Oxidative stress-mediated alterations in histone post-translational modifications

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Epigenetics
• Cellular Biology

Background:

• Epigenetic regulation fine-tunes gene expression in response to environmental changes.
• Cellular imbalances affecting homeostasis can lead to adaptation or pathology via molecular changes.
• Epigenetic regulators' altered functionality causes long-term, heritable changes in cell lineages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the specific effects of oxidative stress and free radicals on epigenetic modifications.
• To elucidate how these factors alter the histone code and gene expression.
• To highlight the pathological consequences of these epigenetic alterations in human diseases.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on oxidative stress, free radicals, and epigenetics.
• Focus on histone post-translational modifications as key epigenetic markers.
• Analysis of data linking epigenetic changes to physiological and pathological conditions.

Main Results:

• Oxidative stress and free radicals modulate epigenetic agents, altering the epigenetic landscape.
• These alterations specifically impact histone post-translational modifications, affecting the histone code.
• Changes in gene expression due to modified histone codes are linked to various diseases.

Conclusions:

• Oxidative stress-induced epigenetic alterations in histone modifications are a significant factor in disease pathogenesis.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for addressing age-related diseases, cancer, and inflammatory conditions.
• The epigenetic layer of gene regulation is a critical target for understanding and potentially treating diseases.