Research Projects

Epigenetic Regulation of Zebrafish Development

During early zebrafish development, the DNA methylation patterns of the two parental genomes are harmonized such that genes important for early development lack DNA methylation, while the rest of the genome (including genes involved in terminal differentiation) becomes highly methylated. Prior to our recent results, it was unknown how these genes underwent DNA methylation reprogramming. However, one thing was clear – the maternal genome was reprogrammed to become identical to the paternal genome, and the paternal genomic DNA methylation patterns were maintained.

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Chromatin State Regulates Cellular Transitions

How cells transition from one state to another in vivo is a key question in biological sciences, with particular importance for the study of organismal development, carcinogenesis, and pluripotent reprogramming. In the early days of developmental biology, Conrad Waddington used the term ‘Epigenetics’ to refer to the process by which a cell transitions from one state to another during development, and how cells might be influenced by interactions between genes and their environment. Since this time, ‘Epigenetics’ has been redefined many times over, and now the definition includes molecular mechanisms for regulating gene activation or silencing (among others).

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