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Histone and DNA Modifications in Mental Retardation

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Epigenetics and Disease

Part of the book series: Progress in Drug Research ((PDR,volume 67))

Abstract

Mental retardation (MR), which affects 1–3% of the total population, refers to a pathological condition whereby the affected individuals suffer from cognitive impairment, which is diagnosed by a low intelligence quotient (IQ) (<70). Over the years, human genetic studies identified a plethora of candidate genes causing MR, but mechanisms by which these candidates regulate cognitive function remain poorly understood. While the functions of MR genes range from cell signaling and gene expression to synaptic plasticity, there is growing evidence supporting a critical role for epigenetic and chromatin regulatory proteins in MR. Excitingly, recent molecular and genetic studies suggest the possibility of improving cognitive functions via modulation of epigenetic regulators, highlighting a potentially new avenue for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we discuss recent studies on epigenetic regulation in MR and explore the concept of epigenetic therapy for MR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Ave Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Shigeki Iwase & Yang Shi

  2. Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Yang Shi

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  1. Shigeki Iwase
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  1. for Biomedical Research, Part of the Novartis Research Foundation, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Maulbeerstrasse 66, Basel, 4058, Switzerland

    Susan M. Gasser

  2. BioMedical Research Co., Ltd., China Novartis Institutes for, Lane 898 Halei Road, Shanghai, 201203, China, People's Republic

    En Li

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Iwase, S., Shi, Y. (2011). Histone and DNA Modifications in Mental Retardation. In: Gasser, S., Li, E. (eds) Epigenetics and Disease. Progress in Drug Research, vol 67. Springer, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8989-5_8

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