Abstract
Epigenetic processes control central genomic functions such as the utilization of genetic information over the course of life. Epigenetic processes are controlled by adding and removing epigenetic modifications on the genes. Epigenetic modifications are added at different molecular levels and form a complex combination of positively and negatively regulating molecular signals. Most of these signals are established directly on the DNA bases or on the proteins that package the DNA, called histones. Modern sequencing methods make it possible to locate these various types of epigenetic modification with precision and to associate their functional significance with a particular gene-specific control. Epigenetic modifications are cell-specific, and their function must therefore be viewed and evaluated in a different way to genetic changes, which are the same in all cells. In epigenetic studies, therefore—unlike genetic analysis—the cell type or (in tissues) the cell composition must always be included in the picture. Cell-type-specific epigenetic patterns can be affected by factors that are endogenous to the organism (ageing, hormonal control) and by those that are exogenous (environment, e.g., metabolism, stress), and they lead to persistent changes in cell programming. As a general principle, cell-type-specific epigenetic differences are considerably more stable and more pronounced than changes arising due to exogenous factors. Epigenetic modifications are stably passed on through cell divisions. However, when cell programming changes, they are deleted or their composition is altered (reprogrammed). In human beings, large-scale reprogramming (deletion) of old ‘inherited’ epigenetic modifications takes place both in gametes and in the embryo shortly after fertilization. For this reason, transmission of ‘acquired’ epigenetic modifications across generations is possible only to a very limited extent in humans.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arand, J., Wossidlo, M., Lepikhov, K., Peat, J. R., Reik, W., & Walter, J. (2015). Selective impairment of methylation maintenance is the major cause of DNA methylation reprogramming in the early embryo. Epigenetics Chromatin, 8(1), 1.
Azad, N., Rudin, C. M., & Baylin, S. B. (2013). The future of epigenetic therapy in solid tumours – lessons from the past. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 10(5), 256–266.
Baulcombe, D. (2004). RNA silencing in plants. Nature, 431(7006), 356–363.
Bernstein, B. E., Mikkelsen, T. S., Xie, X. H., Kamal, M., Huebert, D. J., Cuff, J., et al. (2006). A bivalent chromatin structure marks key developmental genes in embryonic stem cells. Cell, 125(2), 315–326.
Bernstein, B. E., Stamatoyannopoulos, J. A., Costello, J. F., Ren, B., Milosavljevic, A., Meissner, A., et al. (2010). The NIH roadmap epigenomics mapping consortium. Nature Biotechnology, 28(10), 1045–1048.
Chi, A. S., & Bernstein, B. E. (2009). Developmental biology. Pluripotent chromatin state. Science, 323(5911), 220–221.
Clerc, P., & Avner, P. (2006). Random X-chromosome inactivation. Skewing lessons for mice and men. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 16(3), 246–253.
Corpet, A., & Almouzni, G. (2009). Making copies of chromatin. The challenge of nucleosomal organization and epigenetic information. Trends in Cell Biology, 19(1), 29–34.
Cubas, P., Vincent, C., & Coen, E. (1999). An epigenetic mutation responsible for natural variation in floral symmetry. Nature, 401(6749), 157–161.
ENCODE Project Consortium. (2012). An integrated encyclopedia of DNA elements in the human genome. Nature, 489(7414), 57–74.
Ficz, G., Hore, T. A., Santos, F., Lee, H. J., Dean, W., Arand, J., et al. (2013). FGF signaling inhibition in ESCs drives rapid genome-wide demethylation to the epigenetic ground state of pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell, 13(3), 351–359.
Gehring, M., Reik, W., & Henikoff, S. (2009). DNA demethylation by DNA repair. Trends in Genetics, 25(2), 82–90.
Habibi, E., Brinkman, A. B., Arand, J., Kroeze, L. I., Kerstens, H. H. D., Matarese, F., et al. (2013). Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of two distinct interconvertible DNA methylomes of mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell, 13(3), 360–369.
