Provide several examples of beneficial and adverse consequences of activating or silencing gene expression

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Many nutrients and phytochemicals regulate gene expression and influence health through their involvement in DNA methylation. Some, such as folate, silence genes and protect against some cancers by increasing methylation. Others, such as a phytochemical found in green tea, activate genes and protect against some cancers by inhibiting methylation activity. Whether silencing or activating a gene is beneficial or harmful depends on what the gene does. Silencing a gene that stimulates cancer growth, for example, would be beneficial, but silencing a gene that suppresses cancer growth would be harmful. Similarly, activating a gene that defends against obesity would be beneficial, but activating a gene that promotes obesity would be harmful. Much research is under way to determine which nutrients activate or silence which genes. Such knowledge is expected to help researchers reverse the epigenetic changes that lead to cancer. Similarly, researchers exploring how kcalorie-restricted diets influence DNA methylation are gaining new insights on the regulation of appetite and the metabolism of weight loss.