Assaf Zemach, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, Tel Aviv University
Staff Profile
Epigenetics in multicellular organisms: a lesson from gene body methylation in honey bee
Thursday, November 15, 2018
2 PM
RRI 101
Abstract: DNA methylation regulates the genome and plays a fundamental developmental role in many eukaryotes. Its epigenetic characteristics allow organisms to memorize stimuli conditions through cell divisions. While DNA methylation is mostly known for its role in transcriptional silencing, recent studies found methylation to be targeted inside sequences of actively transcribed genes, thus termed gene body methylation. Gene body methylation is a common, robust, conserved, and an essential epigenetic phenomenon that exist in many animals and plants. Abnormalities in gene body methylation characterize 50% of all cancers. However, despite all these characteristics, the biological roles of gene body methylation remain the subject of continued debate. Robust non-genic methylation in vertebrates perplex the identification of specific genic methylation effects. To overcome this, we study the role of gene body methylation in honey bee, which similar to other invertebrates, target methylation exclusively to actively transcribed genes. In my talk, I will present data suggesting that 1) gene body methylation stabilizes, rather than alters, transcription during development; 2) genic methylation can oscillate in multicellular organisms as long as it is being kept at an adequate level to preserve its function during development and its pattern across generations; 3) genic methylation is a conserved regulator of animal nervous systems.
Host: Remo Rohs
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