Deciphering Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Multidimensional Genomic Approaches

Figure 2

Mechanisms of epigenetic gene silencing. Unmethylated DNA is accessible to activator proteins and transcription factors (TF) enabling transcription. DNA methylation by DNA methyl transferases (DNMT) causes steric inhibition of transcription complexes thus blocking transcription. Methylated DNA (me) is recognized by methyl binding domain proteins (MBD), histone deacetylases (HDAC), and histone methyltransferases (HMT) which stimulate chromatin remodeling. Compaction of DNA into condensed chromatin (heterochromatin) results in transcriptionally inactive DNA.