How epigenetics integrates nuclear functions. Workshop on epigenetics and chromatin: transcriptional regulation and beyond

Abstract

Workshop on Epigenetics and Chromatin: Transcriptional Regulation and Beyond

Figures

Figure 1

Histone modifications and DNA methylation integrate nuclear function. Nucleosomal arrays in the context of chromosomal location and transcriptional activity are shown. Histone octamers are represented as grey circles. DNA is represented as a red line in which only methylated CpG dinucleotides are shown (red circles). Histone tails are lines protruding from octamers. A schematic representation of a chromosome is shown where different regions (satellite repeats, telomeric and subtelomeric regions and gene-rich regions are indicated). Modified histone residues are indicated in each case. Although some modifications are general to active genes (acetylation and trimethylation at Lys 4 of H3), genes are regulated at many different levels including methylation of Arg 17 of H3, specific use of histone H3.3 variant and nucleosomal remodelling. The aberrant pattern of epigenetic modifications in cancer cells is also shown: promoter CpG islands of tumour-suppressor genes undergo DNA hypermethylation and loss of histone acetylation and trimethylation of H3–Lys 4, while repetitive sequences present DNA hypomethylation and loss of monoacetylation of H4–Lys 16 and trimethylation of H4–Lys 20.

The Juan March Foundation Workshop on Epigenetics and Chromatin: Transcriptional Regulation and Beyond was held in Madrid, Spain, between 7 and 9 February 2005, and was organized by M. Esteller, T. Kouzarides and V. Corces.