Cells are continuously exposed to various sources of insults, among which temperature variations are extremely common. Epigenetic mechanisms, critical players in gene expression regulation, undergo alterations due to these stressors, potentially leading to health issues. Despite the significance of DNA methylation and histone modifications in gene expression regulation, their changes following heat and cold shock in human cells remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic profiles of human cells subjected to hyperthermia and hypothermia, revealing significant variations. Heat shock primarily led to DNA methylation increments and epigenetic modifications associated with gene expression silencing. In contrast, cold shock presented a complex scenario, with both methylation and demethylation levels increasing, indicating different epigenetic responses to the opposite thermal stresses. These temperature-induced alterations in the epigenome, particularly their impact on chromatin structural organization, represent an understudied area that could offer important insights into genome function and potential prospects for therapeutic targets.

中文翻译：

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热休克和冷休克对表观遗传学和染色质结构的影响

细胞不断暴露于各种来源的侵害中，其中温度变化极为常见。表观遗传机制是基因表达调控的关键参与者，由于这些压力因素而发生改变，可能导致健康问题。尽管 DNA 甲基化和组蛋白修饰在基因表达调控中具有重要意义，但人类细胞中热休克和冷休克后它们的变化仍然知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们研究了人类细胞在高温和低温下的表观遗传特征，揭示了显着的变化。热休克主要导致 DNA 甲基化增加和与基因表达沉默相关的表观遗传修饰。相比之下，冷休克呈现出一种复杂的情况，甲基化和去甲基化水平都增加，表明对相反的热应力有不同的表观遗传反应。这些温度引起的表观基因组变化，特别是它们对染色质结构组织的影响，代表了一个尚未得到充分研究的领域，可以为基因组功能和治疗靶点的潜在前景提供重要的见解。