by Maddaloni Valeria  , D'Arco Daniela  , Morano Francesca  , Pepe Nicola  and Atripaldi Luigi

Received: 30 May 2018;  Published: 12 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804048

Infectious diseases are one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality around the world and have a substantial impact on the health of communities. These diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. The antibiotics that are currently available are generally considered to be safe and well-tolerated. However antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious concern in the treatment of infectious diseases. An understanding of epigenetics now contribut [...]

by Ken-ichi Takayama

Received: 26 May 2018;  Published: 02 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804047

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the world. Androgen receptor (AR), acting as a nuclear receptor, facilitates ligand-dependent transcriptional activation in the nucleus. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is used for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer because androgen and AR signaling drive prostate tumor growth and anti-apoptotic function. Resistance to ADT in most tumors develops quickly; thus, AR continues to be active in relapsed tumors called castration-resistant prostate cancer (C [...]

by Kazuki Mochizuki  , Ayumi Osaki  , Yuko Inamochi  and Toshinao Goda

Received: 18 December 2017;  Published: 30 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804046

Background: Histone modifications, including acetylation and H3 lysine 4 (K4) methylation, are thought to be associated with transcriptional activation during differentiation. Methods: mRNA and histone modifications around the sucrase-isomaltase (SI) gene in Caco-2 cells (a small intestine cell line) during differentiation were determined by qRT-PCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation, respectively. Results: Mono-, di-, and tri-methylation of histone H3K4 on the SI gene correlated with the induction of SI gene expres [...]

by Robert F. Miller  , Laurence Huang  and Peter D. Walzer

Received: 14 September 2018;  Published: 25 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804045

Background: Over the past decade, there has been rising interest in the interaction of Pneumocystis with the environment. This interest has arisen in part from the demonstration that environmental factors have important effects on the viability and transmission of microbes, including Pneumocystis. Environmental factors include climatological factors such as temperature, humidity, and precipitation, and air pollution factors including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. Methods [...]

by Alberto Arias-Pérez  , Daniel Ramírez-Torres  , María E. Rodríguez  , Silvia Portela-Bens  , Emilio García-Suarez  , Manuel A. Merlo  , Aglaya García-Angulo  , Ismael Cross  , Thomas Liehr  and Laureana Rebordinos

Received: 31 July 2018;  Published: 24 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804044

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that play a very important role in gene expression by regulating mRNA cleavage and translation. The Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis (Kaup 1858), is a flatfish species that shows great potential for marine aquaculture. Nevertheless, the existence of sexual dysfunction of males reared in captivity, high larval mortality, and diseases have hampered its production. The integration of sequence information with data on chromosomal physical location is useful f [...]

by Albena Staynova  , Ljubomira Hadjiiska  , Valeria Hadjidekova  and Rositsa Hristova

Received: 14 August 2018;  Published: 22 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804043

Background: The purpose of study was to assess the cytogenetic effect of chronic low dose radiation exposure of nuclear power plant workers using the micronucleus centromere assay. This method allows the differentiation between centromere-positive micronuclei containing whole chromosome and centromere-negative micronuclei containing acentric fragment pointing to clastogenic action of ionizing radiation. Methods: The effect of low dose occupational exposure was estimated in 32 nuclear power plant workers using in si [...]

by Adayabalam S. Balajee

Received: 26 August 2018;  Published: 19 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804042

The technique of in situ hybridization (ISH) using radioactively labeled DNA probes was first described in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was reported in 1980s where RNA labeled with a fluorophore at the 3’ end was used to detect specific DNA sequences. Since then, the technique has undergone various modifications for detecting single genes, chromosomes and whole genomes on various targets such as interphase nucleus, prematurely condensed chromosomes [...]

by Chenggong Han  , Hancong Tang  , Shuyuan Lou  , Yuan Gao  , Min Ho Cho  and Shili Lin

Received: 23 May 2018;  Published: 14 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804041

Whole genome profiling of differential DNA methylation between diseased and normal samples has significant implications in research to understand the role of epigenetic regulations of cells. In recent years, the development of bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq)-based molecular technology has enabled the measurement of DNA methylation at a nucleotide resolution throughout the genome. Given the availability of this new type of DNA methylation data, certain features challenge traditional analytical methods such as the Fish [...]

by Parisa Gazerani

Received: 09 May 2018;  Published: 10 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804040

Interactions between genetic and environmental factors in migraine are well known and can potentially determine an individual’s susceptibility to disease and responsiveness to treatment. Consequently, several epigenetic studies have been conducted to determine if and how genes are activated or inactivated in response to a diverse range of environmental migraine triggers. The results, in turn, have helped elucidate how these factors can promote or inhibit migraine progression or therapeutic response and can guide de [...]

by Stefania Policicchio  , Emma L Dempster  and Therese M Murphy

Received: 20 June 2018;  Published: 06 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804039

Suicide is the second leading cause of death globally among young people and the tenth leading cause of death across all ages. Approximately 800,000 people die by suicide every year representing a significant global health burden. Despite this burden, the molecular pathology of suicide remains poorly understood. A number of recent studies have shown that epigenetic alterations are associated with suicidal behaviour. These epigenetic mechanisms, which act to regulate gene expression via modifications to DNA, histone [...]