MeCP2: the long trip from a chromatin protein to neurological disorders.
Since the discovery of its fundamental involvement in Rett syndrome, methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) has been the focus of an exhaustive biochemical and functional characterization. It is now becoming apparent that the intrinsic highly disordered nature of MeCP2, which is amenable to a plethora of post-translational modifications (PTMs), allows it to recognize a large number of protein interacting partners, including histones. MeCP2 is highly abundant in the brain and it is an important component of neuronal chromatin; nevertheless, the organization and implications of its involvement in terms of DNA methylation binding dependence and effects on transcription are still not well understood. Recent results have shown that MeCP2 plays an important role in brain development, aging, and in neurological disorders.
Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Av. Gran Via de L'Hospitalet 199-203, L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3P6, Canada. Electronic address: jausio@uvic.ca.
Juan
J
Ausió
Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Av. Gran Via de L'Hospitalet 199-203, L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Alexia
A
Martínez de Paz
Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Av. Gran Via de L'Hospitalet 199-203, L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Physiological Sciences II, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: mesteller@idibell.cat.
Manel
M
Esteller
D000375:Aging; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019175:DNA Methylation; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; C497392:MECP2 protein, human; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2
DNA methylation; MeCP2; chromatin; intrinsically disordered proteins; neurological disorders