Předběžný harmonogram:

Block 1: Introduction to concepts and molecular mechanisms of epigenetics.

· Week 1 (6/10). General introduction to the content & learning outcomes of the course, practical information. [CLP]

· Week 2 (13/10). Lecture: Basic concept of epigenetics (genetic and epigenetic information; chromatin structure; main components of epigenetic information (introduction): histones, DNA methylation; basic principles of introducing (targeting) and erasing epigenetic information, mitotic inheritance). [LF].

· Week 3 (20/10). Lecture: Histone PT modifications (enzymes; interpretation – interactions; basic functions) [LF]

· Week 4 (27/10). Lecture: DNA methylation (enzymes - sequence contexts; RNA-directed DNA methylation; interpretation, basic functions) [LF].

· Week 4 (3/11). Recap on epigenetic mechanisms: Group work, discussion, presentations [CLP] + [IS].

· Week 5 (10/11). Lecture: Methodologies to study epigenetics/epigenomics (methylation analysis by restriction, methylation analysis by bisulfite conversion; ChIP; dCAS9-ChIP/MS) [LF].

Block 2: biological roles of epigenetic mechanisms

· Week 6 (17/11). Lecture: Epigenetics, stress response, priming [CLP].

· Week 7 (25/11). Lecture: Epigenetics and sexual reproduction [CLP].

Block 3: plant epigenetics and evolution

· Week 8 (1/12). Lecture: Evolutionary perspectives I. Epigenetics and natural variation [IS] + [CLP].

· Week 9 (8/12). Lecture: Evolutionary perspectives II. Transgenerational memory: meiotic heritability vs clonal transmission. Group work [CLP] + [IS].

· Week 10 (15/12). Lecture: Evolutionary perspectives III. Meiotic heritability: how good is the evidence. Essay feedback and presentations [CLP].

12^th of January 2023 (date to be confirmed): “Miniconference” day with 2-3 external experts:

o Histone modifications: role in plant development [IM]

o Epigenetics in evolution [CB]

o Stress and breeding applications [SM]

Program of practical classes (16^th-20^th Jan; lab in Viničná 5, Prague 2) [VC] + [IS] + [CLP]:

· Searching for local histone modifications: Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), ChIP-PCR.

· Searching for DNA methylation silencing of a specific gene: Microscopy observation of reporter gene silencing, bisulfite conversion (BS) of DNA, BS-PCR, Sanger sequencing.

· Profiling epigenetic marks across the genome: Epigenomics: BS-Seq analysis, ChIP-Seq analysis.