Dr. Colin Logie developed steroid-regulated site-specific DNA recombination for his PhD (1995) at EMBL, Heidelberg. Later on, he went on to engineer nucleosome remodeling assays at UMASS in Worcester in the late nineties and has since then been a group leader at the Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences in the Netherlands, studying chromatin.
This book concerns the signatures left behind in chromosomes by the forces that drive DNA code evolution in the form of DNA nucleotide substitutions. Since the genetic code predetermines the molecular basis of life, it could have been about any aspect of biology. As it happens, it is largely about recent adaptation of pathogens and their human host. Nine chapters are medically oriented, two are bioinformatics-oriented and one is technological, describing the state of the art in synthetic point mutagenesis. What stands out in this book is the increasing rate at which DNA data has been amassed in the course of the past decade and how knowledge in this vibrant research field is currently being translated in the medical world.
Go to the bookPart of the book: Point Mutation
Glucocorticoids are central to homeostasis as a function of the circadian cycle, temporally preceding circulating adrenaline concentration circadian fluctuations. Virtually, all cell types express the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). GR is a transcription factor that activates gene expression by binding to enhancers. Intriguingly, not all cell types respond to GR stimulation in the same fashion at the molecular level. This indicates that GR activity is subject to epigenetic control. We discuss the molecular basis for epigenetic control of GR action at the genomic level, including the concept of topologically associating domains which may restrain the roaming range of distal enhancers. Furthermore, much evidence indicates that GR can repress gene expression programs. We therefore discuss current concepts of the molecular basis of GR-mediated gene expression repression, including non-genomic mechanisms that involve mRNA destabilization.
Part of the book: Corticosteroids