Epigenetics: Core misconcept

Epigenetics: core misconcept.

Indeed understanding this problem has been an overarching goal of research in molecular, developmental, and, increasingly, evolutionary biology. And over the past 50 years a compelling answer has emerged from studies in a wide array of organisms. Curiously, the article ignores this body of knowledge, and substitutes for it misguided musings presented as facts. Let me begin with a very brief ove...

Epigenetics

By the time the reader reaches Chapter 20, which focuses specifically on cancer, the mechanisms and symptoms of cancer are relatively easy to understand. Chapter 20 covers topics such as the cellular phenotypes of cancer, genes linked to cancer, and cancer treatment. While the primary literature citations at the end of the chapter will provide good starting points for the curious student, a mor...

Epigenetics

In this issue we focus on the topic of Epigenetics, the study of heritable phenotypic traits not encoded by the genetic sequence. While every cell in your body has a copy of your genetic code in the form of DNA, many of the unique features between different cell types and between different individuals arise from unique patterns of gene expression. In recent decades, it has become increasingly c...

Epigenetics

Emerging evidence is shedding light on a large and complex network of epigenetic modifications at play in human stem cells. This "epigenetic landscape" governs the fine-tuning and precision of gene expression programs that define the molecular basis of stem cell pluripotency, differentiation and reprogramming. This review will focus on recent progress in our understanding of the processes that ...

The Prospects of Epigenetics in Neuroscience