DNA methylation and epigenetic control of cellular differentiation.

In mammals the genome is shaped by epigenetic regulation to manifest numerous cellular identities. The term epigenetics has been used to refer to changes in gene expression, which are heritable through multiple cell division cycles that are not due to variations in primary DNA sequence. Stable suppression of differentiation genes is required to sustain the undifferentiated state in cells ranging from embryonic stem cells to somatic stem cell progenitors that constantly replenish self-renewing tissues.