Epigenetics: Basics

Short: Epigenetics describes how environmental influences can change gene activity without altering the DNA sequence itself. Under certain circumstances, such changes can even be passed on to offspring.

In more detail: The most common epigenetic mechanisms are DNA methylation and changes to the histone proteins that package the DNA.

In detail

• DNA methylation: Small chemical tags (methyl groups) on DNA can switch genes on or off without changing the genetic code.
• Histone modification: Proteins around which DNA winds can become more loosely or tightly packed through chemical attachments, affecting gene accessibility.
• Cell differentiation: Epigenetic markers ensure that a skin cell and a nerve cell, despite identical DNA, function completely differently.
• Environmental influences: Diet, stress, smoking, or pollutants can alter epigenetic patterns and thus affect gene activity.
• Transgenerational inheritance: In some animal studies, epigenetic changes were passed down across multiple generations; in humans, this is still a subject of research.
• Cancer research: Faulty epigenetic markers are considered a possible factor in the development of certain cancers.
• Distinction from genetics: While genetics concerns the DNA sequence itself, epigenetics describes how that sequence is “read” (dna-und-gene, stammzellen-und-gentechnik-grundlagen).