histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2; ENX-1; enhancer of zeste homolog 2; lysine N-methyltransferase 6 (EZH2, KMT6)

Function

• polycomb group (PcG) protein
• catalytic subunit of the PRC2/EED-EZH2 complex, which methylates Lys-9 & Lys-27 of histone H3
• phosphorylated by AKT1
• phosphorylation by AKT1 reduces methyltransferase activity
• binds ATRX (X-linked helicase 2) via the SET domain (probable)
• interacts with HDAC1 & HDAC2
• interacts with PRAME

Structure

• belongs to the histone-lysine methyltransferase family, EZ subfamily
• contains 1 SET domain

Compartment

nucleus

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=5

Expression

• expressed in many tissues
• expression decreases during senescence of embryonic fibroblasts
• expression peaks at the G1/S phase boundary
• expression is induced by E2F1, E2F2 & E2F3
• expression is reduced in cells subject to numerous types of stress including UV-, IR- & bleomycin-induced DNA damage & by activation of TP53/p53

Pathology

• increased expression in BPH & prostate cancer
• overexpressed in numerous tumor types including carcinomas of the breast, colon, larynx, lymphoma & testis

More general terms

• transcriptional silencer (transcriptional repressor)
• methyltransferase
• phosphoprotein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=2146
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:2146
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/601573
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q15910.html