| Heritable epigenetic modification is an additional layer of information that is stored in the human genome, and contributes to inter-individual phenotypic heterogeneity. Epigenetic misregulation of critical processes such as imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, and the transcriptional control of genes contributes fundamentally to the etiology of many human diseases. In this study I demonstrate the existence of differences in DNA methylation profiles in germ-cells between healthy males. The experimental strategy included the scanning of CpG islands with microarrays to identify regions of high and low inter-individual variability in DNA methylation patterns in the genome, which was then confirmed with detailed SNaPshot analysis. In addition, a number of genes exhibited age-related methylation changes. Further research may focus on the elucidation of the extent of epigenetic inheritance in humans, a process that may explain why some diseases appear to be sporadic, show weak genetic linkage, or are late-onset. |
