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Related Concept Videos

Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

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Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
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The Evidence for Evolution02:55

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Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
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Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
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In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
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The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
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John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
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The epigenetic basis of evolution.

Corrado Spadafora1

  • 1Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy.

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology
|January 31, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Epigenetics, particularly RNA molecules from environmental stimuli, can drive evolutionary changes. This epigenetic information, transmitted via sperm, induces traits without genetic mutation or natural selection.

Keywords:
Embryonic totipotencyEpigeneticsEvolutionLINE-1Sperm-mediated transgenerational inheritance

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Epigenetic factors are increasingly recognized for their role in evolution.
  • Embryogenesis involves epigenetic networks that can influence variation.
  • Environmental stimuli can trigger epigenetic changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present experimental evidence for epigenetics in evolution.
  • To highlight the role of RNA-based information in development and inheritance.
  • To propose an alternative mechanism for evolutionary change.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental data on epigenetic factors.
  • Analysis of RNA-based information transfer during reproduction.
  • Examination of early embryonic environments.

Main Results:

  • Somatic cells release RNA molecules in response to environmental stimuli.
  • Sperm transmit this RNA information to oocytes during fertilization.
  • Early embryos provide a permissive environment for RNA-driven phenotypic novelty.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic information, carried by RNA, can induce environmentally acquired traits.
  • This RNA-mediated inheritance offers a mechanism for evolution independent of genetic mutation.
  • Totipotent embryos facilitate the emergence of evolutionarily significant phenotypic novelties.