ISSN: 2044-9038 (Print) 2044-9046 (Electronic)

Clinical Practice

Cancer Genetics Journals

The term “epigenetics” was originally coined by Conrad Waddington to describe heritable changes in a cellular phenotype that were independent of alterations in the DNA sequence. Despite decades of debate and research, a consensus definition of epigenetics remains both contentious and ambiguous (Berger et al., 2009). Epigenetics is most commonly used to describe chromatin-based events that regulate DNA-templated processes, and this will be the definition we use in this review.Modifications to DNA and histones are dynamically laid down and removed by chromatin-modifying enzymes in a highly regulated manner. There are now at least four different DNA modifications (Baylin and Jones, 2011, Wu and Zhang, 2011) and 16 classes of histone modifications. These modifications can alter chromatin structure by altering noncovalent interactions within and between nucleosomes. They also serve as docking sites for specialized proteins with unique domains that specifically recognize these modifications. These chromatin readers recruit additional chromatin modifiers and remodeling enzymes, which serve as the effectors of the modification.The biological basis of cancer was unknown until researchers made the link between the disease and defective genes. They found that changes (mutations), in the DNA sequence of specific genes led to the uncontrolled cell reproduction (cell division) seen in cancer.    

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