原核DNA甲基化的表观调控作用的研究进展

Recent Advances on Epigenetic Regulatory Functions of DNA Methylation in Prokaryotes

自从2009年第三代DNA测序技术平台商业化以来,测序、绘制原核DNA甲基化组飞速发展,10余年来已完成甲基化组测序的细菌超过4000种,极大推动了原核表观遗传学的研究.越来越多的研究表明,DNA甲基化修饰不仅仅局限于宿主的防御功能,而且广泛参与各种细胞过程及基因的表达调控,在染色体的复制起始、细胞周期、致病性、抗生素抗性等方面起到了重要的作用.在简要回顾原核DNA甲基转移酶及其甲基化修饰的相关研究的基础上,着重对近期原核甲基化修饰的调控作用的研究进展进行综述,以期推动原核甲基化修饰表观遗传的研究.

Since commercial launching of the third-generation DNA sequencing platform in 2009,sequencing and drawing prokary-otic methylome have been developed rapidly.Up to now,more than 4000 bacterial methylomes are constructed,which promotes great-ly the studies on the prokaryotic epigenetics.More and more evidences obtained demonstrate that DNA methylation not only contributes to defense functions for the host cells but also is engaged in multiple cellular procedures and gene expression regulation,such as DNA replication initiation,cell cycle,pathogenicity,resistance to antibiotics.This review retraces briefly the DNA restriction-modification systems and the technologies used to detect DNA methylation,and further focuses on the recent advances in regulatory roles of DNA methylation in prokaryotes,so as to promote futural studies on bacterial epigenetics.