Description
SETDB2 is a histone H3 methyltransferase that modulates gene expression epigenetically through histone H3 methylation. Methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9) by SETDB2 has emerged as an important player in the formation of heterochromatin, chromatin condensation, and transcriptional repression. SETDB2 is recruited to heterochromatin regions and contributes in vivo to the deposition of trimethyl marks. Depletion of SETDB2 coincides with a loss of CENP proteins and delayed mitosis, suggesting that SETDB2 participates in chromosome condensation and segregation. Using positional cloning approach, SETDB2 has been cloned from a quantitative trait locus on chromosome 13q14 that influences immunoglobulin E levels and asthma