Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Isolation and Cultivation of Neural Progenitors Followed by Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation of Histone 3 Lysine 79 Dimethylation Mark
Published on: January 26, 2018
The engagement of histone lysine methyltransferases with nucleosomes: structural basis, regulatory mechanisms, and
Yanjing Li1,2, Kexue Ge1, Tingting Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
Abstract:
Histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs) deposit methyl groups onto lysine residues on histones and play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression. The structures and functions of HKMTs have been extensively investigated in recent decades, significantly advancing our understanding of the dynamic regulation of histone methylation. Here, we review the recent progress in structural studies of representative HKMTs in complex with nucleosomes (H3K4, H3K27, H3K36, H3K79, and H4K20 methyltransferases), with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of nucleosome recognition and trans-histone crosstalk by these HKMTs. These structural studies inform HKMTs' roles in tumorigenesis and provide the foundations for developing new therapeutic approaches targeting HKMTs in cancers.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
The Nucleosome Core Particle
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their primary aim is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. On the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access histone-bound DNA during...
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications
Writers
The writer...
Nucleosome Remodeling
Nucleosome remodeling complex
Eukaryotic cells have specialized enzymes called ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling enzymes. These enzymes...
The Nucleosome
In a chromosome, DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called a histone octamer core, which consists of 8 histone proteins. This...
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

