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Review
. 2021 May 25;15(1):30.
doi: 10.1186/s40246-021-00331-6.

Epigenetics and microRNAs in UGT1As

Cui-Lan Meng  1 , Wei Zhao  1 , Dan-Ni Zhong  2
Affiliations
Review

Epigenetics and microRNAs in UGT1As

Cui-Lan Meng et al. Hum Genomics. .

Abstract

UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are the main phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes mediating the most extensive glucuronidation-binding reaction in the human body. The UGT1A family is involved in more than half of glucuronidation reactions. However, significant differences exist in the distribution of UGT1As in vivo and the expression of UGT1As among individuals, and these differences are related to the occurrence of disease and differences in metabolism. In addition to genetic polymorphisms, there is now interest in the contribution of epigenetics and noncoding RNAs (especially miRNAs) to this differential change. Epigenetics regulates UGT1As pretranscriptionally through DNA methylation and histone modification, and miRNAs are considered the key mechanism of posttranscriptional regulation of UGT1As. Both epigenetic inheritance and miRNAs are involved in the differences in sex expression and in vivo distribution of UGT1As. Moreover, epigenetic changes early in life have been shown to affect gene expression throughout life. Here, we review and summarize the current regulatory role of epigenetics in the UGT1A family and discuss the relationship among epigenetics and UGT1A-related diseases and treatment, with references for future research.

Keywords: Drug-metabolizing enzymes; Epigenetics; Posttranscriptional regulation; UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)1As; miRNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have read the manuscript and approved its submission to your journal. There are no conflicts of interest of any authors in relation to the submission. This paper has not been submitted elsewhere for consideration for publication.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic diagram of the regulation of UGT1A1 by DNA methylation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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