International Journal of Molecular Veterinary Research 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 32-39 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmvr 34 Mice are able to adapt to different temperature environments through a variety of physiological and molecular mechanisms. The study of these mechanisms helps researchers better understand the adaptability of organisms to environmental changes and provides new ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of related diseases. 2 Basic Knowledge of Epigenetics Epigenetics is a discipline that studies genetic changes that do not involve changes in DNA sequence during the transmission of genetic information in cells (Inbar-Feigenberg et al., 2013). Compared with traditional genetic research, which focuses on changes in DNA sequence, epigenetics pays more attention to the regulation mechanism of gene expression and its impact on individual phenotype and function. 2.1 Overview of epigenetics Epigenetics involves a series of genetic changes that can be inherited but are not caused by changes in DNA sequence, mainly including DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNA, etc. These genetic changes can affect cell function and individual phenotypes by regulating gene expression levels. Epigenetics plays an important role in development, disease, and environmental adaptation. 2.2 Types and functions of epigenetic marks DNA methylation is the earliest discovered epigenetic mark, which regulates the transcriptional activity of genes by adding methyl groups to DNA molecules. DNA methylation plays an important role in genome stability, gene silencing, and genomic imprinting. Histone modification. Histone is the main structural protein of chromatin. Chemical modification of amino acids on histone, such as methylation, acetylation, etc., can regulate the tightness of chromatin, thereby affecting the accessibility genes and transcriptional activity. Non-coding RNA, this type of RNA molecules does not participate in protein coding, but can affect gene expression by regulating transcription, splicing, translation and other processes. including microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), etc., which play an important role in the regulation of gene expression and cell function. 2.3 Current status of research on epigenetic markers in mice In mice, important progress has been made in the study of epigenetic marks. Mice are a commonly used experimental animal model. Their genome structure is highly similar to humans, so they are widely used to study epigenetics. The main research directions include DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNA, etc. In recent years, researchers have conducted in-depth studies on DNA methylation in the mouse genome, revealing its important role in development, disease, and environmental adaptation. By measuring the methylation levels of mice in different tissues and under different physiological states, the complex mechanism of DNA methylation in the regulation of mouse gene expression was revealed. Histone modifications in the mouse genome have also received much attention. Studies have found that there are significant differences in histone modification patterns in different tissues, different developmental stages and different environmental conditions in mice, and changes in these modification patterns are closely related to gene expression regulation. Research on non-coding RNAs in mice is also continuing. Researchers have discovered that there are a large number of non-coding RNAs such as miRNA and lncRNA in the mouse genome, which are involved in regulating physiological processes such as mouse development, immune response, and metabolism. Mice, as important experimental model animals, play an important role in the study of epigenetic markers, providing important clues for researchers with an in-depth understanding of the basic principles of epigenetics and their functions in life activities. 3 Effects of Temperature on Epigenetic Marks in Mice Temperature is an important environmental factor in the survival and development of organisms, and has a significant impact on the physiological and ecological adaptation of mammals such as mice (Li and Yin, 2023).
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