Fig. 1.

Concepts of nutritional epigenetics. Changes in the level of nutrients deriving from diet affect the epigenome of tissues and cell types by affecting chromatin-modifying enzymes such as KMTs, DNMTs and HATs (“writers”), KDMs, TETs and HDACs (“erasers”) and MBD (methyl-DNA-binding domain) proteins (“readers”), via the modulation of signal transduction pathways (A), after their metabolism (B) or through direct binding (C). The activity of these enzymes determine the local chromatin structure through covalent modifications of histones and genomic DNA and mediate a between the active state (euchromatin) and inactive state (heterochromatin). This is essential for controlling gene expression.