How epigenetics works (another look) (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, January 26, 2013, 16:51 (4320 days ago) @ David Turell


> David: I've reviewed the site. My own reaction is that Lipton is correct to large degree about epigenetics. -Serendipity at work: new findings of how epigenetics may be inheritable:-"The new Cambridge study initially discovered how the DNA methylation marks are erased in PGCs, a question that has been under intense investigation over the past 10 years. The methylation marks are converted to hydroxymethylation which is then progressively diluted out as the cells divide. This process turns out to be remarkably efficient and seems to reset the genes for each new generation. Understanding the mechanism of epigenetic resetting could be exploited to deal with adult diseases linked with an accumulation of aberrant epigenetic marks, such as cancers, or in 'rejuvenating' aged cells.
 
However, the researchers, who were funded by the Wellcome Trust, also found that some rare methylation can 'escape' the reprogramming process and can thus be passed on to offspring -- revealing how epigenetic inheritance could occur. This is important because aberrant methylation could accumulate at genes during a lifetime in response to environmental factors, such as chemical exposure or nutrition, and can cause abnormal use of genes, leading to disease. If these marks are then inherited by offspring, their genes could also be affected."-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130124150808.htm