DNA methylation, as a common epigenetic mark in the genome, plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression. Studies using cell lines, animal models, and human subjects have demonstrated that alcohol exposure (or consumption) results in DNA methylation changes, leading to altered gene expression. Khalid et al.74 used human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a model to reveal the correlation of DNA methylation and gene expression in alcohol-treated hESCs. By integrative analysis of the transcriptomic and DNA methylomic data, they identified a list of cell differentiation-related genes that were dysregulated by alcohol-induced DNA methylation changes.
