Duncan Elizabeth J, Gluckman Peter D, Dearden Peter K
Genetics Otago and Gravida, The National Centre for Growth and Development, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol. 2014 Jun;322(4):208-20. doi: 10.1002/jez.b.22571. Epub 2014 Apr 9.
Epigenetic mechanisms are proposed as an important way in which the genome responds to the environment. Epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation and Histone modifications, can be triggered by environmental effects, and lead to permanent changes in gene expression, affecting the phenotype of an organism. Epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed as key in plasticity, allowing environmental exposure to shape future gene expression. While we are beginning to understand how these mechanisms have roles in human biology and disease, we have little understanding of their roles and impacts on ecology and evolution. In this review, we discuss different types of epigenetic marks, their roles in gene expression and plasticity, methods for assaying epigenetic changes, and point out the future advances we require to understand fully the impact of this field.
表观遗传机制被认为是基因组对环境作出反应的一种重要方式。表观遗传标记，包括DNA甲基化和组蛋白修饰，可由环境影响触发，并导致基因表达的永久性变化，影响生物体的表型。表观遗传机制被认为是可塑性的关键，使环境暴露能够塑造未来的基因表达。虽然我们开始了解这些机制在人类生物学和疾病中的作用，但我们对它们在生态学和进化中的作用及影响知之甚少。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了不同类型的表观遗传标记、它们在基因表达和可塑性中的作用、检测表观遗传变化的方法，并指出了我们为全面理解该领域的影响所需的未来进展。
