Genome Stability: From Virus to Human Application, Second Edition, a volume in the Translational Epigenetics series, explores how various species maintain genome stability and genome diversification in response to environmental factors. Here, across thirty-eight chapters, leading researchers provide a deep analysis of genome stability in DNA/RNA viruses, prokaryotes, single cell eukaryotes, lower multicellular eukaryotes, and mammals, examining how epigenetic factors contribute to genome stability and how these species pass memories of encounters to progeny. Topics also include major DNA repair mechanisms, the role of chromatin in genome stability, human diseases associated with genome instability, and genome stability in response to aging. This second edition has been fully revised to address evolving research trends, including CRISPRs/Cas9 genome editing; conventional versus transgenic genome instability; breeding and genetic diseases associated with abnormal DNA repair; RNA and extrachromosomal DNA; cloning, stem cells, and embryo development; programmed genome instability; and conserved and divergent features of repair. This volume is an essential resource for geneticists, epigeneticists, and molecular biologists who are looking to gain a deeper understanding of this rapidly expanding field, and can also be of great use to advanced students who are looking to gain additional expertise in genome stability.

Every species has to preserve the integrity of its genome to ensure faithful passage of genetic information to the progeny. At the same time, there are times during the life of the organism and population in general when a fine balance in genome stability and diversification has to be made to benefit the survival of the species. Genome Stability teaches the reader how various species maintain this fine balance in genome stability and genome diversification in response to their environments. Genome Stability covers a wide range of topics, including the genome stability of DNA/RNA viruses, prokaryotes, single cell eukaryotes, lower multicellular eukaryotes and mammals. Topics also include major DNA repair mechanisms, the role of chromatin in genome stability, human diseases associated with genome instability as well as changes in genome stability in response to aging. Finally, Genome Stability covers how epigenetic factors contribute to genome stability and how the species pass the memory of the encounters to the progeny, thus influencing the genome of the progeny in an indirect manner. This volume is an essential resource for geneticists, epigeneticists, and molecular biologists who are looking to gain a deeper understanding of this rapidly-expanding field, and can also be of great use to advanced students who are looking to gain additional expertise in genome stability.

Genome stability of every species depends on complex interaction of predefined and environmentally induced genetic and epigenetic states. Predefined states consist of chromatin structure and cell metabolic processes such as DNA repair, radical scavenging and cell signalling, whereas induced states depend on interactions with the environment. Organisms are able to respond to a changing environment by various alterations in their somatic cells as well as in their germline and progeny. In this book, we will describe various phenomena associated with the maintenance of genome stability. These include genetic and epigenetic responses to various stresses in exposed cells and organisms, bystander and, bystander-like effects, transgenerational changes in genome stability and stress tolerance in bacteria, plants and animals.