Emerging areas of chromatin research

Abstract

In the preceding chapters the fundamentals of chromatin have been discussed regarding cellular and developmental events in addition to nuclear process such as transcription and DNA repair. In this chapter I highlight, through specific examples, chromatin functions that interface with other cellular processes. These include extracellular signaling, metabolism, and aging which govern the function of histone modification. I also present examples of the interface between chromatin and the other epigenetic regulatory processes of noncoding RNAs and DNA methylation. While many of these areas of research are relatively new (e.g., noncoding RNAs), others have a rich history of studies (e.g., signaling and DNA methylation). What is emphasized here is how these processes interface with chromatin and to illustrate that these are not distinctive processes but rather a continuum of nuclear and cellular functions that cut across more traditional fields of research. Thus, while the other processes are not necessarily emerging, their interactions with chromatin are becoming increasingly important. Hence, the interface of these cellular processes with chromatin represent emerging areas of chromatin research.