epigenetics, The study of the chemical modification of specific genes or gene-associated proteins of an organism. Epigenetic modifications define how genetic information is read and used by cells. Epigenetic modifications can be inherited and are influenced by environmental factors, some of which can induce epigenetic signaling that may contribute to biological processes such as aging. Methylation is the principal epigenetic modification of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and of proteins called histones that package DNA into chromatin inside a cell. Epigenetic modifications influence gene expression and enable the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (cells with the potential to become any of many different kinds of cells) into distinct cell types early in embryological development. The ability to control and alter stem cell differentiation through the manipulation of epigenetic modifications has profound implications for the treatment of conditions such as neurodegenerative disease.
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