The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Single Cell epigenetics

Epigenetics refers to the chromatin modifications that can change the expression of phenotypes but does not alter the underlining DNA. These modifications include but are not limited to histone methylation, histone acetylation, and chromatin folding. Studies suggested that methylation can activate or silence the expression of genes; and that histone acetylation can alter the chromatin structure. The changes in chromatin structure can expose hidden transcriptional factor binding sides and thus affect the differentiation potential. Moreover, these histone modifications are affected by the introduction of different metabolites and cellular microenvironment. To achieve a better understanding of how metabolites and environmental chemical contribute to the development of epigenetic phenotypes in human cells, this study was carried out using human cells and single cell probes that enable us to track epigenetic changes. Previously developed histone methylation and acetylation binding proteins were used to monitor the epigenetic marks in live cells before and after the treatment. The study is expected to measure the level of methylation at the gene foci and determine if a stable phenotype is developed by inducting different stimuli. This study will provide a better understanding into the effect of metabolite on the development of mesenchymal stem cells.