DNA methylation: a historical perspective

🤖 Plain-English Summary

In 1925, 5-methylcytosine was first reported in bacteria. Despite this, several fundamental details about the precise role and interpretation of DNA methylation patterns remain under investigation.

🔑 Key Findings

• However, its biological importance was not intuitive for several decades.
• After this initial lag, the ubiquitous presence of this methylated base emerged across all domains of life and revealed a range of essential biological functions.
• Today, we are armed with the knowledge of the key factors that establish, maintain, and remove DNA methylation and have access to a staggering and rapidly growing number of base-resolution methylation maps.

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