Dear Editor, Chromatin is the macromolecular complex of DNA and histone proteins, which provides the scaffold for the packaging of our entire genome. In the basic unit of chromatin, the nucleosomes contain 147 base pa...Dear Editor, Chromatin is the macromolecular complex of DNA and histone proteins, which provides the scaffold for the packaging of our entire genome. In the basic unit of chromatin, the nucleosomes contain 147 base pairs of DNA, which is wrapped around a histone octamer, with two each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Several types of post-translational modifications, including acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and methylation, are possible on the tails of histones (Zhang et al., 2015). Combinations of these modifications determine the chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation of genes. Histone methylation is highlighted because of the specific dynamics related to gene regulation. Aberrant histone methylation has been observed in many types of tumors (Albert and Helin, 2010) and may contribute to the neoplastic transformation of cells (Chi et al., 2010). Histone lysine methylation is regulated by two classes of enzymes that have opposing activities: histone lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) and histone lysine demethylases (KDMs). To date, a number of mammalian KDMs have been discovered (Kooistra and Helin, 2012), and they have been separated into two classes: flavin adenine dinucleotide dependent oxidases, which were first discovered in 2004 (Shi et al., 2004), and Jumonji-C (JmjC) domain-containing enzymes, first identified in 2006 (Tsukada et al., 2006).展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research & Development Program of China (2017YFA0503900)National Natural Science Foundation of China (31701099, 81621063, 81530074, 31570812, and 81720108027)+5 种基金Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province in China (2017B030301016)Science and Technology Foundation of Shenzhen City (JCYJ20170302144650949 and JCY20170818094707964)Shenzhen Peacock Planthe Shenzhen Municipal Commission of Science and Technology Innovation (JCYJ20160427104855100 and JCYJ20170818092450901)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2017A030310459)Natural Science Foundation of SZU (2017085)
文摘Dear Editor, Chromatin is the macromolecular complex of DNA and histone proteins, which provides the scaffold for the packaging of our entire genome. In the basic unit of chromatin, the nucleosomes contain 147 base pairs of DNA, which is wrapped around a histone octamer, with two each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Several types of post-translational modifications, including acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and methylation, are possible on the tails of histones (Zhang et al., 2015). Combinations of these modifications determine the chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation of genes. Histone methylation is highlighted because of the specific dynamics related to gene regulation. Aberrant histone methylation has been observed in many types of tumors (Albert and Helin, 2010) and may contribute to the neoplastic transformation of cells (Chi et al., 2010). Histone lysine methylation is regulated by two classes of enzymes that have opposing activities: histone lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) and histone lysine demethylases (KDMs). To date, a number of mammalian KDMs have been discovered (Kooistra and Helin, 2012), and they have been separated into two classes: flavin adenine dinucleotide dependent oxidases, which were first discovered in 2004 (Shi et al., 2004), and Jumonji-C (JmjC) domain-containing enzymes, first identified in 2006 (Tsukada et al., 2006).
