Epigenetics: What Are Environmental Factors Affect Methylation?
Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that does not stem from changes in the original DNA sequence. These changes may result due to environmental conditions, age and many other agents.
Epigenetics was started in the 1940s by Dr. Conrad H. Waddington and Dr. Ernst Hadorn.
Epigenetics have allowed for a better understanding of what and how environmental factors affect methylation that starts from conception and may result in illnesses such as cancer. It also allows a better understanding of how these changes may be passed down from generation to generation.
The numerous research done on these areas of epigenetics, have enabled innovative treatment options, diagnostics and prevention methods.
Methylation
Methylation is a cell
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However, research has found that other factors can also contribute to the occurrence of methylation. These includes diet, physical activity, body weight and habits such as smoking and regular alcohol consumption.
For example, a study has further proven how smoking causes methylation to occur. In fact, cigarette smoke is considered to be one of the most powerful environmental factor that results in DNA methylation (Breitling et al., 2011). This is because excessive smoking damages the DNA and methylation occurs in order to repair it. In fact, DNA methylation is significantly lower for non-smokers as compared to regular smokers. Other factors such as exposure to UV and exhaust fumes similarly affects methylation in the body.
Understanding this is important as it will allow us to have a better understanding of what causes methylation and hypermethylation (more methylated cytosine than usual), which is a cause of several diseases. This is especially important in foetuses as the effects of such environmental factors are much more pronounced (Carey, N., 2013) This is because when the cells to adapt to different conditions methylation occurs and this may become 'set ', continuing in this same gene expression long into the adult
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