Progress on the regulation of DNA methylation in the development of the enteric nervous system / 国际儿科学杂志

ABSTRACT

The enteric nervous system consists of a network of neurons,neurotransmitters,proteins and its supporting cells in the lining of the gastrointestinal wall. The embryonic development of ENS originates from neural crest stem cells,which start to proliferate and migrate from the neural crest to the mesoderm along the head and tail,and finally migrate into the mesenchyme and form ENS. DNA methylation plays an important role in cell proliferation or differentiation in the process of embryonic development. DNA methylation is regulated by DNA methylation transferase,and the methylation state of the genes is passed on to the offspring in the process of cell proliferation differentiation. DNA methylation is the most profound and extensive mechanism in epigenet-ics research. Thus,this article is to review the recent advances in the effects of epigenetic regulation on the devel-opment of the enteric nervous system.