Posted by Larry Hoover on January 19, 2009, at 8:16:02
In reply to Re: Epigenetics and mental illness, posted by linkadge on January 18, 2009, at 8:29:37
> I also read that certain mood related epigenic changes can be reversed by HDAC inhibitors like valproate. Valproate has only *some* adjunctive efficacy in schizophrenia and *some* adjunctive efficacy in depression however.
You're way ahead of me on mechanisms, linkage. I had to look this up. The thing is, HDAC is suppressive of gene transcriptional activity generally, rather than specific to individual gene loci. I don't think we can generalize. At least, not yet.
> Also, don't agents like SAMe increase DNA methylation, yet it is an effective antidepressant for some people.
>
> LinkadgeMethylation of a suppressor gene would increase the expression of another.
What I'm trying to say is that methylation and histone acetylation and other biochemical changes are regulators of gene expression, assuredly. I don't know that general up- or down-regulation of these processes can lead to predictable outcomes. Yet.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:874594
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/874906.html