title: Regulation of skeletal muscle development and homeostasis by gene imprinting, histone acetylation and microRNA.
abstract: Epigenetics is defined as heritable information other than the DNA sequence itself. The concept implies that the regulation of gene expression is a highly complex process in which epigenetics plays a major role that ranges from fine-tuning to permanent gene activation/deactivation. Skeletal muscle is the main tissue involved in locomotion and energy metabolism in the body, accounting for at least 40% of the body mass. Body mass and function vary according to age but also quickly adapt to both physiological and pathological cues. Besides transcriptional mechanisms that control muscle differentiation, postnatal growth and remodeling, there are numerous epigenetic mechanisms of regulation that modulate muscle gene expression. In this review, we describe and discuss only some of the mechanisms underlying epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs, which we believe are crucial to skeletal muscle development and disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anat., Histol., Forens. & Orthop. Sciences, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Scarpa, 14, 00161 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: viviana.moresi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moresi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anat., Histol., Forens. & Orthop. Sciences, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Scarpa, 14, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marroncelli
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anat., Histol., Forens. & Orthop. Sciences, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Scarpa, 14, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coletti
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anat., Histol., Forens. & Orthop. Sciences, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Scarpa, 14, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adamo
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D006657:Histones; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000235:genetics*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: DNA methylase; HDACi; HDACs; MyomiRs