Epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of neuron phenotype.

Abstract

Understanding the structure and function of cells is central to cell biology and physiology. The ability to control cell function may benefit biomedicine, such as cell-replacement therapy or regeneration. If structure defines function and cells are composed of water, lipids, small metabolites, nucleic acids, and proteins, of which the latter are largely encoded by the DNA present in the same cell, then one may assume that the cell types and variation in cellular phenotypes are shaped by differential gene expression. Cells of the same cell type maintain a similar composition. In this review, I will discuss the epigenetic and transcription regulation mechanisms guiding cell fate- specific gene expression in developing neural cells. Differentiation involves processes of cell-fate selection, commitment and maturation, which are not necessarily coupled.