Mechanism of Cytoskeleton Modification by Histone Methyltransferase SETD2 (original) (raw)

In order for the busy and crowded cell to have a semblance of organization, it leverages a complex and dynamic network of polymers, the cytoskeleton, to provide structure and serve as molecular roads for cargo transport. Two main polymer systems, microtubules and actin filaments, provide long- and short-range transport, respectively. Additionally, microtubules form the mitotic spindle and primary cilia, while actin filaments are critical for cell migration and muscle contraction. How cytoskeletal elements have such diverse functional roles is in part due to post-translational modifications, where specific chemical modifications signal for protein interactions and particular motor protein motility. For example, tubulin methylation is only found on mitotic spindles, the microtubule-based bipolar structure that separates chromosomes during cell division and is enzymatically added by SETD2. SETD2 canonically modifies histones, specifically histone 3 at lysine 36, and is the only enzyme ...