JmjC Family of Histone Demethylases Form Nuclear Condensates.

Marta Vicioso-Mantis, Samuel Aguirre, Marian A Martínez-Balbás

International journal of molecular sciences 2022 Jul 11

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The Jumonji-C (JmjC) family of lysine demethylases (KDMs) (JMJC-KDMs) plays an essential role in controlling gene expression and chromatin structure. In most cases, their function has been attributed to the demethylase activity. However, accumulating evidence demonstrates that these proteins play roles distinct from histone demethylation. This raises the possibility that they might share domains that contribute to their functional outcome. Here, we show that the JMJC-KDMs contain low-complexity domains and intrinsically disordered regions (IDR), which in some cases reached 70% of the protein. Our data revealed that plant homeodomain finger protein (PHF2), KDM2A, and KDM4B cluster by phase separation. Moreover, our molecular analysis implies that PHF2 IDR contributes to transcription regulation. These data suggest that clustering via phase separation is a common feature that JMJC-KDMs utilize to facilitate their functional responses. Our study uncovers a novel potential function for the JMJC-KDM family that sheds light on the mechanisms to achieve the competent concentration of molecules in time and space within the cell nucleus.

Citation

Marta Vicioso-Mantis, Samuel Aguirre, Marian A Martínez-Balbás. JmjC Family of Histone Demethylases Form Nuclear Condensates. International journal of molecular sciences. 2022 Jul 11;23(14)