BIOLOGY 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Epigenomics, Epigenome, Signal Transduction

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOLOGY 1A03
• Professor: Alastair Tracey Rosa Da Silva

Document Summary

Short term: modify intermediate cell processes, can include post-translational protein modifications. Long term: modification of gene expression and/or development (transcriptional level) Fastest to regulate transcription as does not have to go through entire process. Genome is inherited, epigenome can be altered. Epigenome: portion of genome that is alte(cid:396)ed (cid:894)epige(cid:374)eti(cid:272)s: (cid:862)a(cid:271)o(cid:448)e the ge(cid:374)o(cid:373)e(cid:863)(cid:895) Chemical dna modifications that occur along the genome that change gene activity without altering the dna sequence. Epigenetic processes are essential for normal development, cell differentiation, and are increasingly being recognized as being involved in human diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms: modifications of histone tails, dna methylation, chromatin remodelling, packaging of dna around nucleosomes. Epigenomics: studying the epigenetic modifications across an indi(cid:448)idual"s e(cid:374)ti(cid:396)e genome. The more you acetyl tag the tail, the more you see the gfp as it is produced. Epigenetic mechanisms are affected by: development, environmental chemicals, drugs/pharmaceuticals, aging, diet. Health endpoints: cancer, autoimmune diseases, mental disorders, diabetes.