Author/Editor		Coer, Andrej; Luzar, Boštjan
Title		Pomen metilacije DNK v karcinogenezi
Translated title		Importance of DNA methylation in carcinogenesis
Type		članek
Source		Zdrav Vestn
Vol. and No.		Letnik 70, št. 3
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 153-6
Language		slo
Abstract		Background. DNA methylation, as an epigenetic phenomenon, plays an important role in the control of human gene expression. Conclusions. Alterations in DNA methylation are frequent in malignant cells expressing themselves as global hypomethylation, regional hipermethylation and/or increased activity of DNA methyltransferases, anzymes that catalyse transfer of methyl groups to DNA molecule. A change in the DNA methylation pattern may be related to oncogene overexpression, progressive inactivation of tumour suppressor genes as well as induction of point multations. Changes in DNA methylationcontribute significantly in accumulation of genetic changes during the multistep process of carcinogenesis. By using inhibitors of DNA methylation, several studies have exposed possibilities to re-activate dormant tumour suppressor genes and restore growth control of cells in tumours.
Summary		Izhodišča. Metilacija DNK je epigenetska sprememba, ki ima pomembno vlogo v nadzoru izražanja genov človeških celic. Zaključki. Spremenjena metilacija DNK je pogosta v malignih celicah, kjer se odslikava kot globalna hipometilacija, področna hipermetilacija in/ali kot povečana aktivnost encimov DNK-metiltransferaz, ki katalizirajo prenos metilnih skupin na molekule DNK. Spremenjena metilacija DNK poveča izražanje onkogenov, vpliva na postopno inaktivacijo tumorje zavirajočih genov in ima pomembno vlogo pri nastanku točkovnih mutacij. Na ta način sodeluje pri kopičenju genetskih napak v večstopenjskem procesu karcinogeneze. Inaktivacija genov z metilacijo DNK je reverzibilen proces, ki spodbuja številne raziskave, saj bi z zaviralci metilacije DNK metilirane tumorje zavirajoče gene lahko ponovno aktivirali in tako morda ponovno vzpostavili nadzor rasti celic v tumorju.
Descriptors		DNA METHYLATION NEOPLASMS MUTATION GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION, NEOPLASTIC