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Epigenome: The Guide to Genomic Expression

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Abstract

Epigenetic research endeavours to empathize traditional gene regulation not under direct encoding of DNA sequence. Histone modifications, DNA methylation and binding of nonhistone proteins are well-identified mechanisms of epigenetic control of cellular phenotype by gene expression regulations. Environmental factors cause, wholly or partly, different human diseases. Environmental chemicals have long been accepted to cause many diseases through alterations in the genome or genetic effects. Epigenomics (i.e. beyond genomics) encompasses amalgamation of customary genomics with other branches of science like mathematics, computer science, biochemistry, chemistry, proteomics and molecular biology. It looks for the comprehensive analysis of heritable phenotypic changes, alterations in gene function/expression that are not independent of gene sequence. The epigenomic science offers and beckons novel opportunities to help and elevate our understanding of nuclear organization, regulation of transcription, developmental phenomena and diseases at molecular level. This article presents a comprehensive report about the existing computational strategies and approaches for studying the different factors of epigenetics, with special focus on important computational tools and biological databases. In addition, a brief introduction into epigenetics have also been outlined.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India

    Ajit Kumar

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Apex Bioinformatics Centre, Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi, India

    Gulshan Wadhwa

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  1. Ajit Kumar
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  2. Gulshan Wadhwa
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology Apex Bioinformatics Centre, Ministry of Science & Technology, New Delhi, India

    Gulshan Wadhwa

  2. Department of Bioinformatics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

    P. Shanmughavel

  3. Central Research Facility, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Atul Kumar Singh

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India

    Jayesh R. Bellare

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Kumar, A., Wadhwa, G. (2018). Epigenome: The Guide to Genomic Expression. In: Wadhwa, G., Shanmughavel, P., Singh, A., Bellare, J. (eds) Current trends in Bioinformatics: An Insight. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7483-7_5

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