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Role of germline transcription events in DNA methylation acquisition at imprinted genes

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000M233
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Gavin Kelsey
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	75,183
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	19/11/2008
End date	31/03/2013
Duration	53 months

Abstract

We inherit genes from our fathers and mothers and for most of our genes the copies we receive from either parent are equally active. An important exception to this general rule occurs in a process called genomic imprinting, whereby one gene copy is deliberately silenced. These imprinted genes are important in determining how the fetus grows and how infants adapt their physiology to life outside the womb. But the fact that these genes have one copy that is preselected to being silent poses a risk and makes them particularly vulnerable to mutation events, such as occurs in cancer. Imprinted genes behave in this manner because they are marked in different ways in the male and female germ cells (sperm and eggs). How these genes are so marked is not fully known, and it is important to find out, because if the marking process goes wrong problems in fertility or developmental abnormalities may arise. By analysing a single imprinted gene in some detail, we have discovered an important part of the mechanism in the germ cell marking event. In this research, we wish to understand this mechanism in more detail and we need to show that it could apply generally to imprinted genes. This work will be done in a model system, but it will provide important new insights for human studies.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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