Abstract

Histone methylation has important roles in regulating transcription, genome integrity and epigenetic inheritance. Historically, methylated histone arginine and lysine residues have been considered static modifications because of the low levels of methyl-group turnover in chromatin. The recent identification of enzymes that antagonize or remove histone methylation has changed this view and now the dynamic nature of these modifications is being appreciated. Here, we examine the enzymatic and structural basis for the mechanisms that these enzymes use to counteract histone methylation and provide insights into their substrate specificity and biological function.

Author affiliations

1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599–7295, USA.

Correspondence to: Yi Zhang¹ Email: yi_zhang@med.unc.edu

Published online 7 March 2007

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