The Indexing Potential of Histone Lysine Methylation

摘要: Diverse post-translational modifications of histone N-termini represent an important epigenetic mechanism for the organization chromatin structure and regulation gene activity. Within last three years, great progress has been made in understanding functional implications methylation, particular through characterization methyltransferases (HMTases) that direct site-specific methylation lysine positions H3 N-terminus. Histone linked with pericentric heterochromatin formation, X-inactivation, Polycomb group (Pc-G)-dependent repression control transcription units at euchromatic positions. Together, these regulatory roles have strongly established as a central modification eukaryotic chromatin. However, they also create paradox: if is present so many regions, how can it impart information? We provide evidence differences distinct states (mono- vs. di- trimethylation) selective combinations individually methylated indeed index resulting landmarks partitioning