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Roberts JB, Rice SJ. Osteoarthritis as an Enhanceropathy: Gene Regulation in Complex Musculoskeletal Disease. Curr Rheumatol Rep 2024; 26:222-234. [PMID: 38430365 PMCID: PMC11116181 DOI: 10.1007/s11926-024-01142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Osteoarthritis is a complex and highly polygenic disease. Over 100 reported osteoarthritis risk variants fall in non-coding regions of the genome, ostensibly conferring functional effects through the disruption of regulatory elements impacting target gene expression. In this review, we summarise the progress that has advanced our knowledge of gene enhancers both within the field of osteoarthritis and more broadly in complex diseases. RECENT FINDINGS Advances in technologies such as ATAC-seq have facilitated our understanding of chromatin states in specific cell types, bolstering the interpretation of GWAS and the identification of effector genes. Their application to osteoarthritis research has revealed enhancers as the principal regulatory element driving disease-associated changes in gene expression. However, tissue-specific effects in gene regulatory mechanisms can contribute added complexity to biological interpretation. Understanding gene enhancers and their altered activity in specific cell and tissue types is the key to unlocking the genetic complexity of osteoarthritis. The use of single-cell technologies in osteoarthritis research is still in its infancy. However, such tools offer great promise in improving our functional interpretation of osteoarthritis GWAS and the identification of druggable targets. Large-scale collaborative efforts will be imperative to understand tissue and cell-type specific molecular mechanisms underlying enhancer function in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack B Roberts
- Skeletal Research Group, International Centre for Life, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Sarah J Rice
- Skeletal Research Group, International Centre for Life, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK.
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2
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Wang X, Li W, Feng X, Li J, Liu GE, Fang L, Yu Y. Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:76. [PMID: 37277852 PMCID: PMC10242889 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle, and its quality can be influenced by both epigenetic modification and epigenetic inheritance. The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming, while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring's development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline. Therefore, the selection of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers. We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Konge Larsen ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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3
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Fryett JJ, Morris AP, Cordell HJ. Investigating the prediction of CpG methylation levels from SNP genotype data to help elucidate relationships between methylation, gene expression and complex traits. Genet Epidemiol 2022; 46:629-643. [PMID: 35930604 PMCID: PMC9804820 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
As popularised by PrediXcan (and related methods), transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), in which gene expression is imputed from single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes and tested for association with a phenotype, are a popular approach for investigating the role of gene expression in complex traits. Like gene expression, DNA methylation is an important biological process and, being under genetic regulation, may be imputable from SNP genotypes. Here, we investigate prediction of CpG methylation levels from SNP genotype data to help elucidate relationships between methylation, gene expression and complex traits. We start by examining how well CpG methylation can be predicted from SNP genotypes, comparing three penalised regression approaches and examining whether changing the window size improves prediction accuracy. Although methylation at most CpG sites cannot be accurately predicted from SNP genotypes, for a subset it can be predicted well. We next apply our methylation prediction models (trained using the optimal method and window size) to carry out a methylome-wide association study (MWAS) of primary biliary cholangitis. We intersect the regions identified via MWAS with those identified via TWAS, providing insight into the interplay between CpG methylation, gene expression and disease status. We conclude that MWAS has the potential to improve understanding of biological mechanisms in complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J. Fryett
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Andrew P. Morris
- Centre for Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Centre for Musculoskeletal ResearchUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Heather J. Cordell
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
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4
