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Regulation of imprinting: A multi‐tiered process
Author(s) -
Rand Eyal,
Cedar Howard
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.10352
Subject(s) - genomic imprinting , epigenetics , imprinting (psychology) , biology , allele , gene , genetics , organism , cell division , gametogenesis , regulation of gene expression , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , dna methylation , embryogenesis
Abstract Although most mammalian genes are expressed from both alleles, there is a small group of special genes which are imprinted so that only one of the parental alleles is actually expressed in target cells. This epigenetic process involves regulation at a number of different stages of development and is very complex. In principle, imprinted gene regions must be marked in cis in the gametes using epigenetic features capable of being maintained through cell division and able to direct multigenic monoallelic expression in differentiated cells of the mature organism. The difference between alleles must be erased during early gametogenesis to allow the imprint to be reset in the mature gametes. In this review we will summarize what is currently known about the molecular mechanisms which mediate these steps. J. Cell. Biochem. 88: 400–407, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.