Epigenetic Effects on Mental Disorders Involving Gene NR3C1

Student: Ruby Miller
Category: Class Project

Epigenetics involves the studying of how environmental factors affect gene function. Although DNA sequences are fixed, the epigenome is highly dynamic and can be influenced by external factors. External factors such as traumatic experiences or being placed into stressful environments may result in epigenetic changes, which may lead to the development of mental disorders. When studying DNA methylation in individuals with mental disorders, there were similar changes observed in specifically the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 across multiple studies. The studying of this specific gene could be used to develop future methods of studying epigenetics involved in mental disorders. In order to investigate this, a literature search involving various findings from multiple studies must be collected. Results from these previous studies can then be compared to determine if studying this specific gene would be beneficial for the future of epigenetics involving mental disorders. In addition, findings from this research could potentially aid in a better understanding of mental disorders as well as allow further research into potential treatments for some mental disorders.