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Histone modifications and mitosis: countermarks, landmarks, and bookmarks
Fangwei Wang1, Jonathan M G Higgins
1Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. fwwang@zju.edu.cn
Trends in Cell Biology
|December 19, 2012
Summary
Histone modifications regulate gene transcription and DNA damage. Mitotic histone marks, especially phosphorylation, control protein interactions during cell division, ensuring epigenetic memory and proper chromosome segregation.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Post-translational histone modifications are crucial for gene regulation and DNA repair.
- Mitotic histone marks, particularly phosphorylation, have recently gained attention for their roles during cell division.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an integrated view of how histone modifications function during and after mitosis.
- To explain the roles of histone modifications as 'countermarks', 'landmarks', and 'bookmarks' for regulatory proteins.
Main Methods:
- Review and integration of existing literature on histone modifications during mitosis.
- Analysis of the mechanisms by which histone marks influence protein localization and function.
Main Results:
- Histone modifications act as 'countermarks' to downregulate interphase activities like transcription during mitosis.
- Histone marks function as 'landmarks' and 'bookmarks' to recruit proteins and maintain epigenetic states through mitosis.
- These modifications facilitate chromatin events essential for chromosome segregation.
Conclusions:
- Histone modifications play dynamic and essential roles throughout the cell cycle, particularly during mitosis.
- Understanding these roles is key to comprehending epigenetic maintenance and cell division fidelity.
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