Fig. 1

Epigenetic alterations involving DNMTs in tumorigenesis. Numerous clinical and experimental data suggest that tumor cells generally exhibit genome-wide hypomethylation and localized hypermethylation, in contrast with normal cells. Interactions between DNMTs and histone methyltransferases, such as EZH2 and SETD2, play critical roles in epigenetic disruption during malignancy. Thus, the identification of epigenetic alterations involving DNMTs in tumorigenesis may contribute to improved cancer diagnosis and effective treatments