title: SMYD3 encodes a histone methyltransferase involved in the proliferation of cancer cells.
abstract: Colorectal and hepatocellular carcinomas are some of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide, but the mechanisms that underly these malignancies are not fully understood. Here we report the identification of SMYD3, a gene that is over-expressed in the majority of colorectal carcinomas and hepatocellular carcinomas. Introduction of SMYD3 into NIH3T3 cells enhanced cell growth, whereas genetic knockdown with small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in cancer cells resulted in significant growth suppression. SMYD3 formed a complex with RNA polymerase II through an interaction with the RNA helicase HELZ and transactivated a set of genes that included oncogenes, homeobox genes and genes associated with cell-cycle regulation. SMYD3 bound to a motif, 5'-CCCTCC-3', present in the promoter region of downstream genes such as Nkx2.8. The SET domain of SMYD3 showed histone H3-lysine 4 (H3-K4)-specific methyltransferase activity, which was enhanced in the presence of the heat-shock protein HSP90A. Our findings suggest that SMYD3 has histone methyltransferase activity and plays an important role in transcriptional regulation as a member of an RNA polymerase complex. Furthermore, activation of SMYD3 may be a key factor in human carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamamoto
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iimura
authors.forename: Fabio Pittella
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Meihua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ryuichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yagyu
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D000076983:Histone Methyltransferases; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011496:Protein Methyltransferases; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000378:metabolism; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D008156:Luciferases; D000076983:Histone Methyltransferases; D011496:Protein Methyltransferases; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; C562220:HELZ protein, mouse; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; C562219:MAPK4 protein, human; D020365:RNA Helicases