title: Histone demethylation and androgen-dependent transcription.
abstract: Covalent modifications of histones play important roles in the regulation of chromatin dynamics and gene activity. Until recently, it was believed that methyl groups could not be removed from histones; as such, the discovery of the first demethylases opens a novel era in understanding how chromatin dynamic is regulated and shows that active demethylation is linked to both transcriptional repression and activation. During androgen-dependent gene activation, specific demethylases are involved in the control of gene expression. These new findings represent a milestone in elucidating the function of demethylases in gene expression. Furthermore, they show that active demethylation of repressive histone marks is a hallmark in the control of specific gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Frauenklinik und Zentrum für Klinische Forschung, Klinikum der Universität Freiburg, Breisacherstrasse 66, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wissmann
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schüle
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D056466:Histone Demethylases; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D006657:Histones; D056466:Histone Demethylases; C495195:KDM1A protein, human; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating