Epigenetics

Epigenetics is a little-explored way of transmitting hereditary information. Some traits may not be encoded in nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and still be transmitted. It is epigenetic mechanisms that can influence phenotype without changing genotype. Epigenetic mechanisms are applied at a number of levels (pre-transcriptional and post-transcriptional, but also pre-translational and post-translational). They are important in morphogenesis and in the process of cell differentiation. Epigenetic mechanisms are, for example, histone acetylation or DNA methylation. In human genetics, epigenetics is used, for example, X-chromosome inactivation and within Genomic Imprinting. Gene imprinting is associated with a whole range of human pathology.

Related articles

 * Genomic Imprinting
 * DNA methylation
 * Histone modifications
 * X-chromosome inactivation
 * Gene imprinting and human pathologies