Course: Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression
Modules:
Course overview, 1.1 Introduction to the concepts of epigenetic control, 1.2 Mitotic heritability of epigenetic marks, 1.3 Chromatin and the nucleosome, 1.4 Chromatin compaction - heterochromatin versus euchromatin, 1.5 DNA methylation at CpG islands, 1.6 DNA methylation at intergenic regions and repetitive elements
2.1 Introduction to histone tail modifications, 2.2 Histone acetylation and histone methylation, 2.3 Chromatin remodelling, 2.4 Histone variants, 2.5 Noncoding RNAs - microRNAs, 2.6 Noncoding RNAs - piRNAs, 2.7 Noncoding RNAs - long noncoding RNAs introduction, 2.8 Long noncoding RNAs Xist and HOTAIR, 2.9 3D organisation of the nucleus and summary of epigenetic marks
3.1 History and background of X chromosome inactivation, 3.2 Timing of random and imprinted X chromosome inactivation, 3.3 Stages of X inactivation - counting and control of Xist expression, 3.4 Control of Xist expression by pluripotency factors, 3.5 Stages of X inactivation - choice of which X to inactivate, 3.6 Stages of X inactivation - initiation and spreading of silencing, 3.7 Stages of X inactivation - establishment of silencing, 3.8 Stages of X inactivation - maintenance of silencing e.g. Dnmt1, 3.9 Stages of X inactivation - maintenance of silencing e.g. Smchd1, 3.10 X chromosome inactivation summary, 3.11 Dosage compensation in flies and worms, compared with mammals, 3.12 Lessons from the fly - position effect variegation and screening for epigenetic modifiers
4.1 Introduction to epigenetic reprogramming of the maternal and paternal genomes, 4.2 Epigenetic reprogramming of imprinted genes and repetitive elements, 4.3 Location of imprinted genes in the genome and bisulfite sequencing, 4.4 Kcnq1 and H19/Igf2 ICR mechanisms of action and Beckwith Weidemann syndrome, 4.5 Snrpn ICR mechanism, Prader Willi and Angelman syndromes, 4.6 Summary of epigenetic reprogramming and imprinting
5.1 Disrupted epigenetic reprogramming in assisted reproductive technologies, 5.2 Disrupted epigenetic reprogramming in somatic cell reprogramming and cloning, 5.3 Introduction of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, effects of the environment and sensitive periods in epigenetic control, 5.4 The Dutch Famine human epidemiological studies and the Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease, 5.5 Human epidemiological studies on the Overkalix cohort, grandparental effects and possibility of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans, 5.6 Extension lecture: Interview with Dr Andrew Keniry
6.1 Mouse and rat studies on paternal effects of chemical exposure, effects of maternal behaviour on epigenetic makeup, 6.2 Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the gametes, 6.3 The Agouti viable yellow allele in mice, 6.4 Environmental effects on the Agouti viable yellow allele, 6.5 The Axin fused allele in mice and metastable epialleles, 6.6 Potential mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: incomplete epigenetic reprogramming, 6.7 Paramutation in plants and paramutation-like effects in mice, 6.8 Constitutional epimutation in humans - not transgenerational epigenetic inheritance
7.1 Overview of cancer epigenetics, 7.2 Hypermethylation of CpG islands in cancer, 7.3 Hypermethylation of sets of CpG islands in cancer, 7.4 Hypomethylation genome-wide in cancer, 7.5 Altered histone modifications in cancer, 7.6 Long range epigenetic alterations in cancer and alterations to nuclear architecture, 7.7 Altered expression on piRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in cancer, 7.8 Mutations in epigenetic modifiers in cancer, 7.9 Drugs that target the epigenetic machinery as chemotherapeutics, 7.10 Extension lecture: Aging - Part 1, 7.11 Extension lecture: Aging - Part 2