Fig. 1.

The phenotype (or disease) development depends on genetic and epigenetic factors. During normal development, somatic cells descending from a single progenitor and containing a similar genotype will differentiate to acquire diverse biological functions by expressing and repressing different sets of genes via establishing new epigenetic marks. While the genotype of an individual does not change, hyperglycemia, uremia, different dietary and environmental factors might change the epigenome of cells leading to differences in gene and protein expression. Differences in the epigenotype might be responsible for the development of a differing (including disease) phenotype. While the genotype is stable, there is a more dynamic link between environmental factors and phenotype development