Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype, caused by mechanisms other than changes in the DNA sequence. Examples include DNA methylation and histone modification. These changes may remain through cell divisions and multiple generations. Epigenetic differences among individuals may account for some of the differences between monozygotic (identical) twins. Aberrant DNA methylation is also frequently associated with human aging and diseases, such as cancer. This collection of overviews and laboratory protocols provides crucial, distilled information about the roles of epigenetics in cancer development. The overviews are geared for research scientists who need to learn more about the current understanding of epigenetic variation in humans and how the processes of DNA methylation and histone modification are regulated. The protocols give step-by-step instructions on how to detect DNA methylation using various methods such as MAPit, CHARM (arrays) and methylation-specific PCR. This e-book a curated collection from eLS, WIREs, and Current Protocols offers a fantastic introduction to the fields of genetics, genomics, and oncogenesis for students or interdisciplinary collaborators. Table of Contents: Introduction Epigenetic Variation in Humans eLS Jon F. Wilkins Genetic and Epigenetic Heterogeneity in Cancer eLS Joshua B. Stevens, Batoul Y. Abdallah, Steven D. Horne, Guo Liu, Steven W. Bremer and Henry H. Heng Techniques & Applications Mediators and Dynamics of DNA Methylation WIREs Systems Biology and Medicine Robert Shoemaker, Wei Wang and Kun Zhang DNA Methylation Alterations in Multiple Myeloma as a Model for Epigenetic Changes in Cancer WIREs Systems Biology and Medicine Amy Sharma, Christoph J. Heuck, Melissa J. Fazzari, Jayesh Mehta, Seema Singhal, John M. Greally and Amit Verma Ink4?-Arf Locus in Cancer and Aging WIREs Developmental Biology Charles J. Sherr Protocols Simultaneous Single-Molecule Mapping of Protein-DNA Interactions and DNA Methylation by MAPit Current Protocols in Molecular Biology Carolina E. Pardo, Russell P. Darst, Nancy H. Nabilsi, Amber L. Delmas and Michael P. Kladde Comprehensive High-Throughput Arrays for Relative Methylation (CHARM) Current Protocols in Human Genetics Christine Ladd-Acosta, Martin J. Aryee, Jared M. Ordway and Andrew P. Feinberg Methylation-specific PCR Current Protocols in Human Genetics Bradford Coffee
