Final answer:
Restless genes likely refer to those subject to epigenetic changes affecting expression, impacting conditions like cancer. Reversing epigenetic alterations could restore normal gene function, and maternal care in rats has shown the environmental effect on gene expression. Decreased HDAC9 can increase inflammatory gene activation in autoimmune diseases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term “restless genes” is not explicitly defined in the provided reference material. However, based on the context of genes being regulated by epigenetic mechanisms and their role in diseases like cancer, it can be inferred that “restless genes” might refer to genes that are subjected to alterations in their expression due to changes in epigenetic modifications. These modifications can lead to genes being turned off or on inappropriately, as seen in cancer cells where normal gene expression is disrupted. To reverse such aberrant epigenetic modifications, one could target the specific epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation or histone modification, to reinstate the normal expression of these genes.
Studies on rats have demonstrated that maternal care can result in lasting epigenetic changes in offspring, illustrating the impact of environment on gene expression. For autoimmune diseases linked with decreased HDAC9 expression, it's likely that the absence of deacetylation leads to heightened activation of inflammatory genes due to the resulting loose chromatin structure, which is more accessible for transcription.