Chromatin is a mighty consumer of cellular energy generated by metabolism. Metabolic status is efficiently coordinated with transcription and translation, which also feed back to regulate metabolism. Conversely, suppression of energy utilization by chromatin processes may serve to preserve energy resources for cell survival. Most of the reactions involved in chromatin modification require metabolites as their cofactors or coenzymes. Therefore, the metabolic status of the cell can influence the spectra of posttranslational histone modifications and the structure, density and location of nucleosomes, impacting epigenetic processes. Thus, transcription, translation, and DNA/RNA biogenesis adapt to cellular metabolism. In addition to dysfunctions of metabolic enzymes, imbalances between metabolism and chromatin activities trigger metabolic disease and life span alteration. Here, we review the synthesis of the metabolites and the relationships between metabolism and chromatin function. Furthermore, we discuss how the chromatin response feeds back to metabolic regulation in biological processes.
Keywords: chromatin; cofactors; energy homeostasis; histone modifications; metabolism; metabolites.