LAUSR

In the last years, research efforts have been focused on the understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms linked to the control of the transcriptional activity and developmental processes. The study of developmental mechanisms has advanced significance over the last decade, and developmental programs that have undergone evolutionary specialization among species have recently been characterized. Epigenetics, which includes analysis of DNA methylation, histone code (i.e., histone methylation/demethylation, acetylation/deacetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, etc.), noncoding RNA (ncRNA) pathways and 3D genome organization, has made important progress towards understanding of the complexity of developmental processes. Epigenetic factors involved in the regulation of development are increasingly being identified in organisms ranging from yeast to humans, and it has been shown that epigenetic phenomena such as genomic imprinting, paramutation and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance are often closely linked to these processes. The main objective of this thematic issue is to present current research into the epigenetic mechanisms involved in developmental programming, their evolution and their roles in disease states.