Sohee Kwon

We previously reported that apicidin arrested human cancer cell growth through selective induction of p21(WAF1/Cip1). In this study, the apoptotic potential of apicidin and its mechanism in HL60 cells was investigated. Treatment of HL60 cells with apicidin caused a decrease in viable cell number in a dose-dependent manner and an increase in DNA fragmentation, nuclear morphological change, and apoptotic body formation, concomitant with progressive accumulation of hyperacetylated histone H4. In ad

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is a positive regulator of active transcription in euchromatin. HP1 was first identified in Drosophila melanogaster as a major component of heterochromatin. Most eukaryotes have at least three isoforms of HP1, which are conserved in overall structure but localize differentially to heterochromatin and euchromatin. Although initial studies revealed a key role for HP1 in heterochromatin formation and gene silencing, recent progress has shed light on additional roles

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) was first described in Drosophila melanogaster as a heterochromatin associated protein with dose-dependent effect on gene silencing. The HP1 family is evolutionarily highly conserved and there are multiple members within the same species. The multi-functionality of HP1 reflects its ability to interact with diverse nuclear proteins, ranging from histones and transcriptional co-repressors to cohesion and DNA replication factors. As its name suggests, HP1 is well-kno

The KDM4 subfamily H3K9 histone demethylases are epigenetic regulators that control chromatin structure and gene expression by demethylating histone H3K9, H3K36, and H1.4K26. The KDM4 subfamily mainly consists of four proteins (KDM4A-D), all harboring the Jumonji C domain (JmjC) but with differential substrate specificities. KDM4A-C proteins also possess the double PHD and Tudor domains, whereas KDM4D lacks these domains. KDM4 proteins are overexpressed or deregulated in multiple cancers, cardio

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) was first described in Drosophila melanogaster as a heterochromatin associated protein with dose-dependent effect on gene silencing. The HP1 family is evolutionarily highly conserved and there are multiple members within the same species. The multifunctionality of HP1 reflects its ability to interact with diverse nuclear proteins, ranging from histones and transcriptional co-repressors to cohesion and DNA replication factors. As its name suggests, HP1 is well-know

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is well known as a silencing protein found at pericentric heterochromatin. Most eukaryotes have at least three isoforms of HP1 that play differential roles in heterochromatin and euchromatin. In addition to its role in heterochromatin, HP1 proteins have been shown to function in transcription elongation. To gain insights into the transcription functions of HP1, we sought to identify novel HP1-interacting proteins. Biochemical and proteomic approaches revealed that

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal primary brain tumor in adults despite contemporary gold-standard first-line treatment strategies. This type of tumor recurs in virtually all patients and no commonly accepted standard treatment exists for the recurrent disease. Therefore, advances in all scientific and clinical aspects of GBM are urgently needed. Epigenetic mechanisms are one of the major factors contributing to the pathogenesis of cancers, including glioblastoma. Epigenetic modul

The significance of glutamine in cancer metabolism has been extensively studied. Cancer cells consume an excessive amount of glutamine to facilitate rapid proliferation. Thus, glutamine depletion occurs in various cancer types, especially in poorly vascularized cancers. This makes glutamine synthetase (GS), the only enzyme responsible for de novo synthesizing glutamine, essential in cancer metabolism. In cancer, GS exhibits pro-tumoral features by synthesizing glutamine, supporting nucleotide sy

Lysine-specific histone demethylase 3 (KDM3) subfamily proteins are H3K9me2/me1 histone demethylases that promote gene expression. The KDM3 subfamily primarily consists of four proteins (KDM3A-D). All four proteins contain the catalytic Jumonji C domain (JmjC) at their C-termini, but whether KDM3C has demethylase activity is under debate. In addition, KDM3 proteins contain a zinc-finger domain for DNA binding and an LXXLL motif for interacting with nuclear receptors. Of the KDM3 proteins, KDM3A

Histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) is a class I HDAC that catalyzes the deacetylation of histone and non-histone proteins. As one of the best-characterized isoforms, numerous studies have identified interacting partners of HDAC8 pertaining to diverse molecular mechanisms. Consequently, deregulation and overexpression of HDAC8 give rise to diseases. HDAC8 is especially involved in various aspects of cancer progression, such as cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, immune evasion, and drug resistance.

Glioblastoma is the most lethal brain tumor and its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. KDM4C is a histone H3K9 demethylase that contributes to epigenetic regulation of both oncogene and tumor suppressor genes and is often overexpressed in human tumors, including glioblastoma. However, KDM4C's roles in glioblastoma and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that KDM4C knockdown significantly represses proliferation and tumorigenesis of glioblastoma cells in v

Overexpression of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is related to aggressiveness of head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC). Based on studies that HDAC6 and BRD4 are potential therapeutic targets of HNSCC, we hypothesized that the combination treatment of BET inhibitor JQ1 and HDAC6-selective inhibitor ACY-241 could exhibit synergistic anticancer effects in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cells. In this study, HNSCC cell growth

Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) plays an important role in stress responses such as misfolded protein-induced aggresomes, autophagy, and stress granules. However, precisely how HDAC6 manages response during and after cellular stress remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of HDAC6 on various stress and post-stress recovery responses. We showed that HIF-1α protein levels were reduced in HDAC6 knockout (KO) MEFs compared to wild-type (WT) MEFs in hypoxia. Furthermore, und

E6 oncoprotein derived from high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) drives the development of cervical cancer through p53 degradation. Because cervical cancer therapies to inactivate HPV or E6 protein are not available, alternative strategies are required. Here, we show that HPV-mediated nuclear export of human heterochromatin protein 1γ (HP1γ) reduces the stability of p53 through UBE2L3-mediated p53 polyubiquitination during cervical cancer progression. In general, HP1 plays a key role in heteroch