Mandrioli M
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 213/D, 41100, Modena, Italy.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2004 Oct;61(19-20):2425-7. doi: 10.1007/s00018-004-4184-y.
The function of DNA methylation has been investigated in depth in vertebrate and plant genomes, establishing that it is involved in gene silencing and transposon control. Data regarding insect methylation, even if still scanty, apparently argue against evolutionary conservation of DNA methylation functions. Cytosine methylation, therefore, proves to be an epigenetic tool repeatedly used to accomplish different functions in different taxa according to a sort of epigenetic tinkering occurring during evolution.
DNA甲基化的功能已在脊椎动物和植物基因组中得到深入研究,证实其与基因沉默和转座子控制有关。关于昆虫甲基化的数据,即便仍然稀少,但显然与DNA甲基化功能的进化保守性相悖。因此,胞嘧啶甲基化被证明是一种表观遗传工具,根据进化过程中发生的某种表观遗传修补,在不同分类群中反复用于实现不同功能。