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Genetics, Vol. 179, 317-322, May 2008, Copyright © 2008
doi:10.1534/genetics.108.087650
Functional Characterization of the Drosophila Hmt4-20/Suv4-20 Histone Methyltransferase
Ayako Sakaguchi, Dmitry Karachentsev, Mansha Seth-Pasricha, Marina Druzhinina and Ruth Steward1
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Waksman Institute, New Jersey Cancer Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8020
1 Corresponding author: Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, 190 Frelinghuysen Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854.
E-mail: steward{at}mbcl.rutgers.edu
Di- and trimethylation of histone H4 lysine20 (H4K20) are thought to play an important role in controlling gene expression in vertebrates and in Drosophila. By inducing a null mutation in Drosophila Suv4-20, we show that it encodes the histone H4 lysine20 di- and trimethyltransferase. In Suv4-20 mutants, the H4K20 di- and trimethyl marks are strongly reduced or absent, and the monomethyl mark is significantly increased. We find that even with this biochemical function, Suv4-20 is not required for survival and does not control position-effect variegation (PEV).