Epigenetics involves inheritable changes to animal or plant cells by non-DNA molecules  that do not change the linear sequences of DNA. Typically, the message of a gene locus is activated, repressed or coordinated to that of another gene locus. This can achieved by the RNA product of one gene influencing the expression of another gene, or by the protein product of one gene influencing the expression of another gene. The specific change in gene expression is often inherited by one or both of the daughter cells following cell division. The ability of small noncoding RNA molecules to induce epigenetic changes such as methylation of specific DNA, activation or hydrolysis of specific RNA, and/or accumulation or destruction of specific proteins, provides the current model of riboregulation.

Sleutels F, Zwart R, and  Barlow DP, "The Noncoding Air RNA is Required for Silencing Autosomal Imprinted Genes", Nature 415: 820 (2002).

Additional References on Imprinting by Noncoding RNAs:

13. Mallory AC, Dugas DV, Bartel DP, and Bartel B, "MicroRNA Regulation of NAC-Domain Targets Is Required for Proper Formation and Separation of Adjacent Embryonic, Vegetative, and Floral Organs".

12. Takamizawa J, Konishi H, Yanagisawa K, Tomida S, Osada H, Endoh H, Harano T, Yatabe Y, Nagino M, Nimura Y, Mitsudomi T, and Takahashi T, "Reduced Expression of the let-7 MicroRNAs in Human Lung Cancers in Association with Shortened Postoperative Survival".

11. Kanno T, M. Mette MF, Kreil DP, Aufsatz W, Matzke M, and Matzke AJM, "Involvement of Putative SNF2 Chromatin Remodeling Protein DRD1 in RNA-Directed DNA Methylation".

10. Seitz H, Youngson N, Lin S-P, Dalbert S, Paulsen M, Bachellerie J-P, Ferguson-Smith AC, and Cavaille J, "Imprinted microRNA genes transcribed antisense to a reciprocally imprinted retrotransposon-like gene".

9. Dallosso AR, Hancock AL, Brown KW, Williams AC, Jackson S, and Malik K, "Genomic imprinting at the WT1 gene involves a novel coding transcript (AWT1) that shows deregulation in Wilms' tumours".

8. Sleutels F, Tjon G, Ludwig T, and Barlow DP, "Imprinted silencing of Slc22a2 and Slc22a3 does not need transcriptional overlap between Igf2r and Air".

7. Nikaido I, Saito C, Wakamoto A, Tomaru Y, Arakawa T, Hayashizaki Y, and Okazaki Y, "EICO (Expression-based Imprint Candidate Organizer): finding disease-related imprinted genes".

6. Han M-H, Goud S, Song L, and Fedoroff N, "The Arabidopsis double-stranded RNA-binding protein HYL1 plays a role in microRNA-mediated gene regulation".

5. Lai EC, Wiel C, and Rubin GM, "Complementary miRNA pairs suggest a regulatory role for miRNA:miRNA duplexes".

4. Sen G, Wehrman TS, Myers JW, and Blau HM, "Restriction enzyme-generated siRNA (REGS) vectors and libraries".

3. Takamizawa J, Konishi H, Yanagisawa K, Tomida S, Osada H, Endoh H, Harano T, Yatabe Y, Nagino M, Nimura Y, Mitsudomi T, and Takahashi T, "Reduced Expression of let-7 Micro RNAs in Human Lung Cancer is Associated with Shortened Post-Operative Survival," Cancer Res. 64: 3753 (2004).

2. Kelley RL, and Kuroda MI, "The Role of Chromosomal RNAs in Marking the X for Dosage Compensation".

1. DeCarvalho S. "Effect of  RNA from Normal Human Marrow on Leukaemic Marrow In-Vivo", Nature 197: 1077 (1963) .

Further Topics in:  Euchromatin,  active DNA, and  RNA  ribo-regulators:

Links to Euchromatin Activator RNA Reviews:
Links to Euchromatin Activator RNA Research:
Links to Ultrastructural Probes of DNase I-Sensitive Sites:
Links to RNA as a Therapeutic Agent:
Links to Hodgkin Lymphoma Immuno-Pathology:
Links to Activated T-Lymphocyte Immunotherapy:
Links to Medical Systems Biology:
Links to RNA-Induced Epigenetics:
Links to Reprogramming and Neoplasia:

"Ultrastructural Probes of Active DNA Sites, and the RNA Activators of DNA".

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