Polycomb group proteins represent a global silencing system involved in development regulation.In specific,they regulate the transition from proliferation to differentiation,contributing to stem-cell maintenance and i...Polycomb group proteins represent a global silencing system involved in development regulation.In specific,they regulate the transition from proliferation to differentiation,contributing to stem-cell maintenance and inhibiting an inappropriate activation of differentiation programs.Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2(EZH2) is the catalytic subunit of Polycomb repressive complex 2,which induces transcriptional inhibition through the tri-methylation of histone H3,an epigenetic change associated with gene silencing.EZH2 expression is high in precursor cells while its level decreases in differentiated cells.EZH2 is upregulated in various cancers with high levels associated with metastatic cancer and poor prognosis.Indeed,aberrant expression of EZH2 causes the inhibition of several tumor suppressors and differentiation genes,resulting in an uncontrolled proliferation and tumor formation.This editorial explores the role of Polycomb repressive complex 2 in cancer,focusing in particular on EZH2.The canonical function of EZH2 in gene silencing,the non-canonical activities as the methylation of other proteins and the role in gene transcriptional activation,were summarized.Moreover,mutations of EZH2,responsible for an increased methyltransferase activity in cancer,were recapitulated.Finally,various drugs able to inhibit EZH2 with different mechanism were described,specifically underscoring the effects in several cancers,in order to clarify the role of EZH2 and understand if EZH2 blockade could be a new strategy for developing specific therapies or a way to increase sensitivity of cancer cells to standard therapies.展开更多
蛋白质赖氨酸甲基转移酶(protein lysine methyltransferase,PKMT)能催化组蛋白尾部和非组蛋白靶标上的赖氨酸残基甲基化。这类重要的翻译后修饰,可影响染色质的结构和紧密程度,进而影响基因表达。越来越多证据表明,PKMT的遗传改变会影...蛋白质赖氨酸甲基转移酶(protein lysine methyltransferase,PKMT)能催化组蛋白尾部和非组蛋白靶标上的赖氨酸残基甲基化。这类重要的翻译后修饰,可影响染色质的结构和紧密程度,进而影响基因表达。越来越多证据表明,PKMT的遗传改变会影响PKMT在组织中的正常表达从而发挥致癌或抑癌功能。在多种实体瘤中发现PKMT的表达与肿瘤病人的预后有关。本综述总结Zeste增强子同源物2(enhancer of zeste homologue 2,EZH2)、组蛋白-赖氨酸N-甲基转移酶2(histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2,KMT2)家族和含有SET结构域及MYND结构域蛋白(SET and MYND domain-containing protein,SMYD)家族三类主要PKMT的功能及其在甲状腺癌中的作用。展开更多
文摘Polycomb group proteins represent a global silencing system involved in development regulation.In specific,they regulate the transition from proliferation to differentiation,contributing to stem-cell maintenance and inhibiting an inappropriate activation of differentiation programs.Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2(EZH2) is the catalytic subunit of Polycomb repressive complex 2,which induces transcriptional inhibition through the tri-methylation of histone H3,an epigenetic change associated with gene silencing.EZH2 expression is high in precursor cells while its level decreases in differentiated cells.EZH2 is upregulated in various cancers with high levels associated with metastatic cancer and poor prognosis.Indeed,aberrant expression of EZH2 causes the inhibition of several tumor suppressors and differentiation genes,resulting in an uncontrolled proliferation and tumor formation.This editorial explores the role of Polycomb repressive complex 2 in cancer,focusing in particular on EZH2.The canonical function of EZH2 in gene silencing,the non-canonical activities as the methylation of other proteins and the role in gene transcriptional activation,were summarized.Moreover,mutations of EZH2,responsible for an increased methyltransferase activity in cancer,were recapitulated.Finally,various drugs able to inhibit EZH2 with different mechanism were described,specifically underscoring the effects in several cancers,in order to clarify the role of EZH2 and understand if EZH2 blockade could be a new strategy for developing specific therapies or a way to increase sensitivity of cancer cells to standard therapies.
文摘蛋白质赖氨酸甲基转移酶(protein lysine methyltransferase,PKMT)能催化组蛋白尾部和非组蛋白靶标上的赖氨酸残基甲基化。这类重要的翻译后修饰,可影响染色质的结构和紧密程度,进而影响基因表达。越来越多证据表明,PKMT的遗传改变会影响PKMT在组织中的正常表达从而发挥致癌或抑癌功能。在多种实体瘤中发现PKMT的表达与肿瘤病人的预后有关。本综述总结Zeste增强子同源物2(enhancer of zeste homologue 2,EZH2)、组蛋白-赖氨酸N-甲基转移酶2(histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2,KMT2)家族和含有SET结构域及MYND结构域蛋白(SET and MYND domain-containing protein,SMYD)家族三类主要PKMT的功能及其在甲状腺癌中的作用。
