Description
HDAC3, although a class I HDAC, is found in co-repressor complexes with the SMRT/N-CoR proteins, complexes distinct from than those comprising other class I enzymes. It has a unique domain structure, including both nuclear localization and nuclear export sequences and has been assigned to its own phylogenetic subclass. Inhibition of HDAC3 may be the determining factor in the anti-proliferative effects of HDAC inhibitors on cancer cells and its caspase-dependent cleavage and relocation to the cytoplasm may be critical to the progression of apoptosis. It has been shown that HDAC3, rather than the class II HDACs 4 and 5, likely diretly deacetylates MEF2, implying an important role in pathways affecting heart disease