Epigenetics - Softcover

The historical accounts of the rise of epigenetics as a field of study, combined with the inclusion of cutting-edging epigenetics research in various biological processes and model organisms, provide the reader with a clear sense of what epigenetics research is about, where it came from, where it is now, and where it is headed. It will prove to be the book that everyone with an interest in epigenetics would want to have and read. --Cell

As a whole, Epigenetics is an impressive volume. The contributors provide an accurate survey of the field, from where it began, through where it is today, to where it is heading. Their accounts help set the stage for deepening our understanding of epigenetic phenomena and mechanisms. And the volume will undoubtedly prove to be very useful for students and researchers alike. --Science

The regulation of gene expression in many biological processes involves epigenetic mechanisms. In this new volume, 24 chapters written by experts in the field discuss epigenetic effects from many perspectives. There are chapters on the basic molecular mechanisms underpinning epigenetic regulation, discussion of cellular processes that rely on this kind of regulation, and surveys of organisms in which it has been most studied. Thus, there are chapters on histone and DNA methylation, siRNAs and gene silencing; X-chromosome inactivation, dosage compensation and imprinting; and discussion of epigenetics in microbes, plants, insects, and mammals. The last part of the book looks at how epigenetic mechanisms act in cell division and differentiation, and how errors in these pathways contribute to cancer and other human diseases. Also discussed are consequences of epigenetics in attempts to clone animals. This book is a major resource for those working in the field, as well as being a suitable text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on gene regulation.