Author/Authors :
Antoine H.F.M. Peters، نويسنده , , D?nal OʹCarroll، نويسنده , , Harry Scherthan، نويسنده , , Karl Mechtler، نويسنده , , Stephan Sauer، نويسنده , , Christian Sch?fer، نويسنده , , Klara Weipoltshammer، نويسنده , , Michaela Pagani، نويسنده , , Monika Lachner، نويسنده , , Alexander Kohlmaier، نويسنده , , Susanne Opravil، نويسنده , , Michael Doyle، نويسنده , , Maria Sibilia، نويسنده , , Thomas Jenuwein، نويسنده ,
Abstract :
Histone H3 lysine 9 methylation has been proposed to provide a major “switch” for the functional organization of chromosomal subdomains. Here, we show that the murine Suv39h histone methyltransferases (HMTases) govern H3-K9 methylation at pericentric heterochromatin and induce a specialized histone methylation pattern that differs from the broad H3-K9 methylation present at other chromosomal regions. Suv39h-deficient mice display severely impaired viability and chromosomal instabilities that are associated with an increased tumor risk and perturbed chromosome interactions during male meiosis. These in vivo data assign a crucial role for pericentric H3-K9 methylation in protecting genome stability, and define the Suv39h HMTases as important epigenetic regulators for mammalian development.
