title: Epigenetic dynamics in immunity and autoimmunity.
abstract: A tightly synchronized and spatial-temporal interaction among regulatory proteins within genomic DNA and chromatin is essential for cellular commitment and differentiation. During development and activation of the immune system, a complex regulatory network that involves induction of lineage instructive transcription factors, installation or removal of histone modifications and changes in DNA methylation patterns locally orchestrate the three-dimensional chromatin structure and determine immune cell fate and immune responses. In autoimmune diseases, disease associated epigenetic marks and dynamic changes control the dysregulated immune system, thus determining the disease development and clinical phenotype. In this review, we introduce the dynamic epigenetic regulation of DNA and histones, summarize the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in the development and differentiation of some important immune cell subsets and provide new insights for the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Epigenetics dynamics in development and disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha 410011, PR China.
authors.forename: Zijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha 410011, PR China. Electronic address: qianlu5860@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Qianjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones
keywords: Autoimmune diseases; DNA methylation; Epigenetic dynamics; Histone modifications; Immune system