Monthly Archives: May 2016

Epigenetic germline inheritance of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance

The “gamete” is the mature haploid germ cell that is either male (sperm) or female (oocyte).  There is considerable controversy regarding epigenetic inheritance in mammalian gametes. Using ex vivo fertilization to ensure exclusive inheritance via the gametes, authors [see attached] … Continue reading

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Integrating GWA studies and eQTL data to predict complex trait gene targets

Virtually every ‘environmental disease’ is a multifactorial trait, i.e. contribution from hundreds if not thousands of genes plus epigenetic factors plus environmental effects (exposure to toxicants, prescribed and non-prescription drugs).  Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified thousands of genetic variants … Continue reading

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New, improved CRISPR-associated DNA-cleaving enzyme, Cpf1 (it also processes precursor CRISPR RNA)

Autism spectrum disorder is now a large basket to catch all sorts of “borderline” or “unusual” behavior in school and pre-school kids. When I was in clinical practice, I recall seeing one Autistic Child (out of perhaps 10,000 that I … Continue reading

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Genetic risk for ASD and neuropsychiatric variation in the general population

Autism spectrum disorder is now a large basket to catch all sorts of “borderline” or “unusual” behavior in school and pre-school kids. When I was in clinical practice, I recall seeing one Autistic Child (out of perhaps 10,000 that I … Continue reading

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How Birds Became Red. Hint: the cytochrome 2J19 gene

This fascinating recent article below is from Forbes.com  And, for those who are not “Pioneers in the P450 field”, you might not know that, since 1990, Blue Roses (also Blue Carnations) are being generated by several companies –– and then … Continue reading

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Epigenetics: Father’s age and lifestyle might be associated with birth defects

Below is a (quite intriguing) relevant overview, published this week from the Georgetown University Medical Center. The full-length paper just appeared in Am J Stem Cells. Studies suggest father’s age and lifestyle associated with birth defects  GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER … Continue reading

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An Integrated Genome-Wide Systems Genetics Screen for Breast Cancer Metastasis Susceptibility Genes

“Metastasis” is the spread and growth of tumor cells from the original tumor to secondary sites throughout the body. Metastatic cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths for most solid tumor types. The process of metastasis is very complex, … Continue reading

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Functional Regression Models for Epistasis Analysis of Multiple Quantitative Traits

The widely used statistical methods test interactions for a single phenotype (e.g. Mendelian, oligogenic, multifactorial). However, we often observe pleotropic genetic interaction effects (i.e. one gene expression predominates over another, hierarchy). The simultaneous gene-gene (GxG) interaction analysis of multiple complementary … Continue reading

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When is a human developmental disorder a “multifactorial trait

This article [attached] just came to my attention––largely because it won the “Toxicol Sci Best Paper” Award for 2o14.     Isoniazid (INH), the mainstay therapeutic for tuberculosis infection, has been associated with rare but serious hepatotoxicity in the clinic. However, the … Continue reading

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Using a mouse diversity panel to identify genetic differences influencing isoniazid-induced microvesicular steatosis

This article [below] just came to my attention––largely because it won the “Toxicol Sci Best Paper” Award for 2o14. Isoniazid (INH), the mainstay therapeutic for tuberculosis infection, has been associated with rare but serious hepatotoxicity in the clinic. However, the … Continue reading

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