The interplay of epigenetics and vitamin D: regulation, mechanisms, and implications for health and disease

Epigenetics is crucial for gene expression. The vitamin D system is both regulated by and involved in regulating epigenetic events. This field of “epigenetics“ was initially introduced in 1942 and has made considerable progress with the advancing technologies. The interaction of epigenome with vitamin D has been reported on multiple levels. Different epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and noncoding RNA. This chapter introduces a brief history of epigenetics, the role of epigenetic modifications in regulating vitamin D, and the contribution of vitamin D in maintaining the epigenome and evaluating its impact on health and disease.