Abstract
The burgeoning field of epigenetics is beginning to make a significant impact on our understanding of tissue development, maintenance, and function. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the structure and activity of the genome in response to intracellular and environmental cues that direct cell-type specific gene networks. The inner ear is comprised of highly specialized cell types with identical genomes that originate from a single totipotent zygote. During inner ear development specific combinations of transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers must function in a coordinated manner to establish and maintain cellular identity. These epigenetic regulatory mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of distinct chromatin states and cell-type specific gene expression patterns. In this review, we highlight emerging paradigms for epigenetic modifications related to inner ear development, and how epigenetics may have a significant role in hearing loss, protection, and regeneration.
Highlights
CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCEEpigenetic regulation in the inner ear and its potential roles in development, protection, and regeneration
Epigenetics was classically defined as heritable changes in gene function that cannot be explained by changes in DNA sequence and typically referred to DNA methylation related to parental genomic imprinting
Transcription factors are a primary source of gene regulation, epigenetic modifications regulate transcription factor access to target genes. This concept is apparent from studies looking at direct cellular reprogramming through ectopic expression of defined transcription factors, which show that direct reprogramming is a slow and inefficient process with most cells failing to reprogram (Huangfu et al, 2008; Mikkelsen et al, 2008)
Summary
Epigenetic regulation in the inner ear and its potential roles in development, protection, and regeneration. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the structure and activity of the genome in response to intracellular and environmental cues that direct cell-type specific gene networks. During inner ear development specific combinations of transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers must function in a coordinated manner to establish and maintain cellular identity. These epigenetic regulatory mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of distinct chromatin states and cell-type specific gene expression patterns. We highlight emerging paradigms for epigenetic modifications related to inner ear development, and how epigenetics may have a significant role in hearing loss, protection, and regeneration
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