Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study of the heredity of variations in gene regulation and, thus, phenotype, that occurs independent of any change in DNA sequence. The primary mechanism by which this happens is through post translational modification (e.g. methylation and acetylation) of histones, although several other mechanisms are known to exist. Epigenetic gene regulation is also important physiologically; epigenetic reprogramming is one of the major mechanisms by which pluripotent stem cells and, subsequently, their daughter cells are committed to a specific cell type lineage during development.