H3K27 demethylases, at long last

Cell. 2007 Oct 5;131(1):29-32. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2007.09.026.

Abstract

Methylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27me) by the Polycomb complex (PRC2) proteins is associated with gene silencing in many developmental processes. A cluster of recent papers (Agger et al., 2007; De Santa et al., 2007; Lan et al., 2007; Lee et al., 2007) identify the JmjC-domain proteins UTX and JMJD3 as H3K27-specific demethylases that remove this methyl mark, enabling the activation of genes involved in animal body patterning and the inflammatory response.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Patterning
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Gene Silencing
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Immune System / physiology
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases
  • Methylation
  • Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating / metabolism*
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases
  • Kdm6b protein, mouse
  • Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating