Biotech Research and Innovation Centre and Centre for Epigenetics, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2012 Apr 4;13(5):297-311. doi: 10.1038/nrm3327.
Histone modifications are thought to regulate chromatin structure, transcription and other nuclear processes. Histone methylation was originally believed to be an irreversible modification that could only be removed by histone eviction or by dilution during DNA replication. However, the isolation of two families of enzymes that can demethylate histones has changed this notion. The biochemical activities of these histone demethylases towards specific Lys residues on histones, and in some cases non-histone substrates, have highlighted their importance in developmental control, cell-fate decisions and disease. Their ability to be regulated through protein-targeting complexes and post-translational modifications is also beginning to shed light on how they provide dynamic control during transcription.
组蛋白修饰被认为调节染色质结构、转录和其他核过程。组蛋白甲基化最初被认为是一种不可逆的修饰，只能通过组蛋白驱逐或在 DNA 复制过程中稀释来去除。然而，两种可以去甲基化组蛋白的酶家族的分离改变了这一观念。这些组蛋白去甲基酶对组蛋白上特定赖氨酸残基的生化活性，以及在某些情况下对非组蛋白底物的活性，突出了它们在发育控制、细胞命运决定和疾病中的重要性。它们通过蛋白靶向复合物和翻译后修饰进行调节的能力也开始揭示它们在转录过程中提供动态控制的方式。
