Epigenetic reprogramming of host genes in viral and microbial pathogenesis

One of the key questions in the study of mammalian gene regulation is how epigenetic methylation patterns on histones and DNA are initiated and established. These stable, heritable, covalent modifications are largely associated with the repression or silencing of gene transcription, and when deregul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in microbiology (Regular ed.) 2010-10, Vol.18 (10), p.439-447
Main Authors: Paschos, Konstantinos, Allday, Martin J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bacteria - genetics
Bacteria - pathogenicity
Bacterial Infections - microbiology
Chromatin - genetics
Chromatin - metabolism
Chromosome Aberrations
DNA Methylation
Epigenesis, Genetic
Gene Regulatory Networks
Gene Silencing
Histones - metabolism
Humans
Internal Medicine
Methylation
Review
Virus Diseases - virology
Viruses - genetics
Viruses - pathogenicity
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Summary:One of the key questions in the study of mammalian gene regulation is how epigenetic methylation patterns on histones and DNA are initiated and established. These stable, heritable, covalent modifications are largely associated with the repression or silencing of gene transcription, and when deregulated can be involved in the development of human diseases such as cancer. This article reviews examples of viruses and bacteria known or thought to induce epigenetic changes in host cells, and how this might contribute to disease. The heritable nature of these processes in gene regulation suggests that they could play important roles in chronic diseases associated with microbial persistence; they might also explain so-called ‘hit-and-run’ phenomena in infectious disease pathogenesis.
ISSN:0966-842X
1878-4380
DOI:10.1016/j.tim.2010.07.003