Histone Modifications and Asthma. The Interface of the Epigenetic and Genetic Landscapes

Complex lung diseases, such as asthma, are influenced by both genetic predisposition and environmental stimuli. The epigenetic landscape of such diseases is attracting increasing interest and research. Epigenetics broadly covers the transient and the inheritable changes to gene expression that are not directly due to changes in nucleotide sequences. Epigenetic mechanisms could have significant impact on asthma-related allergic, immune, and regulatory pathways, as well as on the generation of biomarkers and the heritable transmission of asthma phenotypes. Recent technological advances have allowed mapping of the epigenome and analysis of genome-wide epigenetic contributors to disease. As a result, ground-breaking observations regarding histone post-translational modifications in a number of immunological diseases have emerged. In this review, we look beyond the biological information coded by DNA and review the epigenetic modifications made to histones, with evidence suggesting a role for their modification in asthma.