The Chromatin Digest

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  • Scanning the developing chromatome

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    Isabella
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    The DNA-binding region of (human) SUV39H1, a key chromatin regulator identified by the authors with ChAC-DIA. Image from SINO Biological. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) exist in the embryo during early development and can develop into virtually any kind of cell in the body – pluripotent literally means “many-powered”. In the transition from early to late…

  • Lingering epigenetic signatures may underlie weight regain

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    The “yo-yo” effect: even after losing weight, it can be easily regained. Image from Enrique Calabuig on Flickr.com, under CC BY-SA 2.0. Individuals with obesity frequently regain lost weight over time, even following long-term intervention or surgery. However, due to the challenges of working with human fat tissue at a single-cell level, the cellular mechanisms…

  • Biologists discover how to make long distance work

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    Long-range enhancer-promoter contacts work like power lines, connecting regions of the genome which are very far away from each other. Image from pixnio.com under CC PDM 1.0. Enhancers are non-coding elements which are littered throughout the mammalian genome. Enhancers form three-dimensional physical contacts with gene promoters, the sequence immediately upstream (before) the gene’s protein/RNA coding…

  • Crime and methylation

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    Isabella
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    Crime scene barrier. Image under Creative Commons license, sourced from hawkeyeforensic.com. From quitting smoking and drinking to avoiding specific foods, pregnant women are always advised to be in strict control of their physical health, as this directly impacts the health of the foetus. Foetal alcohol syndrome, for instance, results from excessive drinking during pregnancy. We…

  • The transcription factors behind my midweek meal

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    Isabella
    in

    Tomatoes at various ripening stages (this image is in the public domain). Not long ago, I took a short break from my MSc project to go back home and see my family for Easter. This meant using up all the food in my fridge before leaving, and I cooked up some pretty eclectic meals as…