Physiology 3140A Lecture Notes - Lecture 28: H3K4Me3, Myocyte, Kdm1A

• School: Western University
• Department: Physiology
• Course: Physiology 3140A
• Professor: John Di Guglielmo

Document Summary

Epigenetics: do not change genes, just changing structure, non-permanent, methylation of the genome, can be inherited. If a child is born with a developmental defect, immediately think that there is a genetic mutation but it does not have to be. Epigenetics is a a way for the environment to affect how the genome is packaged: packaging can lead to developmental problems and any susceptibilities. Three general types: modifications of histone core proteins. Could be phosphorylation, ubiquination, methylation, sumoylation, acetylation. When they are modified, they can change the chromatin (unwind or expand to allow transcription factors to get in or modified to contract to make the area inaccessible) Can be associated with repression or activation. Dna methylation causes compaction of a region of the promoter/gene. Usually associated with gene repression: micrornas. Affect transcription, silence genomic regions or alter rna processing, all leading to changes in rna accumulation and expression.