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Viral Genes and Methylation
Author(s) -
VERMA MUKESH
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb05972.x
Subject(s) - epigenetics , methylation , biology , dna methylation , carcinogenesis , gene , promoter , regulation of gene expression , gene expression , genetics , tumor suppressor gene , computational biology
A bstract : Epigenetics represents a new frontier in cancer research. Methylation is the best studied of the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression. Regulation of gene expression by means of methylation has been reported for tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, viral promoters, and age‐related genes. In this review, the regulation of viral gene expression by methylation is discussed, with particular emphasis on: (1) the virus‐specific factors that bind to promoter regions; (2) the implications of this knowledge for designing viral vectors that can be used to deliver genes for the purpose of gene therapy; and (3) the use of this knowledge for the early detection and prevention of cancer. Since methylation can be reversed by a variety of exogenous agents, great potential exists to develop interventions that target cancer‐associated aberrant methylation in an effort to reverse or prevent carcinogenesis.