home   genetic news   bioinformatics   biotechnology   literature   journals   ethics   positions   events   sitemap
 
  HUM-MOLGEN -> Genetic News | search  
 

Enzymes Make Their Mark

 
  June, 7 2006 12:18
your information resource in human molecular genetics
 
     
Members of a protein subfamily have been found to have demethylase activity, according to two papers to be published online by Nature. They show that the enzymes alter the structure of the protein-DNA complex called chromatin.

In chromatin, DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones. Specific patterns of methyl groups attached to one histone, H3, are involved in silencing genes and have been thought to be permanent chromatin marks. Kristian Helin and colleagues show that an enzyme called GASC1 (also called JMJD2C), and others in the same family, remove these methyl groups and thus alter the chromatin structure and consequently gene expression.

Production of GASC1 was previously known to be boosted in some human cancers, and the researchers show that blocking this enzyme cuts cell proliferation, suggesting that such an approach could stall the runaway cell division in cancer.

In a linked paper, Yi Zhang and colleagues show that the related protein JHDM3A (also called JMJD2A) also removes methyl groups from histone H3 and can change chromatin structure and the expression of genes when overexpressed.

CONTACT

Kristian Helin (Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark)
E-mail: kristian.helin@bric.dk

Yi Zhang (The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA)
E-mail: Yi_Zhang@med.unc.edu

(C) Nature press release.


Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza

print this article mail this article
Latest News
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder

Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia

Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS

Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells

Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity

The Power of RNA Sequencing

‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?

Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia

Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference

Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer

more news ...

Generated by News Editor 2.0 by Kai Garlipp
WWW: Kai Garlipp, Frank S. Zollmann.
7.0 © 1995-2023 HUM-MOLGEN. All rights reserved. Liability, Copyright and Imprint.