Histone methyltransferase activity associated with a human multiprotein complex containing the Enhancer of Zeste protein

Enhancer of Zeste [E(z)] is a Polycomb-group transcriptional repressor and one of the founding members of the family of SET domain-containing proteins. Several SET-domain proteins possess intrinsic histone methyltransferase (HMT) activity. However, recombinant E(z) protein was found to be inactive in a HMT assay. Here we report the isolation of a multiprotein E(z) complex that contains extra sex combs, suppressor of zeste-12 [Su(z)12], and the histone binding proteins RbAp46/RbAp48. This complex, which we termed Polycomb repressive complex (PRC) 2, possesses HMT activity with specificity for Lys 9 (K9) and Lys 27 (K27) of histone H3. The HMT activity of PRC2 is dependent on an intact SET domain in the E(z)…

• HH
  Howard Hughes Medical Institute

  Award: P30 CA08748
• UV
  Universiteit van Amsterdam
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: P30 CA08748, CA08748, GM-37120
• NC
  National Cancer Institute

  Awards: P30 CA08748, CA08748