Influence of diet on epigenome

Epigenetika proučava nasljedne promjene u ekspresiji gena i fenotipa, koje ne ostavljaju trag na molekuli DNA i transgeneracijski učinak okolišnih čimbenika. Za bolje razumijevanje definicije epigenetike, u diplomskom radu opisani su osnovni pojmovi u genetici, mehanizmi regulacije ekspresije pojedinih gena, te glavni molekularni mehanizmi epigenetike: metilacija DNA, modifikacija histona i RNA interferencija. Svaki od navedenih mehanizama možemo usporediti s prekidačem, koji 'pali ili gasi' određeni gen i time odlučuje o njihovoj ekspresiji. Epigenom upravo zbog toga možemo nazvati 'dodatnim slojem' genetičkih informacija koji mehanizmi (de)aktiviraju ukoliko postoji neki vanjski čimbenik koji utječe na njih, kojeg nazivamo epigenatorom. Hrana je čovjeku osnovno gorivo za organizam i iz nje dobivamo korisne, ali i neke štetne tvari. Opisana su dva istraživanja na miševima, u kojima su hranjeni određenom hranom, koja je mijenjala neka fenotipska obilježja njihovih potomaka. Tim spoznajama čovjek je shvatio kako naš život određuju ne samo naslijeđeni geni, već i niz drugih okolišnih čimbenika, na koje možemo utjecati.Epigenetics studies hereditary changes in gene and phenotypic expression, which do not leave any trace on the DNA molecule, as well as transgenerational effects of environmental factors. For a clear perception of the definition of epigenetics, this graduation thesis describes some basic notions of genetics, regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression, and the main molecular mechanisms of epigenetics: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA interference. Each of the mechanisms listed above can be compared to a switch, which 'turns off or on' a specific gene, thus deciding upon their expression. This is the reason we can refer to the epigenome as 'an additional layer' of genetic information, (de)activated by certain mechanisms if there is an external factor, called epigenator, influencing them. Food is the basic fuel for human organism from which we extract usefull, as well as some harmfull substances too. Two experiments conducted on mice have been described. The mice were fed by specific food, which than changed certain phenotypic characteristics of their offsprings. This made us realize that human life is determined not just by inherited genes, but also by a number of external factors, which we can influence