Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025
09:43
Isolation and Characterization of RNA-Containing Exosomes
Published on: January 9, 2012
99.5K
Exosomal Epigenetics.
Eleni Papakonstantinou1,2, Konstantina Dragoumani1, George P Chrousos2
1Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Embnet.Journal
|June 7, 2024
Summary
Epigenetics involves gene expression changes without altering DNA. Exosomes in breast milk transfer epigenetic information, crucial for infant development and immunity.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and molecular biology.
- Cellular biology and disease mechanisms.
Background:
- Epigenetics studies heritable gene expression changes without DNA sequence alteration.
- Epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNAs) affect gene accessibility and cellular functions.
- Abnormal epigenetic changes are linked to diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of exosomes in transferring epigenetic information.
- To highlight the significance of exosomal epigenetics in human breast milk for infant health.
- To understand the implications of milk exosomal RNAs in infant development.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on epigenetics and exosome function.
- Analysis of exosomal content, including miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs.
- Investigation of exosome-mediated gene expression modulation in recipient cells.
Main Results:
- Exosomes facilitate the transfer of epigenetic information between cells.
- Human breast milk exosomes contain regulatory RNAs (miRNAs, lncRNAs).
- These milk exosomal RNAs can modulate gene expression in infant recipient cells.
Conclusions:
- Exosomal epigenetics plays a vital role in intercellular communication.
- Milk exosomes are critical for infant nutrition, immune development, and metabolic programming.
- Targeted epigenetic therapies may be developed based on exosome-mediated gene regulation.
Related Concept Videos
01:36Overview of Exosomes
2.7K
Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
2.7K
01:37Epigenetic Regulation
3.0K
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.
X-chromosome...
X-chromosome...
3.0K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
34.3K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
34.3K
03:17Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
6.2K
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...
6.2K
00:51Exocytosis
66.5K
Exocytosis is used to release material from cells. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.
66.5K
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
1.8K
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for...
1.8K