Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 10, 2026

Isolation and Cultivation of Neural Progenitors Followed by Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation of Histone 3 Lysine 79 Dimethylation Mark
Published on: January 26, 2018
Disrupted intricacy of histone H3K4 methylation in neurodevelopmental disorders
Christina N Vallianatos1,2, Shigeki Iwase1
1Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, 5815 Medical Science II, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Abstract:
Methylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me) is an intricately regulated posttranslational modification, which is broadly associated with enhancers and promoters of actively transcribed genomic loci. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing have identified a number of H3K4me regulators mutated in neurodevelopmental disorders including intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia. Here, we aim to summarize the molecular function of H3K4me-regulating enzymes in brain development and function. We describe four H3K4me methyltransferases (KMT2A, KMT2C, KMT2D, KMT2F), four demethylases (KDM1A, KDM5A, KDM5B, KDM5C), and two reader proteins (PHF21A, PHF8) mutated in neurodevelopmental disorders. Understanding the role of these chromatin regulators in the development and maintenance of neural connections will advance therapeutic opportunities for prevention and treatment of these lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
Histone Modification
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications
Writers
The writer...
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

