Concept · biology
Epigenetics
6 studies2 discoveries
Epigenetics refers to heritable or stable gene-regulation changes that do not alter the DNA sequence itself, such as DNA methylation.
Epigenetic marks sit between genome and environment — a staple of modern genetics teaching.
Studies
6
Findings
5
7 supporting · 0 challenging · 0 qualifying citations
Open tensions
1
Currently
What we know
- Multiple empirical papers in this library examine epigenetics with mechanistic biological findings.
- TSDR-like element is demethylated in stable Tregs; weak demethylation predicts unstable induced Foxp3.
- Inter-individual methylation variation tracks genetics and correlates with expression.
- 353 clock CpGs track age accurately across tissues; stem cells appear epigenetically young.
- VTRNA2-1 shows concordant multi-tissue methylation differences, is partly set by periconceptional environment, and remains stable ≥10 years; ME regions are depleted for CGIs/SINEs and enriched for LINEs/ERVs.
Largest unresolved question
Systems and scales differ across epigenetics studies (species, tissues, methods), so mechanisms should not be over-generalised.
Common misconceptions
Epigenetics findings from one model organism always transfer to humans.
Model systems teach mechanism; transfer to other species is a separate empirical claim.
Related
Claim ledger
What the evidence shows
Drawn from 6 studies in this library. Mix labels say which citation roles are present; they are not a strength score. Supports means evidence for a finding; Challenges means evidence against a stated position; Qualifies marks scope.
Multiple empirical papers in this library examine epigenetics with mechanistic biological findings.
- Epigenetic locking of Foxp3 in Tregs
- Genetics shapes methylation and expression
- A DNA methylation clock for human age
Study Role Design N Population Outcome Epigenetic locking of Foxp3 in Tregs Supports Animal / in-vitroBisulphite sequencing and ChIP of foxp3/TSDR in natural vs TGF-β–induced regulatory T cells Epigenetic comparison of Treg populations — no single primary analytic N in stored text Natural and induced Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (and comparator thymocytes) Demethylation of foxp3 regulatory regions predicting Treg stability Genetics shapes methylation and expression Supports Cross-sectionalIllumina 27K promoter methylation in Yoruba HapMap LCLs linked to genotypes and RNA-seq N=77 · 77 LCLs; RNA-seq available for 69 HapMap Yoruba lymphoblastoid cell lines Genetic and expression correlates of inter-individual DNA methylation A DNA methylation clock for human age Supports Computational / modellingElastic-net DNA methylation age predictor trained/validated across multi-tissue Illumina datasets N=7844 · 7,844 non-cancer samples from 82 datasets used in the overall analysis (cancer sets analysed separately) Human tissues and cell types with Illumina DNA methylation arrays Multi-tissue epigenetic age from 353 clock CpGs TSDR-like element is demethylated in stable Tregs; weak demethylation predicts unstable induced Foxp3.
Inter-individual methylation variation tracks genetics and correlates with expression.
353 clock CpGs track age accurately across tissues; stem cells appear epigenetically young.
VTRNA2-1 shows concordant multi-tissue methylation differences, is partly set by periconceptional environment, and remains stable ≥10 years; ME regions are depleted for CGIs/SINEs and enriched for LINEs/ERVs.
Debates
Tensions and limits
Some items are genuine disagreements on the same question. Others mark different assays, populations, or outcomes.
Systems and scales differ across epigenetics studies (species, tissues, methods), so mechanisms should not be over-generalised.
Systems and scales differ across epigenetics studies (species, tissues, methods), so mechanisms should not be over-generalised.
- Epigenetic locking of Foxp3 in Tregs
- Genetics shapes methylation and expression
- A DNA methylation clock for human age
Study Role Design N Population Outcome Epigenetic locking of Foxp3 in Tregs Supports Animal / in-vitroBisulphite sequencing and ChIP of foxp3/TSDR in natural vs TGF-β–induced regulatory T cells Epigenetic comparison of Treg populations — no single primary analytic N in stored text Natural and induced Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (and comparator thymocytes) Demethylation of foxp3 regulatory regions predicting Treg stability Genetics shapes methylation and expression Supports Cross-sectionalIllumina 27K promoter methylation in Yoruba HapMap LCLs linked to genotypes and RNA-seq N=77 · 77 LCLs; RNA-seq available for 69 HapMap Yoruba lymphoblastoid cell lines Genetic and expression correlates of inter-individual DNA methylation A DNA methylation clock for human age Supports Computational / modellingElastic-net DNA methylation age predictor trained/validated across multi-tissue Illumina datasets N=7844 · 7,844 non-cancer samples from 82 datasets used in the overall analysis (cancer sets analysed separately) Human tissues and cell types with Illumina DNA methylation arrays Multi-tissue epigenetic age from 353 clock CpGs
PaperFren reads this as a limit on how far one study travels — different assays, populations, or outcomes — not a forced fight between papers.
Timeline
How understanding moved
Study years are when the paper was published. Evidence edits are dated changes to this page's claims. Explanations are when PaperFren added a Discovery — not a claim that the science happened that day.
2026
Change log
What changed
Dated edits to this page's evidence: studies added or removed from a claim, claims added or withdrawn, and new explanations tagged here. Coverage edits are distinct from reviewed research changes and corrections. Dates record PaperFren updates; study publication dates appear in the timeline.
- One methylation clock reads age across nearly every human tissueEvidence: Established
- A methylation mark separated regulatory T cells that last from ones that do notEvidence: Strengthening
- Coverage updated · Concept page published
Papers
6 studies in this library bear on Epigenetics, ordered by citations.
- A DNA methylation clock for human age
A 353-CpG epigenetic clock predicts age across diverse human tissues.
- Epigenetic locking of Foxp3 in Tregs
Stable regulatory T cells fully demethylate a conserved foxp3 region; TGF-β–induced Tregs do not.
- Genetics shapes methylation and expression
In HapMap LCLs, promoter methylation associates with genetic variants and transcript levels.
- Three CpGs track blood aging
Age-related blood DNA methylation at a few CpGs predicts chronological age with ~3.3-year MAD.
- VTRNA2-1: an environment-sensitive human epiallele
Independent genome-wide methylation screens converge on VTRNA2-1 as a systemic metastable epiallele shaped by periconceptional environment and stable for years.
- Histone acylations respond to plant stress
Rice histone butyrylation and crotonylation mark active chromatin and shift under starvation/submergence.
Compare studies
Select 2–10 studies. Design and N are labels, not a ranking.
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Questions
What is still open
Systems and scales differ across epigenetics studies (species, tissues, methods), so mechanisms should not be over-generalised.
Ask PaperFren about Epigenetics
Study this conceptflashcards and short-answer questions
What is Epigenetics?
Epigenetics refers to heritable or stable gene-regulation changes that do not alter the DNA sequence itself, such as DNA methylation.
Why does Epigenetics matter for biology undergraduates?
Epigenetic marks sit between genome and environment — a staple of modern genetics teaching.