Epigenetics: The Science of Hope

Two epigenomic targets that potentially link environmental exposures to chemical and physical agents early in development to adult disease susceptibility are imprinted genes and those with metastable epialleles. Genes with metastable epialleles, such as the Agouti locus in the agouti viable yellow (Avy) strain of mice, have highly variable functions because of stochastic allelic changes in the epigenome rather than mutations in the genome. Genomic imprinting is a unique epigenetic form of gene regulation that evolved about 150 million years ago in Therian mammals. It results in monoallelic, parent-of-origin dependent gene silencing. Thus, only a single genetic or epigenetic event is required to alter the function of an imprinted gene, resulting in these genes being disease susceptibility loci. We recently identified the imprint control regions (ICRs) in the human, the human imprintome, and developed an imprintome array for determining ICR methylation. The potential importance of these two novel subsets of epigenetically labile genes in human health and disease will be discussed. This seminar will be held in person in Grainger Hall room 1112 and online via Panopto. Click "More Event Information" to visit the seminar website for a link to attend virtually. Both attendance options are free and open to all.