Contact Us
E: science@ulster.ac.uk
T: +44(0)28 7032 4159
Transcriptional Regulation and Epigenetics
Human Molecular Genetics
Topics taught on this module include:
Epigenetics and Chromatin
Epigenetics can be defined as "Any heritable influence on gene activity that does not involve a change in DNA sequence" (Alan Wolffe, 1999). This covers a broad range of mechanisms for controlling gene expression.
More recently, epigenetics has come to refer primarily to DNA methylation and chromatin modification, both of which affect gene transcription. DNA methylation and some types of chromatin structure (such as the inactive X chromosome) can be passed on during each cell division. A gene or chromosome which is epigenetically inactivated in one cell in the early embryo can therefore stay inactive in all daughter cells which arise from that progenitor.
Additional reading:
Papers:
Jenuwein T and Allis CD (2001) Translating the histone code Science 293: 1074
Bird A DNA methylation patterns and epigenetic memory (2002) Genes & Development 16:6
Pauler FM and Barlow DP (2006) Imprinting mechanisms Genes & Dev 20: 1203
de la Serna IL et al (2006) Chromatin remodeling... Nature Reviews Genetics 7:461
Books available in library:
Genes VIII Benjamin Lewin Chpt.23 (all) and Chpt 21.19
Molecular Biology of the Gene (5th edn) Watson et al Chpt 7 151-179; Chpt 17 556-562
Strachan, T and Read, A.P Human Mol. Genet (3rd Edn) Chpt 10.4 -10.5; Box 16.6
DNA methylation : basics mechanisms W. Doerfler and P. Böhm, eds (2006)
Genomic Imprinting: Causes and Consequences Ohlsson et al Eds, (1995)
On the web:
Strachan and Read’s Human Molecular Genetics 2 on NIH Bookshelf:
Imprinting (Section 8.5.3 onwards)
GeneReviews from NIH on various childhood disease syndromes with a strong epigenetic component:
The Epigenome website also has a very comprehensive list of other sites for chromatin and imprinting
Trangenic animals
Material covered includes the generation and use of transgenic animals. See the associated page for further information and links.