Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of heritable and reversible changes in gene expression that occur without alteration of the underlying DNA sequence. The principal molecular mechanisms are DNA methylation, in which methyl groups added to cytosine residues typically silence transcription; histone modifications such as acetyl…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 33× across the literature

Overview

Epigenetics is the study of heritable and reversible changes in gene expression that occur without alteration of the underlying DNA sequence. The principal molecular mechanisms are DNA methylation, in which methyl groups added to cytosine residues typically silence transcription; histone modifications such as acetylation and methylation, which remodel chromatin to open or condense it; and regulation by non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs that modulate transcript stability and translation. Together these marks constitute an epigenome that governs which genes are active in a given cell type and developmental stage, explaining how cells with identical genomes acquire distinct identities and functions. Epigenetic states are dynamic and responsive to environmental inputs such as nutrition, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and other exposures, providing a route by which environment can influence phenotype and disease risk. Dysregulated epigenetic control is implicated in cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological conditions, and chronic pain, and microRNA-based assays are being explored for diagnostic screening. Epigenetic regulation is also fundamental in plants, where it contributes to phenotypic variation relevant to breeding. Research in this area examines the enzymes that write, read, and erase epigenetic marks, their roles in differentiation and pathology, and their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2015

Epigenetics and Nutrition

Kenneth LundstromCorresponding author
Exact topic International Journal of Nutrition Cited by 2 doi:10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-14-603

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 33 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Nov 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Epigenetics, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Journal of Psychological Disorders.

Journal editorial board
Detlef Dietrich · Germany Erhabor Idemudia · South Africa Farideh Hamidi · Iran

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.