title: Epigenetics: molecular mechanisms and implications for disease.
abstract: Epigenetics is rising to prominence in biology as a mechanism by which environmental factors have intermediate-term effects on gene expression without changing the underlying genetic sequence. This can occur through the selective methylation of DNA bases and modification of histones. There are wide-ranging implications for the gene-environment debate and epigenetic mechanisms are causing a reevaluation of many traditional concepts such as heritability. The reversible nature of epigenetics also provides plausible treatment or prevention prospects for diseases previously thought hard-coded into the genome. Here, we consider how growing knowledge of epigenetics is altering our understanding of biology and medicine, and its implications for future research.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adam E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Handel
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ebers
authors.forename: Sreeram V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Ramagopalan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004194:Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005826:Genetics, Medical; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006657:Histones