title: Sex, epilepsy, and epigenetics.
abstract: Epilepsy refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders that are associated with a wide range of pathogenic mechanisms, seizure manifestations, comorbidity profiles, and therapeutic responses. These characteristics are all influenced quite significantly by sex. As with other conditions exhibiting such patterns, sex differences in epilepsy are thought to arise-at the most fundamental level-from the "organizational" and "activational" effects of sex hormones as well as from the direct actions of the sex chromosomes. However, our understanding of the specific molecular, cellular, and network level processes responsible for mediating sex differences in epilepsy remains limited. Because increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are involved both in epilepsy and in brain sexual dimorphism, we make the case here that analyzing epigenetic regulation will provide novel insights into the basis for sex differences in epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Electronic address: irfan@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Irfan A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.affiliation: Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Ruth S. and David L. Gottesman Stem Cell Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Center for Epigenomics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Electronic address: mark.mehler@einstein.yu.edu.
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mehler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation; D057890:Epigenomics; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics
keywords: Chromatin; DNA methylation; Epigenetic; Epilepsy; Histone; Non-coding RNA