• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.4 s.84
• /
• pp.593-598
• /
• 2007

Amino acids of histone tail are covalently modified in eukaryotic cells. Lysine residues in histone H3 and H4 are methylated at three levels; mono-, di- or trimethylation. Methylation in histones is related with transcription of the genes in distinct pattern depending on lysine residues and methylated levels. Relation between transcription and methylation has been relatively well understood at three lysines H3K4, H3K9 and H3K36. H3K4 is methylated in active or potentially active chromatin and its methylation associates with active transcription. H3K9 is generally methylated in heterochromatin or repressed gene, but trimethylation of this lysine occur in actively transcribed genes also. Methylation at H3K36 generally correlates with active chromatin/transcription, but the correlation of its dimethylation with transcription is controversial. All together methylation patterns of individual lysine residues in histone relate with activation or repression of transcription and may provide distinctive roles in transcriptional regulation of the eukaryotic genes.