title: The transcriptional repressor JHDM3A demethylates trimethyl histone H3 lysine 9 and lysine 36.
abstract: Post-translational modification of chromatin has profound effects on many biological processes including transcriptional regulation, heterochromatin organization, and X-chromosome inactivation. Recent studies indicate that methylation on specific histone lysine (K) residues participates in many of these processes. Lysine methylation occurs in three distinct states, having either one (me1), two (me2) or three (me3) methyl groups attached to the amine group of the lysine side chain. These differences in modification state have an important role in defining how methylated chromatin is recognized and interpreted. Until recently, histone lysine methylation was considered a stable modification, but the identification of histone demethylase enzymes has demonstrated the reversibility of this epigenetic mark. So far, all characterized histone demethylases show enzymatic activity towards lysine residues modified in the me1 or me2 state, leaving open the possibility that me3 constitutes an irreversible modification. Here we demonstrate that JHDM3A (jumonji C (JmjC)-domain-containing histone demethylase 3A; also known as JMJD2A) is capable of removing the me3 group from modified H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) and H3 lysine 36 (H3K36). Overexpression of JHDM3A abrogates recruitment of HP1 (heterochromatin protein 1) to heterochromatin, indicating a role for JHDM3A in antagonizing methylated H3K9 nucleated events. siRNA-mediated knockdown of JHDM3A leads to increased levels of H3K9 methylation and upregulation of a JHDM3A target gene, ASCL2, indicating that JHDM3A may function in euchromatin to remove histone methylation marks that are associated with active transcription.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295, USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Klose
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: Yangjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Dianzheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hediye
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erdjument-Bromage
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tempst
authors.forename: Jiemin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D056484:Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D006657:Histones; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D056484:Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases; C494424:KDM4A protein, human; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating; D008239:Lysine