Genomic imprinting and its role in ethiology of human hereditary diseases

Abstract

Genomic imprinting is a form of non-Mendelian epigenetic inheritance that is defined by differential gene expression depending on its parental origin — maternal or paternal. It is known about 60 imprinted genes many of which effect significantly on the fetus growth and development. Methylation of DNA cytosine bases that defines the interaction of DNA and proteins identifying the modified bases and controls the gene expression through chromatin compacting-decompacting mechanism, is a main epigenetic genom modifier. Disturbances in monoallelic gene expression lead to the development of a special class of human hereditary diseases — genomic imprinting diseases.