Post-Translational Modifications of Histones and Non-Histones in Liver Disease and Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment: A Narrative Review

Abstract: Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones and non-histones are significant epigenetic modifications in humans, including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, glycosylation, and ubiquitination. These modifications regulate chromatin structure and gene expression, enabling proteins to perform their normal biological functions within cells and maintain stable expression. It is also closely related to the development process of liver diseases and plays an important role in the pathological processes of liver cancer, liver fibrosis, alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This article reviews the roles and pathway mechanisms mediated by post-translational modifications of histones and non-histones in these liver diseases, and briefly outlines how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can intervene in liver diseases by modulating protein post-translational modifications, providing new strategies for future prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Keywords: post-translational modifications, liver disease, traditional Chinese medicine