Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
FEBS Lett. 2011 Jul 7;585(13):1994-2000. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.10.061. Epub 2010 Nov 5.
Methylation of cytosines is a pervasive feature of eukaryotic genomes and an important epigenetic layer that is fundamental for cellular differentiation processes and control of transcriptional potential. DNA methylation patterns can be inherited and influenced by the environment, diet and aging, and disrupted in diseases. Complete DNA methylomes for several organisms are now available, helping clarify the evolutionary story of this epigenetic mark and its distribution in key genomic elements. Nonetheless, a complete understanding of its role, the mechanisms responsible for its establishment and maintenance, and its cross talk with other components of cellular machinery remains elusive.
胞嘧啶的甲基化是真核基因组的一个普遍特征,也是一个重要的表观遗传层,对于细胞分化过程和转录潜能的控制至关重要。DNA 甲基化模式可以遗传,并受到环境、饮食和衰老的影响,在疾病中也会发生紊乱。现在已经有几种生物体的完整 DNA 甲基组图谱,这有助于阐明这种表观遗传标记的进化故事及其在关键基因组元件中的分布。尽管如此,对于其作用、负责其建立和维持的机制以及与细胞机制的其他成分的相互作用,我们仍然难以完全理解。