As near as I can figure, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and epigenetic mechanisms both regulate when and were and to what extent genes get expressed. But what is the relationship between GRNs and epigenetics? Are epigenetic mechanisms a subset of GRNs? If so, what distinguishes epigenetic mechanisms from other aspect of GRNs? Or are GRNs and epigenetic mechanisms distinct cellular mechanisms that work in tandem? Any clarification regarding these terms will be appreciated!
The DNA is like the hard drive of a computer. It contains the programs and data, but left to its own devices, it is inert. It needs material, enzymes and interaction with the cytoplasm to work. The cytoplasm acts as the motherboard, processor and input-output devices. The GRN is connected to the cytoplasm directly accessing the DNA hard drive, while epigenetic is a second layer that can modify the output from the DNA hard drive, so each gene can do more than make one protein.
