Title:Histone Modifications and their Role in Epigenetics of Cancer
Volume: 29
Issue: 14
Author(s): Sumera Zaib*, Nehal Rana and Imtiaz Khan*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore-54590, Pakistan
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester
M1 7DN, United Kingdom
Keywords:
Cancer, epigenetics, euchromatin, heterochromatin, phosphorylation, ribosylation.
Abstract: Epigenetic regulations play a crucial role in the expression of various genes
that are important in the normal cell function. Any alteration in these epigenetic mechanisms
can lead to the modification of histone and DNA, resulting in the silencing or enhanced
expression of some genes causing various diseases. Acetylation, methylation, ribosylation,
or phosphorylation of histone proteins modifies its interaction with the DNA,
consequently changing the ratio of heterochromatin and euchromatin. Terminal lysine residues
of histone proteins serve as potential targets of such epigenetic modifications. The
current review focuses on the histone modifications, and their contributing factors; the
role of these modifications on metabolism leads to cancer, and methylation of histone in
cancer affects the DNA repair mechanisms.