PR-Set7-dependent methylation of histone H4 Lys 20 functions in repression of gene expression and is essential for mitosis.
The histone methyl transferase PR-Set7 mediates histone H4 Lys 20 methylation, a mark of constitutive and facultative heterochromatin. We isolated a null mutation in Drosophila PR-Set7 that suppresses position effect variegation, indicating that PR-Set7 indeed functions in silencing general gene expression. In PR-Set7 larval leg and eye discs, the number of cells is lower than normal, and the DNA content in these cells is significantly increased. These data show that PR-Set7-dependent methylation is essential for the process of mitosis. The methylation mark is highly stable and is maintained even in the absence of PR-Set7 protein.
Karachentsev
Dmitry
D
Waksman Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, New Jersey Cancer Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8020, USA.
Sarma
Kavitha
K
Reinberg
Danny
D
Steward
Ruth
R
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology*; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / Q000502:physiology*; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006657:Histones; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; C498199:PR-Set7 protein, Drosophila; D008239:Lysine