An RNA interference based genetic screen for novel epigenetic modifiers involved in mammalian X inactivation

形成一个成年人所需的所有信息都包含在受精卵的DNA中。发育是由一种叫做表观遗传修饰因子的蛋白质控制的复杂的基因开关来实现的。有时这种方法会出错，导致疾病。尽管它们起着至关重要的作用，但只有大约10%的潜在表观遗传修饰因子在人类身上得到了表征，这使得人们无法解释它们是如何协同工作的，或者它们何时失效。我们将开发一种新的基于筛选的技术，以发现数百种真正的表观遗传修饰因子。这项技术将帮助我们和其他澳大利亚科学家了解表观遗传学在正常发育和疾病中的作用，最终改善公众健康。

All the information required to form an adult human is contained in the DNA of the fertilized egg. Development is achieved by a complex orchestration of genes being switched on and off, controlled by proteins called epigenetic modifiers. Sometimes this goes awry, leading to disease. Despite their vital role, only around ten percent of the potential epigenetic modifiers have been characterized in humans, making it impossible to interpret how they work together, or when they fail. We will develop a novel screen-based technology to find hundreds more true epigenetic modifiers. This technology will aid us and other Australian scientists to understand the role of epigenetics in normal development and disease, ultimately leading to better public health.