title: Optical probes and sensors as perspective tools in epigenetics.
abstract: Modifications of DNA cytosine bases and histone posttranslational modifications play key roles in the control of gene expression and specification of cell states. Such modifications affect many important biological processes and changes to these important regulation mechanisms can initiate or significantly contribute to the development of many serious pathological states. Therefore, recognition and determination of chromatin modifications is an important goal in basic and clinical research. Two of the most promising tools for this purpose are optical probes and sensors, especially colourimetric and fluorescence devices. The use of optical probes and sensors is simple, without highly expensive instrumentation, and with excellent sensitivity and specificity for target structural motifs. Accordingly, the application of various probes and sensors in the recognition and determination of cytosine modifications and structure of histones and histone posttranslational modifications, are discussed in detail in this review.
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdeněk
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kejík
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaplánek
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havlík
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bříza
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakubek
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jarmila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Králová
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mikula
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martásek
authors.affiliation: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinská 32, 121 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic. Electronic address: vladimir.kral@lf1.cuni.cz.
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Král
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015335:Molecular Probes; D055095:Optics and Photonics
chemical_list: D015335:Molecular Probes; D004247:DNA
keywords: Bioanalytical methods; DNA modified cytosine bases; Epigenetics; Histone pattern; Optical sensor; Probe