SET8-mediated methylations of histone H4 lysine 20 mark silent heterochromatic domains in apicomplexan genomes.

ABSTRACT: Posttranslational histone modifications modulate chromatin-templated processes in various biological systems. H4K20 methylation is considered to have an evolutionarily ancient role in DNA repair and genome integrity, while its function in heterochromatin function and gene expression is thought to have arisen later during evolution. Here, we identify and characterize H4K20 methylases of the Set8 family in Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, two medically important members of the protozoan phylum Apicomplexa. Remarkably, parasite Set8-related proteins display H4K20 mono-, di-, and trimethylase activities, in striking contrast to the monomethylase-restricted human Set8. Structurally, few residues forming the substrate-specific channel dictate enzyme methylation multiplicity. These enzymes are cell cyc

SUBMITTER: Sautel CF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1952134 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature