An epigenomics approach to individual differences and its translation to neuropsychiatric conditions.

An epigenomics approach to individual differences and its translation to neuropsychiatric conditions. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2016 Sep;18(3):289-298 Authors: Sweatt JD, Tamminga CA Abstract This review concerns epigenetic mechanisms and their roles in conferring interindividual differences, especially as related to experientially acquired and genetically driven changes in central nervous system (CNS) function. In addition, the review contains commentary regarding the possible ways in which epigenomic changes may contribute to neuropsychiatric conditions and disorders and ways in which epigenotyping might be cross-correlated with clinical phenotyping in the context of precision medicine. The review begins with a basic description of epigenetic marking in the CNS and how these changes are powerful regulators of gene readout. Means for characterizing the individual epigenotype are briefly described, with a focus on DNA cytosine methylation as a readily measurable, stable epigenetic mark. This background enables a discussion of how "epigenotyping" might be integrated along with genotyping and deep phenotyping as a means of implementing advanced precision medicine. Finally, the commentary addresses two exemplars when considering how epigenotype may correlate with and modulate cognitive and behavioral phenotype: schizophrenia and Rett syndrome. These two disorders provide an interesting compare-and-contrast example regarding possible epig...
Source: Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Tags: Dialogues Clin Neurosci Source Type: research
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