The regulation of gene expression in many biological processes involves epigenetic mechanisms. In this new volume, 25 chapters written by experts in the field discuss epigenetic effects from many perspectives. There are chapters on the basic molecular mechanisms underpinning epigenetic regulation, discussion of cellular processes that rely on this kind of regulation, and surveys of organisms in which it has been most studied. Topics covered include histone and DNA methylation, siRNAs and gene silencing; X-chromosome inactivation, dosage compensation and imprinting; and discussion of epigenetics in microbes, plants, insects, and mammals. The last part of the book looks at how epigenetic mechanisms act in cell division and differentiation, and how errors in these pathways contribute to cancer and other human diseases. Also discussed are epigenetic effects in attempts to clone animals. This book is a major resource for those working in the field, as well as being a suitable text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on gene regulation. Contents: 1. Epigenetics: From Phenomenon to Field D.E. Gottschling 2. A Brief History of Epigenetics G. Felsenfeld 3. Overview and Concepts C.D. Allis, T. Jenuwein, and D. Reinberg 4. Epigenetics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae M. Grunstein and S. Gasser 5. Position Effect Variegation, Heterochro-matin Formation, and Gene Silencing in Drosophila S.C.R. Elgin and G. Reuter 6. Fungal Models for Epigenetic Research: Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Neurospora crassa R.C. Allshire and E.U. Selker 7. Epigenetics of Ciliates E. Meyer and D.L. Chalker 8. RNAi and Heterochromatin Assembly R. Martienssen and D. Moazed 9. Epigenetic Regulation in Plants M. Matzke and O. Mittelsten Scheid 10. Chromatin Modifications and Their Mechanism of Action T. Kouzarides and S.L. Berger 11. Transcriptional Silencing by Polycomb Group Proteins U. Grossniklaus and R. Paro 12. Transcriptional Regulation by Trithorax Group Proteins R.E. Kingston and J.W. Tamkun 13. Histone Variants and Epigenetics S. Henikoff and M.M. Smith 14. Epigenetic Regulation of Chromosome Inheritance G.H. Karpen and R.S. Hawley 15. Epigenetic Regulation of the X Chromosomes in C. elegans S. Strome and W.G. Kelly 16. Dosage Compensation in Drosophila J.C. Lucchesi and M.I. Kuroda 17. Dosage Compensation in Mammals N. Brockdorff and B.M. Turner 18. DNA Methylation in Mammals E. Li and A. Bird 19. Genomic Imprinting in Mammals D.P. Barlow and M.S. Bartolomei 20. Germ Line and Pluripotent Stem Cells M.A. Surani and W. Reik 21. Epigenetic Control of Lymphopoiesis M. Busslinger and A. Tarakhovsky 22. Nuclear Transplantation and the Reprogramming of the Genome R. Jaenisch and J. Gurdon 23. Epigenetics and Human Disease H.Y. Zoghbi and A.L. Beaudet 24. Epigenetic Determinants of Cancer S.B. Baylin and P.A. Jones Appendices Index