43–55 years) from the Aragon Workers Health Study (AWHS) (Spain) and 31 healthy men (31–50 years) from the Folic Acid and Creatinine Trial (FACT) (Bangladesh). We conducted 5-mC and 5-hmC profiling using Infinium MethylationEPIC arrays, on paired standard and modified (ox-BS in AWHS and TAB in FACT) bisulfite converted blood DNA samples. Results The median for t…
Sequence-based bioinformatic prediction and QUASEP identify genomic imprinting of the KCNK9 potassium channel gene in mouse and human
2007
Genomic imprinting is the epigenetic marking of gene subsets resulting in monoallelic or predominant expression of one of the two parental alleles according to their parental origin. We describe the systematic experimental verification of a prioritized 16 candidate imprinted gene set predicted by sequence-based bioinformatic analyses. We used Quantification of Allele-Specific Expression by Pyrosequencing (QUASEP) and discovered maternal-specific imprinted expression of the Kcnk9 gene as well as strain-dependent preferential expression of the Rarres1 gene in E11.5 (C57BL/6 3 Cast/Ei)F1 and informative (C57BL/6 3 Cast/ Ei) 3 C57BL/6 backcross mouse embryos. For the remaining 14 candidate impr…