Global DNA methylation predicts epigenetic reprogramming and transgenerational plasticity in Poa annua L

DNA methylation mediates genetic variation for adaptive transgenerational plasticity.

Environmental stresses experienced by individual parents can influence offspring phenotypes in ways that enhance survival under similar conditions. Although such adaptive transgenerational plasticity is well documented, its transmission mechanisms are generally unknown. One possible mechanism is environmentally induced DNA methylation changes. We tested this hypothesis in the annual plant Polyg...

Global Mapping of DNA Methylation in Mouse Promoters Reveals Epigenetic Reprogramming of Pluripotency Genes

DNA methylation patterns are reprogrammed in primordial germ cells and in preimplantation embryos by demethylation and subsequent de novo methylation. It has been suggested that epigenetic reprogramming may be necessary for the embryonic genome to return to a pluripotent state. We have carried out a genome-wide promoter analysis of DNA methylation in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, embryonic g...

Epigenetic reprogramming of cancer cells via targeted DNA methylation.

An obstacle in the treatment of human diseases such as cancer is the inability to selectively and effectively target historically undruggable targets such as transcription factors. Here, we employ a novel technology using artificial transcription factors (ATFs) to epigenetically target gene expression in cancer cells. We show that site-specific DNA methylation and long-term stable repression of...

Genetic and epigenetic variation in a cosmopolitan grass Poa annua from Antarctic and Polish populations

Poa annua L. is the only non−native vascular plant that was successfully estab− lished in the maritime Antarctic. This project aimed to determine the amount of genetic and epigenetic variation within and between two populations of P. annua, one from South Shet− land Is. (Antarctic) and the other one from Central Europe. We applied two AFLP marker systems, using endonucleases that recognised the...

Gene transcription profiles , global DNA methylation and potential 1 transgenerational epigenetic effects related to Zn exposure history in