DNA methylation is an important and reversible epigenetic modification which regulates genomic stability. Methylation is essential for mammalian development. Generally, gene expression level and DNA methylation are negative correlation. Transcriptional silencing via methylation of CpG islands in the promoter is important for cell growth and differentiation and plays a key role in tumorigenesis. Demethylation drug can modify chromatin and restore the ability of anti-oncogene. Demethylation therapy as a new therapy may treat efficiently hematological malignancies with resistance and relapse. In this review, DNA methylation mechanism, relationship between aberrant methylation and hematologic malignancies, mechanism of demethylation therapy, the advance of research on the demethylation therapy of hematological malignancies, such as acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome were summarized.
DNA Methylation ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Humans ; Methylation

The disorders of DNA and histone methylation have a close relationship with the development and progression of tumors. Epigenetic regulation is critical in maintaining the stability and integrity of the expression profiles of different cell types by modifying DNA methylation and histone methylation. However, the abnormal changes of methylation often result in the development and progression of tumors. This review summarized the theory of tumor genomic and histone methylation, detection methods of methylation and their applications, and the clinical application of methylation as biological markers and drug targets.
DNA Methylation ; Histones ; metabolism ; Humans ; Methylation ; Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism

Chemical modification of DNA bases in recent years has been one of the hot areas of life science research. DNA methylation is a common epigenetic phenomenon and can change the genetic performance without changing the DNA sequence. Various stress factors can induce the variation of DNA methylation in plants, but the response mechanism is still unknown. In this paper, the progress of DNA methylation in plants was reviewed. In combination with the researchconclusions of our own research group, the DNA methylation variation induced by 7Li ion beam and gamma ray was reported to provide a basis for DNA methylation, which may be involved in the phenotypic plasticity of plants.
DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Epigenomics ; Plants ; genetics

In forensic science practice, age is an important individual information, and one of the indicators to be considered first to depict features of the suspect. Recently, DNA methylation has become a research hotspot in age estimation because of its hig accuracy and stability. New progress has been made in specificity of DNA methylation sites, age estimation in multiple tissues, DNA methylation age estimation of minors, sensitivity of age estimation, forensic practical applications, etc. At the same time, several studies also established more accurate statistical modeling methods, eliminated differences between different detection platforms, found appropriate number of sites in models and analyzed the influence of environment and diseases. This review summarizes these to provide references.
CpG Islands ; DNA Methylation ; Forensic Genetics ; Humans

Objective To study the DNA methylation of nucleated cells in peripheral blood of patients died from anaphylactic shock caused by cephalosporin drugs and to provide a new research direction and basis for the forensic diagnosis of shock caused by drug hypersensitiveness. Methods Methylation microarray was used to detect DNA methylation of nucleated cells in peripheral blood of patients died from anaphylactic shock caused by cephalosporin drugs and normal subjects. Sequencing data and chip data were analyzed for differences in DNA methylation using R language methylkit, ChAMP package. Random forest algorithm was used to evaluate the importance of the DNA methylation differential sites. Results Differential sites of DNA methylation highly associated with anaphylaxis caused by cephalosporin drugs were obtained at loci such as ETS1, PRR23B and GNAS. Conclusion Cephalosporin allergy is associated with DNA methylation, and DNA methylation may be a new strategy for forensic identification of anaphylactic shock and death.
Anaphylaxis/genetics* ; DNA Methylation ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans

Obvious epigenetic differentiation occurred on Lycium barbarum in different cultivation areas in China. To investigate the difference and change rule of DNA methylation level and pattern of L. barbarum from different cultivation areas in China, the present study employed fluorescence-assisted methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism(MSAP) to analyze the methylation level and polymorphism of 53 genomic DNA samples from Yinchuan Plain in Ningxia, Bayannur city in Inner Mongolia, Jingyuan county and Yumen city in Gansu, Delingha city in Qinghai, and Jinghe county in Xinjiang. The MSAP technical system suitable for the methylation analysis of L. barbarum genomic DNA was established and ten pairs of selective primers were selected. Among amplified 5'-CCGG-3' methylated sites, there were 35.85% full-methylated sites and 39.88% hemi-methylated sites, showing a high degree of epigenetic differentiation. Stoichiometric analysis showed that the ecological environment was the main factor affecting the epigenetic characteristics of L. barbarum, followed by cultivated varieties. Precipitation, air temperature, and soil pH were the main ecological factors affecting DNA methylation in different areas. This study provided a theoretical basis for the analysis of the epigenetic mechanism of L. barbarum to adapt to the diffe-rent ecological environments and research ideas for the introduction, cultivation, and germplasm traceability of L. barbarum.
China ; DNA Methylation ; DNA Primers ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Lycium/genetics*

Recent research efforts have provided compelling evidence of genome-wide DNA methylation alterations in pediatrics. It is currently well established that epigenetic clocks, composed of DNA methylation sites, can estimate the gestational and chronological age of cells and tissues from different ages. Also, extensive research is aimed at their correlation with early life exposure and pediatric diseases. This review aimed to systematically summarize the epigenetic clocks in the pediatric population. Publications were collected from PubMed and Web of Science databases up to Apr 2021. Epigenetic clocks, DNA methylation clocks, epigenetic age acceleration or deceleration, pediatric and the pediatric population were used as search criteria. Here, we first review the currently applicative pediatric epigenetic clocks. We then highlight the interpretation for epigenetic age deviations in the pediatric population and their association with external factors, developmental trajectories, and pediatric diseases. Considering the remaining unknown of pediatric clocks, research strategies into them are also discussed. In all, pediatric epigenetic clocks may act as potent tools to understand development, growth and diseases in early life.
Aging ; Child ; DNA Methylation/genetics* ; Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics* ; Epigenomics ; Humans

DNA methylation is a common event in malignancies and implicated in tumor initiation and progression. There is a battery of genes involved in critical cell processes such as DNA damage repair, which are hypermethylated in prostate cancer. DNA methylation has also been found in premalignant lesions such as prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, but to a less extent compared with that in prostate cancer. Intensive study on DNA methylation would provide a new opportunity for the early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
DNA Methylation ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; genetics

DNA Methylation ; Humans ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases ; genetics ; metabolism

Epigenetic alterations are defined as heritable changes in gene expression mediated through mechanisms other than alterations in the DNA sequence itself, including DNA promoter methylation and various histone covalent modifications. Interacting of numerous epigenetic-associated molecules results in histone deacetylation/methylation and promoter methylation of suppressor genes, thereby transcription factors don't bind with promoters, leading to deactivation of tumor suppressor genes. It is widely accepted that epigenetic alterations play an important role in cancer development. It have known that many epigenetic alterations exist in myelodysplastic syndromes, for instance, promoter methylation of key control gene and aberrance of PcG, which probably have critical contribution to progression and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndromes. In future, it will be promising that epigenetic alterations serve as biomarkers for detection, evaluation of disease status and assessment of prognosis. Molecular basis of epigenetic alterations, inactivation of suppressor genes and abnormal expression of PcG in MDS are reviewed in this article.
DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; genetics