title: The Evolution of Epigenetics: From Prokaryotes to Humans and Its Biological Consequences.
abstract: The evolution process includes genetic alterations that started with prokaryotes and now continues in humans. A distinct difference between prokaryotic chromosomes and eukaryotic chromosomes involves histones. As evolution progressed, genetic alterations accumulated and a mechanism for gene selection developed. It was as if nature was experimenting to optimally utilize the gene pool without changing individual gene sequences. This mechanism is called epigenetics, as it is above the genome. Curiously, the mechanism of epigenetic regulation in prokaryotes is strikingly different from that in eukaryotes, mainly higher eukaryotes, like mammals. In fact, epigenetics plays a significant role in the conserved process of embryogenesis and human development. Malfunction of epigenetic regulation results in many types of undesirable effects, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. This review provides a comparative analysis and new insights into these aspects.
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Amber
authors: A
authors: Willbanks
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Meghan
authors: M
authors: Leary
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Molly
authors: M
authors: Greenshields
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Camila
authors: C
authors: Tyminski
authors: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Heerboth
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Lapinska
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Haskins
authors: Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.; Genome Science Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Sibaji
authors: S
authors: Sarkar
keywords: diseases; epigenetics; eukaryotes; evolution; mammals; prokaryotes