Abstract

The main focus of the Gozani laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms by which protein lysine methylation regulates chromatin biology, epigenetics, and cellular signaling, and how disruption in these mechanisms contribute to cancer and other diseases. We study how lysine methylation events on histone and non-histone proteins are generated, sensed, and transduced, and how these chemical marks integrate with other modification and cellular signaling networks to govern diverse functions. We previously identified the PHD finger and the BAH domain as methyl lysine-binding “reader” domains and provided evidence that disrupting the read-out of histone modifications can cause inherited human diseases. Current research efforts are aimed at discovery and characterization of new methyl-sensitive reader domains functioning in both chromatin and non-chromatin pathways. Another major focus of the lab is to develop and apply proteomic strategies to uncover the catalytic and biological functions of the many orphan or poorly characterized protein lysine methyltransferases present in the human genome. I will discuss our most recent work in these areas with a focus on two enzymes implicated in tumorigenesis.