SETting up Methylation in Mammalian Cells: Role of Histone Methyltransferases in Disease and Development

Epigenetics is now being heralded as a science that can bring change with momentous potential. The development and maintenance of any organism is formulated by certain chemical reactions that modulate parts of the genome at specific intervals involving the remodeling of chromatin. Understanding how chromatin remodeling can selectively activate or inactivate genes and subsequently influence pathogenesis and the outcome of many diseases becomes critical. Epigenetics provides us with the perception to look into the genetic process, the biological role of chromatin-associated proteins, and how alterations in epigenetic factors have majorly impacted human disease and development.