Interdependence of DNA Methylation and Histone Modifications

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Cellscience Reviews Vol 4 No 2
ISSN 1742-8130

Epigenetic Gene Regulation: Interdependence of DNA Methylation and Histone Modifications

Concetta G.A. Marfella & Laurie Jackson-Grusby

Department of Pathology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Stem Cell Institute,
Harvard Medical School, 320 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Epigenetic mechanisms result in heritable changes of gene expression that occur without alterations to the DNA sequence. Two mechanisms that mediate epigenetic gene regulation are DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of histone tails. DNA methylation at gene promoters is often associated with transcriptional gene silencing, whereas histone modifications are linked to either gene activation or repression. An important development in understanding gene regulation has been the discovery that these two epigenetic mechanisms interact with one another to modulate gene activity. Recent studies have focused on unraveling how DNA methylation and histone modifications cooperate with each other to maintain the epigenetic marks on the chromatin structure. These advancements will illuminate our understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms impact normal developmental processes and disease.

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