Ana C. D'Alessio

TL;DR: It is shown that an epigenomic state of a gene can be established through behavioral programming, and it is potentially reversible, suggesting a causal relation among epigenomicState, GR expression and the maternal effect on stress responses in the offspring.

TL;DR: Findings translate previous results from rat to humans and suggest a common effect of parental care on the epigenetic regulation of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor expression.

TL;DR: Site-directed mutagenesis assays demonstrate that NGFI-A binding to the exon 17 GR promoter is required for epigenetic reprogramming of GR expression, and Knockdown experiments of NGfi-A in hippocampal primary cell culture show that NG FI-A is necessary for serotonin-induced DNA demethylation and increased exon17 GR promoter expression.

TL;DR: The data supports the concept that chromatin acetylation and DNA methylation are found in a dynamic interrelation and that the consequences of HDAC inhibitors are not limited to changes in histone acetylations but that they also bring about a change in the state of modification of DNA.

TL;DR: The epigenome, which comprises chromatin, associated proteins, and the pattern of covalent modification of DNA by methylation, sets up and maintains gene expression programs and is particularly important for the understanding of cellular transformation, which requires a coordinated change in gene expression profiles.