Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Sep-Oct;20(9-10):544-56.
doi: 10.1007/s00335-009-9223-4. Epub 2009 Sep 17.

Chromatin mechanisms in genomic imprinting

Slim Kacem  1 , Robert Feil
Affiliations
Review

Chromatin mechanisms in genomic imprinting

Slim Kacem et al. Mamm Genome. 2009 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Mammalian imprinted genes are clustered in chromosomal domains. Their mono-allelic, parent-of-origin-specific expression is regulated by imprinting control regions (ICRs), which are essential sequence elements marked by DNA methylation on one of the two parental alleles. These methylation "imprints" are established during gametogenesis and, after fertilization, are somatically maintained throughout development. Nonhistone proteins and histone modifications contribute to this epigenetic process. The way ICRs mediate imprinted gene expression differs between domains. At some domains, for instance, ICRs produce long noncoding RNAs that mediate chromatin silencing. Lysine methylation on histone H3 is involved in this developmental process and is particularly important for imprinting in the placenta and brain. Together, the newly discovered chromatin mechanisms provide further clues for addressing imprinting-related pathologies in humans.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Mol Cell Biol. 2008 Jan;28(1):71-82 - PubMed
    1. Endocrinology. 2003 Dec;144(12):5658-70 - PubMed
    1. Mamm Genome. 2001 Nov;12(11):873-6 - PubMed
    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 25;103(17):6623-8 - PubMed
    1. Genes Dev. 2006 Jul 1;20(13):1732-43 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources