New drugs are being developed that decrease DNA methylation...

Name: Problem 39, Chapter 16: Biology
Uploaded: 2020-06-30T00:02:22-08:00
Duration: 2 min 9 s
Channel: Shiksha Dutta
Description: New drugs are being developed that decrease DNA methylation and prevent the removal of acetyl groups from histone proteins. Explain how these drugs could affect gene expression to help kill tumor cells.

New drugs are being developed that decrease DNA methylation and prevent the removal of acetyl groups from histone proteins. Explain how these drugs could affect gene expression to help kill tumor cells.

Key Concepts

Gene Expression

Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize functional gene products like proteins. It is tightly regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, and its dysregulation can lead to diseases such as cancer. Modulation of gene expression through epigenetic drugs can restore the function of genes that control cell proliferation and tumor suppression.

Histone Acetylation

Histone acetylation refers to the addition of acetyl groups to histone proteins, which generally leads to a relaxed chromatin structure. This relaxed state allows easier access for transcription factors and promotes gene expression. Preventing histone deacetylation maintains this open chromatin state and can help reactivate genes that inhibit tumor cell growth.

DNA Methylation

DNA methylation involves the addition of methyl groups to the DNA molecule, typically on cytosine bases. This process usually acts to repress gene transcription by making the DNA less accessible to the transcription machinery, meaning that a decrease in methylation can reactivate silenced genes such as tumor suppressor genes.

Epigenetics

Epigenetics encompasses the study of heritable changes in gene function that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence. It focuses on chemical modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, that regulate gene expression and can be influenced by environmental factors and drugs.

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