The biology and genomic localization of cytosine modifications

Abstract:: Epigenetic mechanisms describe gene expression states that are somatically heritable but do not involve changes in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism. Epigenetic changes are mediated by dynamic chemical modifications of DNA and histone proteins within chromatin. These modifications play a central role in the regulation of processes such as transcription, replication, and DNA repair and represent a unique profile for each cell type. In this chapter we will focus on DNA modifications, particularly on the 50 position of cytosine, their potential implications in epigenetically controlled mechanisms, and furthermore discuss the technical challenges that are associated with the methods used to study these modifications.

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