Chromatin modification and epigenetic reprogramming in mammalian development - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

doi: 10.1038/nrg887.

Affiliations

Review

Chromatin modification and epigenetic reprogramming in mammalian development

En Li. Nat Rev Genet. 2002 Sep.

Abstract

The developmental programme of embryogenesis is controlled by both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. An emerging theme from recent studies is that the regulation of higher-order chromatin structures by DNA methylation and histone modification is crucial for genome reprogramming during early embryogenesis and gametogenesis, and for tissue-specific gene expression and global gene silencing. Disruptions to chromatin modification can lead to the dysregulation of developmental processes, such as X-chromosome inactivation and genomic imprinting, and to various diseases. Understanding the process of epigenetic reprogramming in development is important for studies of cloning and the clinical application of stem-cell therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources