Methionine Metabolism – A Gateway to Oral Cancer Epigenetics

Abstract

Abstract One of the seminal hallmarks of cancer includes nonmutational epigenetic reprogramming. Epigenetic changes are reversible unlike genetic changes which are irreversible and thus hold tremendous potential to be explored for better practical outcome. DNA methylation is the most commonly studied epigenetic alteration. Methionine pathway is linked to DNA methylation. Cancer cells for their metabolism require increased uptake of amino acid and methionine. However, the exact mechanism of DNA methylation in cancer in association to methionine pathway still remains enigmatic. Oral cancer is most commonly associated to smokeless tobacco use. There is sufficient evidence that nitrosamines in tobacco alter the methionine pathway and thus induce aberrant methylation. Moreover, methionine restriction is an emerging strategy to target tumor metabolism. Thus, it makes it all more imperative to understand the basic mechanism operating at the molecular level. This article is an attempt to hypothesis and proposes the possible fundamental changes occurring in the methionine pathway pertaining to oral cancer epigenetics.