Effects of Dietary Nutrients on DNA Methylation and Imprinting

摘要: DNA methylation is an enzymatic modification carried out by methyltransferases. Alterations in patterns are the best understood epigenetic cause of disease and were first discovered studies during 1980s that focused on X chromosome inactivation (Avner Heard 2001), genomic imprinting (Verona et al. 2006) cancer (Feinberg Tycko 2004). involves addition a methyl group to cytosines CpG (cytosine/guanine) pairs (Ehrlich Wang 1981, Laird Jaenisch 1994). The added does not affect base pairing itself, but protrusion groups into major groove can DNA–protein interactions. Methylated CpGs usually associated with silenced DNA, block sensitive proteins from binding subject high mutation rates. established maintained DNMTs, enzymes essential for proper gene expression (Robertson 2002) (Figure 1).