Epigenetic Regulation of Gene Expression

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请请求支持将于2003年8月10-15日在新罕布什尔州的霍洛维茨学校举行的第五届戈登基因表达表观遗传调控研究会议。 表观遗传调控是由染色质结构和/或DNA甲基化的可遗传但可能可逆的变化的产生和维持介导的，其改变基因表达而不改变DNA序列。 表观遗传效应已在许多生物体中发现，它们包括一些与基础科学和应用科学相关的最有趣和积极研究的现象。 例如，染色体上表观遗传印记事件的丢失有助于许多人类癌症类型中的肿瘤进展。 此外，编码DNA甲基转移酶和甲基-DNA结合蛋白的基因突变分别导致免疫缺陷、着丝粒不稳定和面部异常（ICF综合征）和Rett综合征形式的精神发育迟滞，而印记缺失导致儿童疾病，如Angelman和Prader-Willi综合征。 越来越多的证据表明，表观遗传沉默有助于克隆之间的变异，这对生物医学竞技场领域的干细胞研究以及农业中农场动物的克隆具有深远的影响。 值得注意的是，表观遗传沉默背后的分子机制在真菌和植物中是保守的，它们影响转基因沉默和体细胞克隆变异，以及显著促进自然变异和许多经典遗传异常，如副突变。 过去几年来，在阐明这些机制方面取得了巨大进展，这将是本次会议的一个主要重点。 受邀演讲者是从事真菌，植物和动物模型以及人类疾病研究的主要研究人员，他们将涵盖DNA甲基化的控制和功能，组蛋白修饰，RNA干扰，印记，X-失活，朊病毒，表观遗传学和疾病，基因组防御系统，副突变和位置效应等主题。 表观遗传学戈登会议为研究不同生物体中相关现象的研究人员提供了一个独特的机会，让他们聚集在一起，交流最新的结果和想法。 正是在这样一个跨学科的环境中，智力飞跃发生，创新思想蓬勃发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests support for the Fifth Gordon Research Conference on Epigenetic Regulation of Gene Expression to be held at Holderness School, New Hampshire, August 10-15, 2003. Epigenetic regulation is mediated by the creation and maintenance of heritable, but potentially reversible, changes in chromatin structure and/or DNA methylation, which alters gene expression without altering DNA sequence. Epigenetic effects have been discovered in many organisms and they comprise some of the most intriguing and actively investigated phenomena with relevance to both basic and applied science. For example, loss of epigenetically imprinted events on the chromosome contribute to tumor progression in many human cancer types. In addition, mutations in genes encoding DNA methyltransferase and a methyl-DNA binding protein lead to mental retardation in the form of immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies (ICF syndrome) and Rett syndrome, respectively, while loss of imprinting leads to childhood diseases such as Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes. There is increasing evidence that epigenetic silencing contributes to variation among clones, which has profound implications for stem cell research in the biomedical arena, as well as for the cloning of farm animals in agriculture. Remarkably, the molecular mechanisms that underlie epigenetic silencing are conserved in fungi and in plants, where they impact transgene silencing and somaclonal variation, as well as contributing significantly to natural variation and a host of classical genetic anomalies, such as paramutation. There has been tremendous progress in elucidating these mechanisms in the last few years and this will be a major focus of this conference. Invited speakers are leading researchers working on fungal, plant, and animal models as well as human disease, who will cover topics such as control and function of DNA methylation, histone modifications, RNA interference, imprinting, X-inactivation, prions, epigenetics and disease, genome defense systems, paramutation, and position effects. The Epigenetics Gordon Conference provides a unique opportunity for researchers working on related phenomena in different organisms to come together and exchange recent results and ideas. It is in a cross-disciplinary environment such as this that intellectual leaps occur and innovative ideas flourish.