Genomics Inform.  2013 Mar;11(1):2-6. 10.5808/GI.2013.11.1.2.

ENCODE: A Sourcebook of Epigenomes and Chromatin Language

• Yavartanoo M
• Choi JK

• KMID: 1806264
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5808/GI.2013.11.1.2

Abstract

Until recently, since the Human Genome Project, the general view has been that the majority of the human genome is composed of junk DNA and has little or no selective advantage to the organism. Now we know that this conclusion is an oversimplification. In April 2003, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) launched an international research consortium called Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) to uncover non-coding functional elements in the human genome. The result of this project has identified a set of new DNA regulatory elements, based on novel relationships among chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, DNA methylation, transcription, and the occupancy of sequence-specific factors. The project gives us new insights into the organization and regulation of the human genome and epigenome. Here, we sought to summarize particular aspects of the ENCODE project and highlight the features and data that have recently been released. At the end of this review, we have summarized a case study we conducted using the ENCODE epigenome data.

Keyword

chromatin; ENCODE; human genome; nucleosome positioning; regulatory elements

MeSH Terms

Chromatin
DNA
DNA Methylation
DNA, Intergenic
Genome, Human
Histones
Human Genome Project
Humans
Imidazoles
National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.)
Nitro Compounds
Nucleosomes
Chromatin
DNA
DNA, Intergenic
Histones
Imidazoles
Nitro Compounds
Nucleosomes