Molecular Research on DNA Methylation

Dear Colleagues,

Over a century of focus on genetic variation has provided molecular substrates for disease predisposition via natural variation in the human population. However, a focus on population variation has also generated a blind spot for the molecular substrates underlying developmental plasticity of a given trait in a single individual. Within this scope, the field of epigenetics has been able to reveal molecular substrates with reversible biochemistry that mediate gene-by-environment interactions. Specifically, the covalent modification of nucleic acids by methylation has been shown to regulate various modalities of gene regulation in traits related to a range of trait outcomes. Beyond the role of regulating gene function, DNA methylation has also itself become an important biomarker, with prominent biomarker value, and is capable of determining biological age, exposure to early childhood stress, or variation in the ambient environment. In this Special Issue, we invite colleagues to share articles that discuss the role of DNA/RNA methylation and its ability to regulate traits at the single cell, tissue, and organism scales and as a biomarker capable of predicting various environmental exposures.

Dr. Sebastian Alvarado
Dr. Maral Tajerian
Guest Editors

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• RNA/DNA methylation
• biomarkers
• DNMT
• MBD
• TET