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. 2020 Jan 3;11:102. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13668-3

Fig. 4. TCA cycle regulation of chromatin modifications and DNA methylation.

Fig. 4

The activity of the TCA cycle is essential to provide the metabolites that control chromatin modifications and DNA methylation. Specifically, histone acetylation by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) is dependent on the availability of acetyl-CoA, which provides the necessary acetyl groups to enable the reaction. Acetyl-CoA is produced in the cytosol by ACLY using citrate exported from the TCA cycle in mitochondria. α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) is an essential cofactor of 2-OGDD, including the histone demethylases JMJDs and TET DNA demethylases. Succinate is the product of 2-OGDD enzymes reactions and thus, when it accumulates, it works as an antagonist of the reaction. 2-HG and fumarate can also rewire the epigenetic landscape of the cells through inhibition of histone and DNA demethylases.