Genetics, Epigenetics, and Disease
By Professor Adrian Bird. The human genome sequence has been available for more than a decade, but its significance is still not fully understood. While most human genes have been identified, there is much to learn about the DNA signals that control them. This lecture described an unusually short DNA sequence, just two base pairs long, CG, which occurs in several chemically different forms. Defects in signalling by CG are implicated in disease. For example, the autism spectrum disorder Rett syndrome is caused by loss of a protein that reads methylated CG and affects the activity of genes.
| Genetics, Epigenetics, and Disease |
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| The Ghost In Your Genes Biology stands on the brink of a shift in the understanding of inheritance. The discovery of epigenetics - hidden influences upon the genes - could affect every aspect of our lives. |
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