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Daca-Roszak P, Jaksik R, Paczkowska J, Witt M, Ziętkiewicz E. Discrimination between human populations using a small number of differentially methylated CpG sites: a preliminary study using lymphoblastoid cell lines and peripheral blood samples of European and Chinese origin. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:706. [PMID: 33045984 PMCID: PMC7549247 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07092-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Epigenetics is one of the factors shaping natural variability observed among human populations. A small proportion of heritable inter-population differences are observed in the context of both the genome-wide methylation level and the methylation status of individual CpG sites. It has been demonstrated that a limited number of carefully selected differentially methylated sites may allow discrimination between main human populations. However, most of the few published results have been performed exclusively on B-lymphocyte cell lines. Results The goal of our study was to identify a set of CpG sites sufficient to discriminate between populations of European and Chinese ancestry based on the difference in the DNA methylation profile not only in cell lines but also in primary cell samples. The preliminary selection of CpG sites differentially methylated in these two populations (pop-CpGs) was based on the analysis of two groups of commercially available ethnically-specific B-lymphocyte cell lines, performed using Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450 BeadChip Array. A subset of 10 pop-CpGs characterized by the best differentiating criteria (|Mdiff| > 1, q < 0.05; lack of the confounding genomic features), and 10 additional CpGs in their immediate vicinity, were further tested using pyrosequencing technology in both B-lymphocyte cell lines and in the primary samples of the peripheral blood representing two analyzed populations. To assess the population-discriminating potential of the selected set of CpGs (further referred to as “composite pop (CEU-CHB)-CpG marker”), three classification methods were applied. The predictive ability of the composite 8-site pop (CEU-CHB)-CpG marker was assessed using 10-fold cross-validation method on two independent sets of samples. Conclusions Our results showed that less than 10 pop-CpG sites may distinguish populations of European and Chinese ancestry; importantly, this small composite pop-CpG marker performs well in both lymphoblastoid cell lines and in non-homogenous blood samples regardless of a gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Daca-Roszak
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Roman Jaksik
- Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Julia Paczkowska
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznan, Poland
| | - Michał Witt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznan, Poland
| | - Ewa Ziętkiewicz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznan, Poland
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Sarnowski C, Huan T, Jain D, Liu C, Yao C, Joehanes R, Levy D, Dupuis J. JEM: A joint test to estimate the effect of multiple genetic variants on DNA methylation. Genet Epidemiol 2020; 45:280-292. [PMID: 33038041 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Multiple methods have been proposed to aggregate genetic variants in a gene or a region and jointly test their association with a trait of interest. However, these joint tests do not provide estimates of the individual effect of each variant. Moreover, few methods have evaluated the joint association of multiple variants with DNA methylation. We propose a method based on linear mixed models to estimate the joint and individual effect of multiple genetic variants on DNA methylation leveraging genomic annotations. Our approach is flexible, can incorporate covariates and annotation features, and takes into account relatedness and linkage disequilibrium (LD). Our method had correct Type-I error and overall high power for different simulated scenarios where we varied the number and specificity of functional annotations, number of causal and total genetic variants, frequency of genetic variants, LD, and genetic variant effect. Our method outperformed the family Sequence Kernel Association Test and had more stable estimations of effects than a classical single-variant linear mixed-effect model. Applied genome-wide to the Framingham Heart Study data, our method identified 921 DNA methylation sites influenced by at least one rare or low-frequency genetic variant located within 50 kilobases (kb) of the DNA methylation site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Sarnowski
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tianxiao Huan
- Boston University's and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Deepti Jain
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Boston University's and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chen Yao
- Boston University's and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Roby Joehanes
- Boston University's and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Hebrew SeniorLife, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel Levy
- Boston University's and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.,The Population Sciences Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Josée Dupuis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Kader F, Ghai M, Olaniran AO. Characterization of DNA methylation-based markers for human body fluid identification in forensics: a critical review. Int J Legal Med 2019; 134:1-20. [PMID: 31713682 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-019-02181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Body fluid identification in crime scene investigations aids in reconstruction of crime scenes. Several studies have identified and reported differentially methylated sites (DMSs) and regions (DMRs) which differ between forensically relevant tissues (tDMRs) and body fluids. Diverse factors affect methylation patterns such as the environment, diets, lifestyle, disease, ethnicity, genetic variation, amongst others. Thus, it is important to analyse the stability of markers employed for forensic identification. Furthermore, even though epigenetic modifications are described as stable and heritable, epigenetic inheritance of potential markers for body fluid identification needs to be assessed in the long term. Here, we discuss the current status of reported DNA methylation-based markers and their verification studies. Such thorough investigation is crucial to develop a stable panel of DNA methylation-based markers for accurate body fluid identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzeen Kader
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, Republic of South Africa
| | - Meenu Ghai
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, Republic of South Africa.
