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Perspectives
Role of Rb Family in the Epigenetic Definition of Chromatin
Susana Gonzalo and Marķa A. Blasco
volume 4 | issue 6
june 2005Pages: 752-755
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Epigenetic changes can influence a variety of cellular processes from regulation of gene transcription to proper chromosome segregation. The molecular activities that dictate the assembly, maintenance and regulation of chromatin structure are beginning to be identified. A recent study demonstrates that the Rb family of tumour suppressors plays a major role in global chromatin structure. In addition to the well-known function of Rb family inducing a repressive chromatin state around euchromatic promoters, Rb proteins have a direct role in the assembly of pericentric and telomeric heterochromatin domains. In particular, the Rb family maintains histone 4 lysine 20 tri-methylation (H4K20) at these constitutive heterochromatin domains. Lack of the Rb family results in decreased H4K20 tri-methylation, coincidental with chromosome segregation defects and abnormal telomere elongation, two processes frequently altered in human cancer. Maintenance of heterochromatic domains, such as those of centromeres and telomeres, may represent a novel tumour suppressor function for the Rb family by ensuing genomic stability.
We now provide open access to journal articles published online for one year or more. This article may be downloaded at the following link:
Download PDF If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.