Summary
Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in the genome that alter gene expression and chromosome structure without altering the underlying DNA sequence. These changes can come in the form of DNA methylation, which are small chemical additions to the DNA, or in chromosome-associated proteins which package the DNA into organized structures. While the role of epigenetics in organisms such as plants, animals, and fungi is well established, its evolutionary significance in bacteria remains poorly understood. Recent observations suggest that the proteins bacteria use to organize their DNA and respond
