Feeding the epigenome: EZH2 as a metabolic integrator of cell fate in development and cancer

Epigenetic regulation is intimately linked to cellular metabolism, enabling environmental and nutritional cues to shape gene expression programs through dynamic modifications of chromatin structure. This metabolism-epigenetics interface is mediated, in part, by the dependence of chromatin-modifying enzymes on key metabolites, including S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), acetyl-CoA, UDP-GlcNAc, and α-ketoglutarate, which serve as substrates or cofactors for DNA and histone modifications. Among these regulators, EZH2, the catalytic subunit of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), has emerged as a key mediator linking metabolic state to epigenetic regulation by translating metabolic inputs into changes in chromatin architecture and gene expression. EZH2 governs developmental cell fate through H3K27me3-mediated gene repression and is frequently dysregulated in cancer, where it promotes dedifferentiation, tumor progression, and metabolic reprogramming. Importantly, EZH2 activity is itself modulated by cellular metabolic status through posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and O-GlcNAcylation, which influence its stability, catalytic activity, and chromatin-binding capacity. These modifications are responsive to nutrient availability and signaling pathways involving glucose, SAM, NAD⁺, and other metabolic intermediates. Consequently, disruption of this finely tuned regulatory network can contribute to developmental abnormalities, metabolic dysfunction, and oncogenesis. In this review, we examine the molecular mechanisms governing EZH2 regulation and discuss how metabolic control of EZH2 shapes chromatin dynamics, cell fate decisions, and disease pathogenesis. Elucidating how metabolic signals modulate EZH2 activity will advance our understanding of development and disease while uncovering potential therapeutic opportunities to target metabolism-driven epigenetic dysregulation.