2026-03-11 ロックフェラー大学
Violin plots showing changes in RNA expression (Credit: Allis lab)
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/39158-this-epigenetic-switch-could-be-targeted-by-new-cancer-therapies/
- https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/early/2026/02/09/gad.353070.125
EZH2の保存されたN末端SANT1結合ドメイン（SBD）はPRC2の活性を制御する The conserved N-terminal SANT1-binding domain (SBD) of EZH2 regulates PRC2 activity
Agata L. Patriotis,,Douglas W. Barrows,Yadira Soto-Feliciano,,Laiba F. Khan,Marylene Leboeuf,Dylan M. Marchione,Matthew R. Marunde,Michael-Christopher Keogh,Thomas S. Carroll,Benjamin A. Garcia,,Alexey A. Soshnev, andC. David Allis
Genes & Development Published:February 9, 2026
DOI:10.1101/gad.353070.125
Abstract
Polycomb group proteins maintain gene expression patterns established during early development, with Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) methyltransferase being a key regulator of cell differentiation, identity, and plasticity. Consequently, extensive somatic mutations in PRC2, including gain or loss of function (GOF or LOF), are observed in human cancers. The regulation of chromatin structure by PRC2 is critically dependent on its enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) subunit, which catalyzes the methylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27). Recent structural studies of PRC2 revealed extensive conformational changes in the noncatalytic EZH2 N-terminal SANT1-binding domain (SBD) during PRC2 activation, though the functional significance remains unclear. Here, we investigated how the SBD regulates PRC2 function. The domain is highly conserved in metazoans and dispensable for PRC2 assembly and chromatin localization yet is required for genome-wide histone H3K27 methylation. Furthermore, we show that an intact SBD is necessary for the proliferation of EZH2-addicted lymphomas, and its deletion in the presence of EZH2 GOF mutations inhibits cancer cell growth. These observations provide new insights into the regulation of PRC2 activity in normal development and malignancy.
