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DNA methylation is a guardian of stem cell self-renewal and multipotency

Nature Genetics volume 41, pages 1164–1166 (2009)Cite this article

Epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, undergo dynamic changes during cellular differentiation and development. A new study demonstrates that DNA methylation by Dnmt1 protects essential stem cell properties in both hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia stem cells (LSCs) by silencing differentiation programs that interfere with self-renewal and multipotency.

Uncovering the molecular mechanisms controlling stem cell fate will help in the understanding of the regulation of blood cell formation and may eventually lead to the development of methods for generating stem cell–derived tissues for therapeutic applications. On page 1207 of this issue, Frank Rosenbauer and colleagues reveal a direct role for Dnmt1, a maintenance DNA methyltransferase, in controlling the self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis1. These results suggest that methylation levels play a critical role in stem cell regulation.

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Figure 1: Survival, self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis is sensitive to methylation dose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laurraine-Marcelle Gereige and Hanna K.A. Mikkola are at the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,

    Laurraine-Marcelle Gereige & Hanna K A Mikkola

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  1. Laurraine-Marcelle Gereige
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  2. Hanna K A Mikkola
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Correspondence to Hanna K A Mikkola.

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Gereige, LM., Mikkola, H. DNA methylation is a guardian of stem cell self-renewal and multipotency. Nat Genet 41, 1164–1166 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1109-1164

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