Non-CG Methylation and its Role in Development with Dr Ozren Bogdanovic

Our second guest from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in
Sydney, is DrOzren Bogdanovic. We are so privileged to talk today
to Ozren about his work in developmental epigenetics which covers
how DNA methylation participates in diverse developmental
processes, and how deposition and removal of the methylation mark
impacts upon embryonic and germline integrity. 


We discuss his recent publication on non-CG methylation at
satellite DNA repeats - something a little different this
week! Widespread non-CG methylation occurs in mammalian
embryonic stem cells and in the brain. In mammals, it is found at
CAC trinucleotides in the nervous system, and is associated with
transcriptional repression. It is found at CAG trinucleotides in
embryonic stem cells, and CAC methylation is a known conserved
feature of adult vertebrate brains. However, in his recent work,
Ozren describes how, as opposed to any of these established
methylation signatures, a novel form of non-CG methylation occurs
in the TGCT context within zebrafish mosaic satellite repeats.
TGCT methylation is inherited from both male and female gametes,
and is critical for development. Ozren also discusses enzymes
responsible for this observed novel methylation mark.


We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed talking to
Ozren.





Ozren's recent publication we discuss can be found here.


If you want to find out more, contact Ozren on Twitter or via
email.