Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
EMBO Rep. 2011 Jul 1;12(7):647-56. doi: 10.1038/embor.2011.110.
DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) establish and maintain DNA methylation patterns at specific regions of the genome, thereby contributing to gene regulation. It is becoming evident that an intricate web of pathways target DNMTs to these genomic regions. Here, we review the understanding of these regulatory mechanisms and provide an overview of the new findings, emphasizing the emerging scenario in which several levels of regulation are coordinated to control DNMTs. The mechanisms involved include the dynamic interplay between interdependent post-translational modifications that regulate DNMTs, post-transcriptional regulation by miRNAs and the emerging role of non-coding RNA in targeting mammalian DNMTs. The analysis of these mechanisms is imperative to the understanding of the role of DNA methylation in regulating gene expression during development and in disease.
DNA 甲基转移酶（DNMTs）在基因组的特定区域建立和维持 DNA 甲基化模式，从而有助于基因调控。越来越明显的是，有一个错综复杂的途径网络将 DNMT 靶向这些基因组区域。在这里，我们回顾了对这些调节机制的理解，并提供了新发现的概述，强调了几个调节水平协调控制 DNMT 的新兴情况。所涉及的机制包括调节 DNMT 的相互依赖的翻译后修饰之间的动态相互作用、miRNA 的转录后调节以及非编码 RNA 在靶向哺乳动物 DNMT 中的新兴作用。分析这些机制对于理解 DNA 甲基化在发育和疾病过程中调节基因表达的作用至关重要。
