title: Histones: Controlling Tumor Signaling Circuitry.
abstract: Epigenetic modifications constitute the next frontier in tumor biology research. Post-translation modification of histones dynamically influences gene expression independent of alterations to the DNA sequence. These mechanisms are often mediated by histone linkers or by proteins associated with the recruitment of DNA-binding proteins, HDAC I and II interacting proteins and transcriptional activators, coactivators or corepressors. Early evidence suggested that histones and their modifiers are involved in sophisticated processes that modulate tumor behavior and cellular phenotype. In this review, we discuss how recent discoveries about chromatin modifications, particularly histone acetylation, are shaping our knowledge of cell biology and our understanding of the molecular circuitry governing tumor progression and consider whether recent insights may extend to novel therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, we discuss the latest oncogenomic findings in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) from studies using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and highlight the impact of mutations identified in histones and their modifiers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manoela D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epithelial Biology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Rogerio M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Castilho
keywords: Acetylation; Chromatin compaction; Genetic code; H3; H4; Histone modifications; Oral cancer; Whole genome sequencing