About this Research Topic

Background

Epigenetic regulation refers to the changes in gene expression levels caused by non-gene sequence changes, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromosomal remodeling, and non-coding RNA regulation, which mainly affect the function and properties of genes by regulating their transcriptional or translational processes. As an important part of epigenetic regulation, post-translational modifications (PTMs) significantly increase proteome diversity. These modifications include phosphorylation, ubiquitination, glycosylation methylation and acetylation that could affect almost all aspects of normal cell biology and pathogenesis. Therefore, understanding how PTMs affect the function of key proteins is critical for the treatment and prevention of epigenetic dysfunctional diseases.

With the burgeoning development of next-generation sequencing and proteomics technologies, a large number of new non-coding RNA and novel protein modification sites have been identified, which has greatly expanded our understanding of the genome, transcriptome, and proteome. Although significant progress has recently been made in the identification of substrates for PTMs, the relationship between the modifications of these substrates and their functions is still unclear, especially the effect of cross-talk between various modifications on protein functions is not well understood. In this research topic, the discovery of new crosstalk between different PTMs and novel regulatory mechanisms in multiple epigenetic dysfunctional diseases might help to reveal the mechanisms of occurrence, development and therapeutic opportunities of these diseases.

This Research Topic aims to focus on the advances in epigenetic regulatory mechanisms such as post-translational modifications of proteins in the pathogenesis and development of diseases. We welcome submissions of Original Studies and Review Articles, including molecular mechanisms, translational applications, and techniques or discoveries in experimental methods.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
• Function and regulation of protein dynamic modifications;
• Recent advances in protein modifications;
• Structural and functional changes of modified proteins;
• Biomarkers based on molecular modifications;
• Identification of post-translational modification sites of proteins;
• Enrichment methods of post-translationally modified proteins;
• Progress in physiopathology based on epigenetic modifications such as PTMs;
• Novel regulatory mechanisms in epigenetic dysfunctional diseases;
• Crosstalk between different PTMs;
• The structure and functions of epigenetic-related enzymes;
• Bioinformatics research on protein modifications.

*NOTE: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation are considered out of the scope of this Research Topic.

Keywords: Post-translational modifications, epigenetic regulation, Ubiquitination, epigenetic mechanism, therapeutic strategy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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