Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Changes in the substrate specificities of factors that irreversibly modify the histone components of chromatin are expected to have a profound effect on gene expression through epigenetics. Ezh2 is a histone-lysine methyltransferase with activity dependent on its association with other components of the Polycomb Repressive Complexes 2 and 3 (PRC2/3). Ezh2 levels are increasingly elevated during prostate cancer progression. Other PRC2/3 components also are elevated in cancer cells. Overexpression of Ezh2 in tissue culture promotes formation of a previously undescribed PRC complex, PRC4, that contains the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase SirT1 and isoform 2 of the PRC component Eed. Eed2 is expressed in cancer and undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells but is undetectable in normal and differentiated ES cells. The distinct PRCs exhibit differential histone substrate specificities. These findings suggest that formation of a transformation-specific PRC complex may have a major role in resetting patterns of gene expression by regulating chromatin structure.

Original publication

DOI

10.1073/pnas.0409875102

Type

Journal article

Journal

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Publication Date

08/02/2005

Volume

102

Pages

1859 - 1864

Keywords

Animals, Cell Differentiation, DNA-Binding Proteins, Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein, Gene Expression Profiling, Gene Expression Regulation, HeLa Cells, Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase, Histones, Humans, Macromolecular Substances, Male, Mice, Multigene Family, Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis, Polycomb Repressive Complex 2, Polycomb-Group Proteins, Prostatic Neoplasms, Protein Isoforms, Proteins, RNA Interference, Repressor Proteins, Sirtuin 1, Sirtuins, Substrate Specificity, Transcription Factors