epimutation
noun[ɛpɪmjuˈteɪʃən]
Etymology From epi- + mutation; compare epigenetic.
1
Biology, Genetics, Medicine, Natural sciences, Sciences A heritable change in gene expression that does not affect the actual base pair sequence of DNA.
- The first sign of cellular abnormality in some tumors is an epimutation—a change in heritable chromatin marks, such as an increase or decrease in the density of DNA methylation.2005, Eva Jablonka, Marion J. Lamb, Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life, MIT Press, →ISBN, page 248:
- Related terms
- epimutant, epimutational, epigenetics