Methylation in biology

Reviews & Comment

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  Reading, writing and erasing mRNA methylation

  N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most abundant mRNA internal modification. The recent mapping of m⁶A has provided insights into which and how mRNAs are modified, how m⁶A affects gene expression and how it is linked to cellular differentiation, cancer progression and other biological processes.

  • Sara Zaccara
  • Ryan J. Ries
  • Samie R. Jaffrey

  Review Article13 Sep 2019 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
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  The diverse roles of DNA methylation in mammalian development and disease

  DNA methylation is essential for mammalian embryogenesis owing to its repression of transposons and genes, but it is also associated with gene activation. The recent use of sensitive technologies has revealed that DNA methylation dynamics vary considerably between embryonic, germline and somatic cell development, with implications for genetic diseases and cancer.

  • Maxim V. C. Greenberg
  • Deborah Bourc’his

  Review Article9 Aug 2019 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
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  The regulation, functions and clinical relevance of arginine methylation

  The methylation of arginine residues regulates gene expression, DNA repair, growth factor signalling and liquid–liquid phase separation. Targeting this modification can thus be therapeutically relevant and inhibitors of arginine methylation are being tested in clinical trials, especially for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

  • Ernesto Guccione
  • Stéphane Richard

  Review Article26 Jul 2019 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
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  The roles of DNA, RNA and histone methylation in ageing and cancer

  The dynamic methylation of chromatin components — DNA, histones and RNA — is crucial in development, ageing and cancer. Therapies that target regulators of DNA and histone methylation in cancer have recently been developed. These promising therapies, which include strategies that may improve tumour immune surveillance, are already being tested in early-phase clinical trials.

  • Ewa M. Michalak
  • Marian L. Burr
  • Mark A. Dawson

  Review Article3 Jul 2019 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
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  Roles and regulation of histone methylation in animal development

  Histone methylation regulates gene expression throughout animal development, governing processes as diverse as cell fate decisions, lineage specification, body patterning and organogenesis. Better understanding of the complex, context-specific roles of histone methylation in development will shed new light on the aetiology of developmental disorders.

  • Ashwini Jambhekar
  • Abhinav Dhall
  • Yang Shi

  Review Article2 Jul 2019 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology

• The importance of non-histone protein methylation in cancer therapy

  Rodríguez-Paredes and Lyko argue that non-histone proteins should be considered when assessing cancer drugs that target protein methylation.

  • Manuel Rodríguez-Paredes
  • Frank Lyko

  Comment3 Jul 2019 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology