Novel insights into histone lysine methyltransferases in cancer therapy:From epigenetic regulation to selective drugs

The reversible and precise temporal and spatial regulation of histone lysine methyltransferases(KMTs)is essential for epigenome homeostasis.The dysregulation of KMTs is associated with tumor initiation,metastasis,chemoresistance,invasiveness,and the immune microenvironment.Therapeutically,their promising effects are being evaluated in diversified preclinical and clinical trials,demonstrating encouraging outcomes in multiple malignancies.In this review,we have updated recent understandings of KMTs'functions and the development of their targeted inhibitors.First,we provide an updated overview of the regulatory roles of several KMT activities in oncogenesis,tumor suppression,and immune regulation.In addition,we summarize the current targeting strategies in different cancer types and multiple ongoing clinical trials of combination therapies with KMT inhibitors.In summary,we endeavor to depict the regulation of KMT-mediated epigenetic landscape and provide potential epigenetic targets in the treatment of cancers.

Structure of human lysine methyltransferase Smyd2 reveals insights into the substrate divergence in Smyd proteins

The SET-and myeloid-Nervy-DEAF-1(MYND)-domain containing(Smyd)lysine methyltransferases 1–3 share relatively high sequence similarity but exhibit divergence in the substrate specificity.Here we report the crystal structure of the full-length human Smyd2 in complex with S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine(AdoHcy).Although the Smyd1–3 enzymes are similar in the overall structure,detailed comparisons demonstrate that they differ substantially in the potential substrate-binding site.The binding site of Smyd3 consists mainly of a deep and narrow pocket,while those of Smyd1 and Smyd2 consist of a comparable pocket and a long groove.In addition,Smyd2,which has lysine methyltransferase activity on histone H3-lysine 36,exhibits substantial differences in the wall of the substrate-binding pocket compared with those of Smyd1 and Smyd3 which have activity specifically on histone H3-lysine 4.The differences in the substrate-binding site might account for the observed divergence in the specificity and methylation state of the substrates.Further modeling study of Smyd2 in complex with a p53 peptide indicates that mono-methylation of p53-Lys372 might result in steric conflict of the methyl group with the surrounding residues of Smyd2,providing a structural explanation for the inhibitory effect of the SET7/9-mediated mono-methylation of p53-Lys372 on the Smyd2-mediated methylation of p53-Lys370.

Histone methyltransferases and demethylases:regulators in balancing osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） are characterized by their self-renewing capacity and differentiation potential into multiple tissues. Thus, management of the differentiation capacities of MSCs is important for MSC-based regenerative medicine, such as craniofacial bone regeneration, and in new treatments for metabolic bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. In recent years, histone modification has been a growing topic in the field of MSC lineage specification, in which the Su（var）3-9, enhancer-of-zeste, trithorax （SET） domain-containing family and the Jumonji C （JmjC） domain-containing family represent the major histone lysine methyltransferases （KMTs） and histone lysine demethylases （KDMs）, respectively. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms by which SET domain-containine KMTs and JmiC domain-containinlz KDMs balance the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of MSCs.

Characterization of Lysine Monomethylome and Methyltransferase in Model Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp.PCC 6803

Protein lysine methylation is a prevalent post-translational modification(PTM)and plays critical roles in all domains of life.However,its extent and function in photosynthetic organisms are still largely unknown.Cyanobacteria are a large group of prokaryotes that carry out oxygenic photosynthesis and are applied extensively in studies of photosynthetic mechanisms and environmental adaptation.Here we integrated propionylation of monomethylated proteins,enrichment of the modified peptides,and mass spectrometry(MS)analysis to identify monomethylated proteins in Synechocystis sp.PCC 6803(Synechocystis).Overall,we identified 376 monomethylation sites in270 proteins,with numerous monomethylated proteins participating in photosynthesis and carbon metabolism.We subsequently demonstrated that Cpc M,a previously identified asparagine methyltransferase in Synechocystis,could catalyze lysine monomethylation of the potential aspartate aminotransferase Sll0480 both in vivo and in vitro and regulate the enzyme activity of Sll0480.The loss of Cpc M led to decreases in the maximum quantum yield in primary photosystemⅡ(PSⅡ)and the efficiency of energy transfer during the photosynthetic reaction in Synechocystis.We report the first lysine monomethylome in a photosynthetic organism and present a critical database for functional analyses of monomethylation in cyanobacteria.The large number of monomethylated proteins and the identification of Cpc M as the lysine methyltransferase in cyanobacteria suggest that reversible methylation may influence the metabolic process and photosynthesis in both cyanobacteria and plants.

Mechanistic and functional extrapolation of SET and MYND domaincontaining protein 2 to pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is one of the most lethal neoplasms worldwide and represents the vast majority of pancreatic cancer cases.Understanding the molecular pathogenesis and the underlying mechanisms involved in the initiation,maintenance,and progression of PDAC is an urgent need,which may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies against this deadly cancer.Here,we review the role of SET and MYND domaincontaining protein 2(SMYD2)in initiating and maintaining PDAC development through methylating multiple tumor suppressors and oncogenic proteins.Given the broad substrate specificity of SMYD2 and its involvement in diverse oncogenic signaling pathways in many other cancers,the mechanistic extrapolation of SMYD2 from these cancers to PDAC may allow for developing new hypotheses about the mechanisms driving PDAC tumor growth and metastasis,supporting a proposition that targeting SMYD2 could be a powerful strategy for the prevention and treatment of PDAC.

Cellular functions of MLL/SET-family histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase components

The MLL/SET family of histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferases form enzyme complexes with core subunits ASH2L, WDR5, RbBP5, and DPY-30 （often abbreviated WRAD）, and are responsible for global histone H3 iysine 4 methylation, a hallmark of actively transcribed chromatin in mammalian cells. Accordingly, the function of these proteins is required for a wide variety of processes including stem cell differentiation, cell growth and division, body segmentation, and hematopoiesis. While most work on MLL-WRAD has focused on the function this core complex in histone methylation, recent studies indicate that MLL-WRAD proteins interact with a variety of other proteins and IncRNAs and can localize to cellular organelles beyond the nucleus. In this review, we focus on the recently described activities and interacting partners of MLL-WRAD both inside and outside the nucleus.