Role of H3K27 demethylases Jmjd3 and UTX in transcriptional regulation.

The influence of histone amino-terminal covalent modifications on gene regulation has drawn intense research efforts in recent years. It is now clear that activating and inactivating modifications have a key role in determining the gene-expression profile of an individual cell or cell lineage. Thus, differences in these modifications have a pivotal role in determining and maintaining cell fate during development. The interplay of histone methyltransferases (HMTs) and demethylases confers the plasticity necessary for changes in the gene-expression profile of a cell during differentiation or changes following environmental cues. The histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylases Jmjd3 and UTX remove the gene-inactivating H3K27 dimethyl and trimethyl marks and are involved in inducing and/or maintaining gene expression. In this chapter, we highlight the role of the H3K27 demethylases Jmjd3 and UTX in gene expression.