The JmjC domain-containing histone demethylases can remove histone lysine methylation and thereby regulate gene expression. The JmjC domain uses iron Fe(II) and α-ketoglutarate (αKG) as cofactors in an oxidative demethylation reaction via hydroxymethyl lysine. We hypothesize that reactive oxygen species will oxidize Fe(II) to Fe(III), thereby attenuating the activity of JmjC domain-containing h...

objective: animal model studies have shown that msy2 and jhdm2a genes have an important role in spermatogenesis process and fertility of male mice. but the potential role of these genes in human spermatogenesis and fertility is not known yet. therefore, we evaluated expression ratios of these genes in testis tissues of men with normal and impaired spermatogenesis. materials and methods: in this...

Wybutosine (yW) is a hypermodified nucleoside found in position 37 of tRNA(Phe), and is essential for correct phenylalanine codon translation. yW derivatives widely exist in eukaryotes and archaea, and their chemical structures have many species-specific variations. Among them, its hydroxylated derivative, hydroxywybutosine (OHyW), is found in eukaryotes including human, but the modification me...

Histone methylation plays important roles in the regulation of chromatin dynamics and transcription. Steady-state levels of histone lysine methylation are regulated by a balance between enzymes that catalyze either the addition or removal of methyl groups. Using an activity-based biochemical approach, we recently uncovered the JmjC domain as an evolutionarily conserved signature motif for histo...

Circadian rhythms are a universal way for organisms, ranging from prokaryotes to humans, to maintain coordination with the daily changes of light and temperature. It is known that a functional circadian clock confers enhanced fitness. In both animals and plants, diverse physiological processes are affected by the clock and more than 10% of transcripts show a circadian rhythm. Recent advances in...

In most eukaryotes, histone methylation patterns regulate chromatin architecture and function: methylation of histone H3 lysine-9 (H3K9) demarcates heterochromatin, whereas H3K4 methylation demarcates euchromatin. We show here that the S. pombe JmjC-domain protein Lid2 is a trimethyl H3K4 demethylase responsible for H3K4 hypomethylation in heterochromatin. Lid2 interacts with the histone lysine...

Histone lysine methylation is an important epigenetic modification with both activating and repressive roles in gene expression. Jumonji C (jmjC) domain-containing proteins have been shown to reverse histone methylation in nonplant model systems. Here, we show that plant Jumonji C proteins have both conserved and specific features compared with mammalian homologues. In particular, the rice JMJD...

Histone methylation is a posttranslational modification regulating chromatin structure and gene regulation. BHC110/LSD1 was the first histone demethylase described to reverse dimethyl histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4). Here we show that JARID1d, a JmjC-domain-containing protein, specifically demethylates trimethyl H3K4. Detailed mapping analysis revealed that besides the JmjC domain, the BRIGHT and zi...