Writing, erasing and reading histone lysine methylations

Histone modifications are crucial epigenetic regulators that play significant roles in numerous cellular events. Lysine methylations occur at various sites on both the tail and globular domains of histones, with their levels meticulously controlled by methyltransferases (the “writers”) and demethylases (the “erasers”). Additionally, specific effector proteins (the “readers”) recognize particular methyl-lysines based on the surrounding amino acid sequence and methylation state. Dysregulation of histone lysine methylation has been linked to various cancers and developmental disorders, making it a promising therapeutic target. Clinical trials of several inhibitors targeting this process have yielded encouraging results. A deeper understanding of histone lysine methylation is essential for clarifying complex biological processes and for advancing disease treatments. This review outlines the enzymes involved in histone lysine methylation and demethylation,FHD-609 as well as the contributions of histone lysine methylation to various biological processes.