Influence of bacteria on epigenetic gene control.

Cellular information is inherited by daughter cells through epigenetic routes in addition to genetic routes. Epigenetics, which is primarily mediated by inheritable DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications, involves changes in the chromatin structure important for regulating gene expression. It is widely known that epigenetic control of gene expression plays an essential role in cell differentiation processes in vertebrates. Furthermore, because epigenetic changes can occur reversibly depending on environmental factors in differentiated cells, they have recently attracted considerable attention as targets for disease prevention and treatment. These environmental factors include diet, exposure to bacteria or viruses, and air pollution, of which this review focuses on the influence of bacteria on epigenetic gene control in a host. Host-bacterial interactions not only occur upon pathogenic bacterial infection but also continuously exist between commensal bacteria and the host. These bacterial stimuli play an essential role in various biological responses involving external stimuli and in maintaining physiological homeostasis by altering epigenetic markers and machinery.