Involvement of DNA methylation in tissue regeneration upon liver injury

Abstract

Following injury such as partial hepatectomy, the liver activates its response to proliferate and repopulate the lost liver mass. This process is associated with the re-expression of pro-regenerative genes that are controlled epigenetically. While epigenetic control of gene expression can be observed in many forms (DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, etc.), this review will focus on the role of regulators of DNA methylation in the concept of cell proliferation and progression and its relevance to tissue regeneration. Obligate proteins UHRF1 and DNMT1 are key players in the maintenance of methylation in the process of DNA replication. Both proteins have a well-established role in cell proliferation, progression and methylation maintenance, and are indicators of the stress response. Understanding how these regulatory mechanisms function is crucial in determining clinical applications on restoring lost tissue in the liver as a result of infection, toxins, or other liver pathologies.

Keywords

Liver regeneration / partial hepatectomy / epigenetic / DNA methylation

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