Writers and Readers of DNA Methylation/Hydroxymethylation in Physiological Aging and Its Impact on Cognitive Function

Abstract

The chromatin landscape has acquired deep attention from several fields ranging from cell biology to neurological and psychiatric diseases. The role that DNA modifications have on gene expression regulation has become apparent in several physiological processes, and numerous efforts have been performed to establish a relationship between DNA modifications and physiological conditions, such as cognitive performance and aging. DNA modifications are incorporated by specific sets of enzymes—the writers—and the modified DNA-interacting partners—the readers—are ultimately responsible for maintaining a functional epigenetic landscape. Therefore, understanding how these epigenetic mediators—writers and readers—are modulated in physiological aging will contribute to unraveling how aging-associated neuronal disturbances arise and contribute to the cognitive decline associated with this period of life. In this review, we focused on DNA modifications, writers and readers, highlighting that despite some methodological disparities, the evidence suggests a critical role for epigenetic mediators in the aging-associated neuronal dysfunction.