Title:Interplay between DNA Methyltransferase 1 and microRNAs During Tumorigenesis
Volume: 22
Issue: 10
Author(s): Pooja Yadav, Shreetama Bandyopadhayaya, Bridget M. Ford and Chandi Mandal*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, NH-8, Bandarsindri, Kishangarh- 305817, Ajmer, Rajasthan,India
Keywords:
DNA methyl transferases, DNMT1, epigenetics, miRNAs, cancer, cancer therapeutics.
Abstract: Cancer is a genetic disease resulting from genomic changes; however, epigenetic alterations
act synergistically with these changes during tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Epigenetic
variations are gaining more attention as an important regulator in tumor progression, metastasis
and therapy resistance. Aberrant DNA methylation at CpG islands is a central event in epigeneticmediated
gene silencing of various tumor suppressor genes. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)
predominately methylates at CpG islands on hemimethylated DNA substrates in proliferation of
cells. DNMT1 has been shown to be overexpressed in various cancer types and exhibits tumor-promoting
potential. The major drawbacks to DNMT1-targeted cancer therapy are the adverse effects
arising from nucleoside and non-nucleoside based DNMT1 inhibitors. This paper focuses on the
regulation of DNMT1 by various microRNAs (miRNAs), which may be assigned as future
DNMT1 modulators, and highlights how DNMT1 regulates various miRNAs involved in tumor
suppression. Importantly, the role of reciprocal inhibition between DNMT1 and certain miRNAs in
tumorigenic potential is approached in this review. Hence, this review seeks to project an efficient
and strategic approach using certain miRNAs in conjunction with conventional DNMT1 inhibitors
as a novel cancer therapy. It has also been pinpointed to select miRNA candidates associated with
DNMT1 regulation that may not only serve as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis,
but may also predict the existence of aberrant methylation activity in cancer cells.