Analysis of chromatin function mediated by histone H4 lysine 20 methylation

组蛋白翻译后修饰影响染色质和细胞核功能的许多方面。组蛋白H4赖氨酸20甲基化（H4K20me）参与了从DNA损伤反应、染色质凝聚、DNA复制到基因调控等多种过程的调节。PR-Set7是唯一催化H4K20单甲基化的酶。它是维持所有水平的H4K20me所必需的，重要的是，PR-Set7的缺失对胚胎发育和皮肤分化等发育的各个阶段都是灾难性的。这些发现将PR-Set7、H4K20me和识别这种修饰的蛋白质定位为许多重要途径的中心节点。研究结果发表在《基因与发育》和《EMBO杂志》上。

Histone post-translational modifications impact many aspects of chromatin and nuclear function. Histone H4 Lysine 20 methylation (H4K20me) has been implicated in regulating diverse processes ranging from the DNA damage response, chromatin condensation, and DNA replication to gene regulation. PR-Set7 is the sole enzyme that catalyzes monomethylation of H4K20. It is required for maintenance of all levels of H4K20me, and, importantly, loss of PR-Set7 is catastrophic for the various stages of development such as embryonic development and skin differentiation. These findings have placed PR-Set7, H4K20me, and proteins that recognize this modification as central nodes of many important pathways. The results were published in two journals, Genes & Development and EMBO Journal.