The impact of cellular metabolism on chromatin dynamics and epigenetics

Locasale and co-authors discuss the influence of cellular metabolism on the regulation of chromatin and epigenetics. The substrates used to modify nucleic acids and chromatin are affected by nutrient availability and the activity of metabolic pathways. Thus, cellular metabolism constitutes a fundamental component of chromatin status and thereby of genome regulation. Here we describe the biochemical and genetic principles of how metabolism can influence chromatin biology and epigenetics, discuss the functional roles of this interplay in developmental and cancer biology, and present future directions in this rapidly emerging area.