Jin Gaochen, Lim Bomyi
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA.
Korean J Chem Eng. 2022 Jun;39(6):1361-1367. doi: 10.1007/s11814-022-1076-5. Epub 2022 Mar 15.
Proper gene control across space and time is crucial for the seamless execution of various cellular functions. Rapid advancements in genome-wide studies revealed that in addition to genetic mutations, epigenetic modifications also play an important role in cellular processes and disease development. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and post-translational modifications on histones via methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, etc., do not alter DNA sequences. Yet, disruptions of the epigenome can still induce gene malfunction, aberrant cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis, resulting in various diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, and autoimmune diseases. This review describes the association between epigenetic modifications and disease phenotypes, current techniques to perturb epigenome and analyze changes in gene expression, and perspectives on future epigenetic research.
在空间和时间上进行适当的基因调控对于各种细胞功能的无缝执行至关重要。全基因组研究的迅速进展表明，除了基因突变外，表观遗传修饰在细胞过程和疾病发展中也起着重要作用。表观遗传修饰，包括DNA甲基化以及通过甲基化、乙酰化、磷酸化等对组蛋白进行的翻译后修饰，不会改变DNA序列。然而，表观基因组的破坏仍可诱导基因功能异常、异常细胞分化、增殖和凋亡，从而导致各种疾病，如癌症、神经疾病和自身免疫性疾病。本综述描述了表观遗传修饰与疾病表型之间的关联、当前干扰表观基因组并分析基因表达变化的技术，以及对未来表观遗传学研究的展望。