Heard, E., & Martienssen, R. A. (2014). Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: Myths and mechanisms. Cell, 157(1), 95–109.
Henderson, I. R., & Jacobsen, S. E. (2007). Epigenetic inheritance in plants. Nature, 447(7143), 418–424.
Hirsch, S., Baumberger, R., & Grossniklaus, U. (2012). Epigenetic variation, inheritance, and selection in plant populations. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, 77, 97–104.
Huypens, P., Sass, S., Wu, M., Dyckhoff, D., Tschöp, M., Theis, F., et al. (2016). Epigenetic germline inheritance of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Nat Genet, 5, 497–9.
Karnik, R., & Meissner, A. (2013). Browsing (epi)genomes: A guide to data resources and epigenome browsers for stem cell researchers. Cell Stem Cell, 13(1), 14–21.
Knippers, R., & Nordheim, A. (Eds.). (2015). Molekulare Genetik (10th ed., p. 568). ThiemeVerlag: Stuttgart.
Kouzarides, T. (2007). Chromatin modifications and their function. Cell, 128(4), 693–705.
Kubicek, S., Schotta, G., Lachner, M., Sengupta, R., Kohlmaier, A., Perez-Burgos, L., et al. (2006). The role of histone modifications in epigenetic transitions during normal and perturbed development. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop 57, 1–27.
Lewin, B. (1998). The mystique of epigenetics. Cell, 93(3), 301–303.
Maleszka, R. (2008). Epigenetic integration of environmental and genomic signals in honey bees. The critical interplay of nutritional, brain and reproductive networks. Epigenetics, 3(4), 188–192.
Mikkelsen, T. S., Ku, M., Jaffe, D. B., Issac, B., Lieberman, E., Giannoukos, G., et al. (2007). Genome-wide maps of chromatin state in pluripotent and lineage-committed cells. Nature, 448(7153), 553–560.
Seisenberger, S., Peat, J. R., & Reik, W. (2013). Conceptual links between DNA methylation reprogramming in the early embryo and primordial germ cells. Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 25(3), 281–288.
Varga-Weisz, P. D., & Becker, P. B. (2006). Regulation of higher-order chromatin structures by nucleosome-remodelling factors. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 16(2), 151–156.
Wang, Y., Jorda, M., Jones, P. L., Maleszka, R., Ling, X., Robertson, H. M., et al. (2006). Functional CpG methylation system in a social insect. Science, 314(5799), 645–647.
Weisenberger, D. J. (2014). Characterizing DNA methylation alterations from the Cancer Genome Atlas. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 124(1), 17–23.
Whitcomb, S. J., Basu, A., Allis, C. D., & Bernstein, E. (2007). Polycomb group proteins: An evolutionary perspective. Trends in Genetics, 23(10), 494–502.
Whitelaw, N. C., & Whitelaw, E. (2006). How lifetimes shape epigenotype within and across generations. Human Molecular Genetics, 15(2), R131–R137.
Wossidlo, M., Nakamura, T., Lepikhov, K., Marques, C. J., Zakhartchenko, V., Boiani, M., et al. (2011). 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in the mammalian zygote is linked with epigenetic reprogramming. Nature Communications, 2, 241.
Youngson, N. A., & Whitelaw, E. (2008). Transgenerational epigenetic effects. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, 9, 233–257.
Zheng, X. W., Pontes, O., Zhu, J. H., Miki, D., Zhang, F., Li, W. X., et al. (2008). ROS3 is an RNA-binding protein required for DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis. Nature, 455(7217), 1259–1262.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Walter, J., Hümpel, A. (2017). Introduction to Epigenetics. In: Heil, R., Seitz, S., König, H., Robienski, J. (eds) Epigenetics. Technikzukünfte, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft / Futures of Technology, Science and Society. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-14460-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-14460-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer VS, Wiesbaden
Print ISBN: 978-3-658-14459-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-658-14460-9
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)