Muntean Andrew G, Hess Jay L
Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor MI 48109, USA.
Am J Pathol. 2009 Oct;175(4):1353-61. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.081142. Epub 2009 Aug 28.
One of the great paradoxes in cellular differentiation is how cells with identical DNA sequences differentiate into so many different cell types. The mechanisms underlying this process involve epigenetic regulation mediated by alterations in DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and nucleosome remodeling. It is becoming increasingly clear that disruption of the "epigenome" as a result of alterations in epigenetic regulators is a fundamental mechanism in cancer. This has major implications for the future of both molecular diagnostics as well as cancer chemotherapy.
细胞分化过程中一个巨大的悖论是，具有相同DNA序列的细胞如何分化成如此多不同的细胞类型。这一过程背后的机制涉及由DNA甲基化改变、组蛋白翻译后修饰和核小体重塑介导的表观遗传调控。越来越清楚的是，表观遗传调节因子的改变导致的“表观基因组”破坏是癌症的一个基本机制。这对分子诊断以及癌症化疗的未来都具有重大意义。
