School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
Cell Signal. 2013 Jan;25(1):355-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2012.10.007. Epub 2012 Oct 17.
DNA methylation refers to a heritable alteration in the pattern of gene expression that is regulated by a mechanism specifically not owing to changes in the primary nucleotide sequence. The transcriptional silencing caused by DNA methylation affects genes involved in the main cellular pathways: cell cycle control, Ras signaling, apoptosis, and detoxification. Recent studies have shown that methylation modifications orchestrate the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrices (ECMs). The activation of HSCs is mediated by multiple signal transduction pathways and is generally regarded as the major ECM producer responsible for liver fibrosis. In addition, aberrant methylation of specific gene involved in the activation of multiple signal transduction pathways in liver fibrosis. The aim of this review is to compile recent information on aberrant DNA methylation in hepatic fibrosis and to highlight key genes and molecular pathways in hepatic fibrosis formation.
DNA 甲基化是一种可遗传的基因表达模式改变，其调控机制特异性地不依赖于核苷酸序列的改变。DNA 甲基化引起的转录沉默影响了参与细胞主要途径的基因：细胞周期控制、Ras 信号转导、细胞凋亡和解毒。最近的研究表明，甲基化修饰协调了肝星状细胞（HSCs）的激活，其特征是细胞外基质（ECMs）的过度积累。HSCs 的激活是由多种信号转导途径介导的，通常被认为是导致肝纤维化的主要 ECM 产生者。此外，在肝纤维化中涉及多个信号转导途径的特定基因的异常甲基化。本综述的目的是汇集肝纤维化中异常 DNA 甲基化的最新信息，并强调肝纤维化形成中的关键基因和分子途径。
