title: Advances in chromatin remodeling and human disease.
abstract: Epigenetic factors alter phenotype without changing genotype. A primary molecular mechanism underlying epigenetics is the alteration of chromatin structure by covalent DNA modifications, covalent histone modifications, and nucleosome reorganization. Remodeling of chromatin structure regulates DNA methylation, replication, recombination, and repair as well as gene expression. As these functions would predict, dysfunction of the proteins that remodel chromatin causes an array of multi-system disorders and neoplasias. Insights from these diseases suggest that during embryonic and fetal life, environmental distortions of chromatin remodeling encode a 'molecular memory' that predispose the individual to diseases in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Interdepartmental Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Room S434, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Kyoung Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Leah I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Elizondo
authors.forename: Cornelius F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Boerkoel
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000235:genetics*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases