KDM2B is a histone H3K79 demethylase and induces transcriptional repression via sirtuin-1-mediated chromatin silencing.

The methylation of histone H3 lysine 79 (H3K79) is an active chromatin marker and is prominent in actively transcribed regions of the genome; however, demethylase of H3K79 remains unknown despite intensive research. Here, we show that KDM2B, also known as FBXL10 and a member of the Jumonji C family of proteins known for its histone H3K36 demethylase activity, is a di- and trimethyl H3K79 demethylase. We demonstrate that KDM2B induces transcriptional repression of HOXA7 and MEIS1 via occupancy of promoters and demethylation of H3K79. Furthermore, genome-wide analysis suggests that H3K79 methylation levels increase when KDM2B is depleted, which indicates that KDM2B functions as an H3K79 demethylase in vivo. Finally, stable KDM2B-knockdown cell lines exhibit displacement of NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) from chromatin, with concomitant increases in H3K79 methylation and H4K16 acetylation. Our findings identify KDM2B as an H3K79 demethylase and link its function to transcriptional repression via SIRT1-mediated chromatin silencing.-Kang, J.-Y., Kim, J.-Y., Kim, K.-B., Park, J. W., Cho, H., Hahm, J. Y., Chae, Y.-C., Kim, D., Kook, H., Rhee, S., Ha, N.-C., Seo, S.-B. KDM2B is a histone H3K79 demethylase and induces transcriptional repression via sirtuin-1-mediated chromatin silencing.