Epigenetic gene silencing by Runx proteins

Differential Requirements for Runx Proteins in CD4 Repression and Epigenetic Silencing during T Lymphocyte Development

T lymphocytes differentiate in discrete stages within the thymus. Immature thymocytes lacking CD4 and CD8 coreceptors differentiate into double-positive cells (CD4(+)CD8(+)), which are selected to become either CD4(+)CD8(-)helper cells or CD4(-)CD8(+) cytotoxic cells. A stage-specific transcriptional silencer regulates expression of CD4 in both immature and CD4(-)CD8(+) thymocytes. We show here...

Epigenetic gene silencing in cancer.

Nickel and Epigenetic Gene Silencing

Insoluble nickel compounds are well-established human carcinogens. Occupational exposure to these compounds leads to increased incidence of lung and nasal cancer in nickel refinery workers. Apart from its weak mutagenic activity and hypoxia mimicking effect there is mounting experimental evidence indicating that epigenetic alteration plays an important role in nickel-induced carcinogenesis. Mul...

Tomato and Tobacco Phytoene Desaturase Gene Silencing by Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) Technique

Background and Aims: Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) is a virus vector technology that exploits antiviral defense mechanism. By infecting plants with recombinant viruses containing host genes inserted in the viral genome, VIGS achieves the RNA silencing process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and tobacco (Nicotiana be...

Epigenetic phenomena: Epigenetic phenomena: Paramutation and gene silencing in plants

Gene silencing is a widespread phenomenon in plants, and can affect endogenous genes as well as transgenes integrated into the genome [1,2]. Gene silencing can be induced by interactions between related genes, and one of the best-known examples is named paramutation. Paramutation is the directed heritable alteration of one allele following exposure to another allele in a heterozygote [3]. Examp...