BIOLOGY 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Epigenome, Epigenomics, Prenatal Vitamins

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

Document Summary

Can include post-translational protein mods: long term: modification of gene expression and/or development. Cell is perceiving signals from environment, and it modifies the genome without changing nucleotide sequence. Genome = inherited, epigenome can be altered. Chemical dna modifications that occur along the genome that change gene activity without altering dna sequence. Epigenetic processes are essential for normal development, cell differentiation, and are increasingly being recognized as being involved in human diseases. Epigenomics: studying the epigenetic modification across an individual"s entire genome. I. e. mother takes folic acid prenatal vitamins. Folic acid = rich in methyl groups. If mother has poor diet, the child can be more susceptible to disease. Throughout childhood we are exposed to epigenetic changes; i. e. based on food eating, lifestyle. Many things will alter the degree to which methylation patterns or mods at dna level influence gene expression. Allowing transcription factors to bind or not, allowing nucleosomes to unwind regions or not.