Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-UPF, Barcelona, Spain.
PLoS Pathog. 2012;8(11):e1003007. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003007. Epub 2012 Nov 29.
A growing body of evidence points towards epigenetic mechanisms being responsible for a wide range of biological phenomena, from the plasticity of plant growth and development to the nutritional control of caste determination in honeybees and the etiology of human disease (e.g., cancer). With the (partial) elucidation of the molecular basis of epigenetic variation and the heritability of certain of these changes, the field of evolutionary epigenetics is flourishing. Despite this, the role of epigenetics in shaping host-pathogen interactions has received comparatively little attention. Yet there is plenty of evidence supporting the implication of epigenetic mechanisms in the modulation of the biological interaction between hosts and pathogens. The phenotypic plasticity of many key parasite life-history traits appears to be under epigenetic control. Moreover, pathogen-induced effects in host phenotype may have transgenerational consequences, and the bases of these changes and their heritability probably have an epigenetic component. The significance of epigenetic modifications may, however, go beyond providing a mechanistic basis for host and pathogen plasticity. Epigenetic epidemiology has recently emerged as a promising area for future research on infectious diseases. In addition, the incorporation of epigenetic inheritance and epigenetic plasticity mechanisms to evolutionary models and empirical studies of host-pathogen interactions will provide new insights into the evolution and coevolution of these associations. Here, we review the evidence available for the role epigenetics on host-pathogen interactions, and the utility and versatility of the epigenetic technologies available that can be cross-applied to host-pathogen studies. We conclude with recommendations and directions for future research on the burgeoning field of epigenetics as applied to host-pathogen interactions.
越来越多的证据表明，表观遗传机制是导致广泛的生物学现象的原因，从植物生长和发育的可塑性到蜜蜂的营养控制决定级型分化以及人类疾病的病因（例如癌症）。随着表观遗传变异的分子基础和某些这些变化的遗传性的（部分）阐明，进化表观遗传学领域正在蓬勃发展。尽管如此，表观遗传学在塑造宿主-病原体相互作用中的作用相对较少受到关注。然而，有大量证据支持表观遗传机制在调节宿主与病原体之间的生物学相互作用中的作用。许多关键寄生虫生活史特征的表型可塑性似乎受到表观遗传控制。此外，宿主表型中病原体诱导的效应可能具有跨代后果，这些变化的基础及其遗传性可能具有表观遗传成分。然而，表观遗传修饰的意义可能不仅在于为宿主和病原体的可塑性提供机制基础。表观遗传流行病学最近作为传染病未来研究的一个有前途的领域出现。此外，将表观遗传遗传和表观遗传可塑性机制纳入宿主-病原体相互作用的进化模型和实证研究中，将为这些关联的进化和共同进化提供新的见解。在这里，我们回顾了有关表观遗传学在宿主-病原体相互作用中的作用的证据，以及可应用于宿主-病原体研究的可用表观遗传技术的实用性和多功能性。我们最后对应用于宿主-病原体相互作用的新兴表观遗传学领域的未来研究提出了建议和方向。
