Figure 1.

DNA methylation at gene promoters generally serves to suppress expression. Alterations in DNA methylation can occur both globally across the genome or more locally at specific loci in cancer and can drive tumorigenesis through transcriptional dysregulation. Consistent with a key role for DNA methylation in KCs, in vivo models have shown that DNA methyltransferases are critical regulators in the balance between epidermal differentiation and tumorigenesis.