| | - Ademola O Olaniran
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, Republic of South Africa
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Mørkve Knudsen T, Rezwan FI, Jiang Y, Karmaus W, Svanes C, Holloway JW. Transgenerational and intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in allergic diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018; 142:765-772. [PMID: 30040975 PMCID: PMC6167012 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
It has become clear that early life (including in utero exposures) is a key window of vulnerability during which environmental exposures can alter developmental trajectories and initiate allergic disease development. However, recent evidence suggests that there might be additional windows of vulnerability to environmental exposures in the parental generation before conception or even in previous generations. There is evidence suggesting that information of prior exposures can be transferred across generations, and experimental animal models suggest that such transmission can be conveyed through epigenetic mechanisms. Although the molecular mechanisms of intergenerational and transgenerationational epigenetic transmission have yet to be determined, the realization that environment before conception can alter the risks of allergic diseases has profound implications for the development of public health interventions to prevent disease. Future research in both experimental models and in multigenerational human cohorts is needed to better understand the role of intergenerational and transgenerational effects in patients with asthma and allergic disease. This will provide the knowledge basis for a new approach to efficient intervention strategies aimed at reducing the major public health challenge of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faisal I Rezwan
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Jiang
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn
| | - Wilfried Karmaus
- Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn
| | - Cecilie Svanes
- Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
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8
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Rawlik K, Rowlatt A, Sanabria-Salas MC, Hernández-Suárez G, Serrano López ML, Zabaleta J, Tenesa A. Evidence of epigenetic admixture in the Colombian population. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:501-508. [PMID: 28073928 PMCID: PMC5409088 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm) measured in lymphoblastoid cell lines has been repeatedly demonstrated to differ between various human populations. Due to the role that DNAm plays in controlling gene expression, these differences could significantly contribute to ethnic phenotypic differences. However, because previous studies have compared distinct ethnic groups where genetic and environmental context are confounded, their relative contribution to phenotypic differences between ethnicities remains unclear. Using DNAm assayed in whole blood and colorectal tissue of 132 admixed individuals from Colombia, we identified sites where differential DNAm levels were associated with the local ancestral genetic context. Our results are consistent with population specific DNAm being primarily driven by between population genetic differences in cis, with little environmental contribution, and with consistent effects across tissues. The findings offer new insights into a possible mechanism driving phenotypic differences among different ethnic groups, and could help explain ethnic differences in colorectal cancer incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Rawlik
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Amy Rowlatt
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - María Carolina Sanabria-Salas
- Subdirección de Investigaciones, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.,Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | | | - Martha Lucía Serrano López
- Subdirección de Investigaciones, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.,Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - Jovanny Zabaleta
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Albert Tenesa
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, Scotland, UK.,MRC HGU at the MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, UK
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9
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DNA methylation-based variation between human populations. Mol Genet Genomics 2016; 292:5-35. [PMID: 27815639 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-016-1264-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have proved that DNA methylation affects regulation of gene expression and development. Epigenome-wide studies have reported variation in methylation patterns between populations, including Caucasians, non-Caucasians (Blacks), Hispanics, Arabs, and numerous populations of the African continent. Not only has DNA methylation differences shown to impact externally visible characteristics, but is also a potential biomarker for underlying racial health disparities between human populations. Ethnicity-related methylation differences set their mark during early embryonic development. Genetic variations, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms and environmental factors, such as age, dietary folate, socioeconomic status, and smoking, impacts DNA methylation levels, which reciprocally impacts expression of phenotypes. Studies show that it is necessary to address these external influences when attempting to differentiate between populations since the relative impacts of these factors on the human methylome remain uncertain. The present review summarises several reported attempts to establish the contribution of differential DNA methylation to natural human variation, and shows that DNA methylation could represent new opportunities for risk stratification and prevention of several diseases amongst populations world-wide. Variation of methylation patterns between human populations is an exciting prospect which inspires further valuable research to apply the concept in routine medical and forensic casework. However, trans-generational inheritance needs to be quantified to decipher the proportion of variation contributed by DNA methylation. The future holds thorough evaluation of the epigenome to understand quantification, heritability, and the effect of DNA methylation on phenotypes. In addition, methylation profiling of the same ethnic groups across geographical locations will shed light on conserved methylation differences in populations.
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