Postnatal DNA demethylation and its role in tissue maturation.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29795194.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-04456-6 and PMC identifier 5966414.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Development in mammals is accompanied by specific de novo and demethylation events that are thought to stabilize differentiated cell phenotypes. We demonstrate that a large percentage of the tissue-specific methylation pattern is generated postnatally. Demethylation in the liver is observed in thousands of enhancer-like sequences associated with genes that undergo activation during the first few weeks of life. Using. conditional gene ablation strategy we show that the removal of these methyl groups is stable and necessary for assuring proper hepatocyte gene expression and function through its effect on chromatin accessibility. These postnatal changes in methylation come about through exposure to hormone signaling. These results define the molecular rules of 5-methyl-cytosine regulation as an epigenetic mechanism underlying cellular responses to. changing environment.
Medical subject headings
- DNA Demethylation
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Liver
- Signal Transduction