Variable expressivity and epigenetic inheritance at the Axin fused locus in the mouse

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/153830

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Genes influence the way we look and variations in gene sequence can account for the differences between individuals. Family traits are often credited to gene variants that are passed down through generations of families. There is now intriguing evidence, some coming from our laboratory, that gene sequence is not the only thing we inherit from our parents. Modifications that alter the expression but not the sequence of a gene, known as epigenetic modifications can, it turns out, be inherited in mammals. An epigenetic modification is a mark, present on some genes that determines whether the gene is expressed (switched on) or silent. Animals are thought to acquire this mark during development and it is retained throughout life except in germ cells where the mark is generally, but not always, erased. The establishment of the mark appears to be a stochastic event at the cellular level resulting in mosaic expression. The percentage of marked cells can differ from one individual to another . In theory, this could help to explain why individuals with identical genetic information, such as identical twins, can have different phenotypic characteristics. The fact that these modifications can be inherited implies that there is an alternative mode of inheritance of genetic traits which does not involve mutation but which can be carried from generation to generation in a semipermanent way. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these events is important if we wish to predict or modify the phenotype of an invidual or that of his or her offspring.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2001

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $242,545.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Gene Expression

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

cancer | chromatin | cytosine methylation | epigenetic gene silencing | eukaryotic gene expression | genetic disease | obesity

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