Exam 3 - Epigenetics Flashcards
A heritable change in phenotype that does not involve changes in the DNA sequence.
Epigenetics
Life experiences, particullarly early in life, with long-lasting effects on behavior
Behavioral epigenetics
Proposes that when a parent is exposed to poor environmental conditions there is an internal biological response that calculates the environment is likely to be poor for the offspring as well.
Thrifty phenotype theory
Modification that generally results in gene repression and chromatin condensation.
DNA methylation
Modification that generally results in gene activation and open chromatin structure
Acetylated histones
Modification that results in variable gene activity depening on the lysine that is methylated
Methylated histones
What is the critical concept of the histone code?
The histone modifications in the code recruit protiens to the modified histone and alter chromatin structure to promote/repress
Enzymes that add methyl to histone
Methyl transferases
Enzymes that remove methyl from histone
Demethylases
Enzymes that add acetyl to histones
Histone acetyl transferases (HATs)
Enzymes that remove acetyl from histones
Histone deacetylases (HDAC)
An interaction between two alleles that leads to a heritable change in expresion of one of the alleles without changing the sequence
Paramutation
Examples of histone modifications
Methy groups, acetyl groups, phosphates, and ubiquitin
Common site of DNA methylation (i.e. common epigenetic modification of chromatin)
CpG islands
Epigenetic phenomenon, certain genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner.
Genomic imprinting
