Punctuation marks of genome:

Epigenetics

By,
Anwesha Bose
B.Tech Biotechnology
Semester – 6, roll 07
Adamas University
Introduction
Looking Back
Conrad Waddington used the word
epigenetics first in 1940s
“Mitotically heritable changes in gene
expressions without changing the DNA
sequence”- Arthur D. Riggs
What it does?
Controls the genome expression of
particular cell
(Switching on and off the genes)
Differentiation into hundreds of cell types
with same genome (Development)
Identity of a cell
How we express emotions?
Jumbled set of letters:
Alasididnotfindthepicture
canwewinagainstthepandemic
Expressing sentences:
Alas! I did not find the picture.
Can we win against the pandemic?
How epigenetics do it?
Provide structure to the chromosome
( Show the start end and centre like how we
organise or allign a paragraph or chapter)
Over expressing or silencing of genes
(exclamation mark or full stop).
Totipotency of the embryo
A break between generations
Epigenetic marks are removed during
zygote formation
Modifications in the germ cells to instruct
removal.
Different epigenetic marks:
DNA methylation (gene silencing, DNA stability,
immobilising transposons)
Histone N-terminal tail modification or histone
codes
(post translational modification)
1. Methylation (at lys, arg residue)
 Site Specific
 Not easily removable and mitotically heritable
 Various activities
2. Acetylation ( at lys residue)
 Weaken the histone binding.. Regulates gene activity
 Easily removable
3. Phosphoryl group addition (at ser residue)
Chromatin remodelling
 Complexes that compacts or unpackage DNA
 Use ATP
Histone variants
 CENP-A (present at the centromere)
 Gamma H2A-X (Double strand break repair by
recruiting proteins)
 MacroH2A (has a macro domain , dosage compensation)
Non Coding RNAs
 miRNA( post transcriptional RNA silencing, no direct
effect on epigenetic control)
 piRNA(silensing jumping genes to maintain
genomic stability in germ line cells or stem cells)
piwiRNA( bound with piwi protein)
Slightly longer than miRNAs
 lncRNA (X inactivation, genomic imprinting)
When it goes wrong..
It’s
an ubiquitious control process
Disorders may arise either in developing
embryo or in the gametes.
Tumorigenesis
Improper dosage compensation
Over protein expression