Genomic Imprinting: Insights into Diverse Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanisms

Genomic imprinting is a well-known phenomenon in which certain genes are expressed in a sex-of-the-parent-specific manner, resulting in mono-allelic expression.

Over the years, the diversity of mechanisms observed in imprinted gene clusters has provided a valuable model system for exploring the complexities of epigenetics, which can be extended to other cellular and disease models. This review examines these different mechanisms throughout early embryonic development and offers insights into the interactions among key players such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, as well as their regulatory impact on gene expression.

Genomic imprinting, although being a classical genetic concept, has emerged as a model system for understanding diverse epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. This review offers an overview of such regulatory mechanisms that have been learnt over the years through studies on imprinted clusters.