Epigenetic Architecture and miRNA: Reciprocal Regulators

Abstract

Deregulation of epigenetic and miRNA pathways are emerging as key events in carcinogenesis. miRNA genes can be epigenetically regulated and miRNAs can themselves repress key enzymes that drive epigenetic remodeling. Epigenetic and miRNA functions are thus tightly interconnected and crucial for maintaining correct local and global genomic architecture as well as gene-expression patterns, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and their widespread effects remain poorly understood. Owing to the tissue specificity, versatility and relative stability of miRNAs, these small ncRNAs are considered especially promising in clinical applications, and their biogenesis and function is subject of active research. In this article, the current status of epigenetic miRNA regulation is summarized and future therapeutic prospects in the field are discussed with a focus on cancer.

KEYWORDS::

• cancer
• chromatin
• DNA methylation
• epigenetics
• gene regulation
• histone modification
• miRNA
• ncRNA
• transcriptional gene silencing

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Sune B Villadsen and Toby Hulf for the critical reading of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the SIROCCO EU consortium and the NH & MRC project and NBCF program grants. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the SIROCCO EU consortium and the NH & MRC project and NBCF program grants. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.