Department of Cellular Dynamics, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2011 Jan;68(1):27-44. doi: 10.1007/s00018-010-0505-5. Epub 2010 Aug 27.
Even though every cell in a multicellular organism contains the same genes, the differing spatiotemporal expression of these genes determines the eventual phenotype of a cell. This means that each cell type contains a specific epigenetic program that needs to be replicated through cell divisions, along with the genome, in order to maintain cell identity. The stable inheritance of these programs throughout the cell cycle relies on several epigenetic mechanisms. In this review, DNA methylation and histone methylation by specific histone lysine methyltransferases (KMT) and the Polycomb/Trithorax proteins are considered as the primary mediators of epigenetic inheritance. In addition, non-coding RNAs and nuclear organization are implicated in the stable transfer of epigenetic information. Although most epigenetic modifications are reversible in nature, they can be stably maintained by self-recruitment of modifying protein complexes or maintenance of these complexes or structures through the cell cycle.
尽管多细胞生物中的每个细胞都含有相同的基因，但这些基因在时空上的不同表达决定了细胞的最终表型。这意味着每种细胞类型都包含一个特定的表观遗传程序，该程序需要与基因组一起通过细胞分裂进行复制，以维持细胞的身份。这些程序在整个细胞周期中的稳定遗传依赖于几种表观遗传机制。在这篇综述中，特定组蛋白赖氨酸甲基转移酶 (KMT) 和 Polycomb/Trithorax 蛋白的 DNA 甲基化和组蛋白甲基化被认为是表观遗传遗传的主要介质。此外，非编码 RNA 和核组织也参与了表观遗传信息的稳定传递。尽管大多数表观遗传修饰在性质上是可逆的，但通过修饰蛋白复合物的自我招募或通过细胞周期维持这些复合物或结构，可以稳定地维持它们。
