How the Epigenome Contributes to the Development of Psychiatric Disorders

Epigenetics commonly refers to the developmental process by which cellular traits are established and inherited without a change in DNA sequence. These mechanisms of cellular memory also orchestrate gene expression in the adult brain and recent evidence suggests that the epigenome' represents a critical interface between environmental signals, activation, repression and maintenance of genomic responses, and persistent behavior. We here review the current state of knowledge regarding the contribution of the epigenome toward the development of psychiatric disorders. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 52: 331-342, 2010.