Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, USA.
Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2011;101:193-218. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-387685-0.00005-6.
DNA methylation is crucial for normal development and cellular differentiation in many large-genome eukaryotes. The small tropical freshwater fish Danio rerio (zebrafish) has recently emerged as a powerful system for the study of DNA methylation, especially in the context of development. This review summarizes our current knowledge of DNA methylation in zebrafish and provides evidence for the general conservation of this system with mammals. In addition, emerging strategies are highlighted that use the fish model to address some of the key unanswered questions in DNA methylation research.
DNA 甲基化对于许多大型真核生物的正常发育和细胞分化至关重要。小型热带淡水鱼类 Danio rerio(斑马鱼)最近成为研究 DNA 甲基化的强大系统,特别是在发育方面。本文综述了我们目前对斑马鱼 DNA 甲基化的认识,并提供了该系统与哺乳动物普遍保守的证据。此外,还强调了一些新兴策略,利用鱼类模型来解决 DNA 甲基化研究中一些尚未解决的关键问题。