What Does the Future Hold for the Study of Nucleic Acid Modifications in the Brain?

P. R. Marshall*, T. W. Bredy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

For the past 40. years, technological advances have made it possible to interrogate the entire genome; thus, the understanding of DNA modification has evolved significantly. Once considered to be a relatively static epigenetic mechanism, with its primary function restricted to the regulation of transcriptional programming during early cellular development, we now know that DNA methylation is a highly dynamic process in postmitotic neurons and plays a particularly important role in neuronal gene expression that directly impacts behavior. For example, in the adult brain, neuronal activity-induced changes in 5-methylcytosine frequently occur outside gene promoters and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine accounts for almost half of DNA methylation detected in the brain. Moreover, the base sequence can also dictate the relative probability that a region of the genome will be epigenetically modified. This is important because it suggests that gene-epigenetic interactions should be considered in the context of a multilevel and bidirectional landscape, with other epigenetic regulators also acting to coordinate the function of the genome in a cell- and context-specific manner.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDNA Modifications in the Brain
Subtitle of host publicationNeuroepigenetic Regulation of Gene Expression
PublisherElsevier Inc.
Pages149-159
Number of pages11
ISBN (Print)9780128015964
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Jan 2017
Externally publishedYes

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