Mammalian genomes are compartmentalized into dense inactive chromatin that is hypermethylated and active open chromatin that is hypomethylated. It is generally accepted that this bimodal pattern of methylation is established during development and is then faithfully inherited through subsequent cell divisions by a maintenance DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1). The pattern of methylation is believed...

Histone methylation is a key element of the eukaryotic epigenome. Since the discovery of the first histone demethylase (HDM) in 2004, more than 20 demethylases have been identified and characterized. They belong to either the LSD family or the JmjC family, demonstrating the reversibility of all methylation states at almost all major histone lysine methylation sites. These findings ended decades...

Remote distal enhancers may be located tens or thousands of kilobases away from their promoters. How they control gene expression is still poorly understood. Here, we analyze the influence of a remote enhancer on the balance between repression (Polycomb-PcG) and activation (Trithorax-TrxG) of a developmentally regulated gene associated with a CpG island. We reveal its essential, nonredundant ro...

Since their discovery in 2004, histone demethylases have emerged as key regulators of chromatin. Recent studies have started to reveal the interconnections between histone demethylases and signaling pathways, suggesting that this interplay drives fundamental biological processes. Here, we summarize the different families and subfamilies of histone demethylases and the insights into the biologic...

Hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell anemia and b-thalassemia result from among the most common single gene defects worldwide. A promising approach for the treatment of these conditions is through the induction of increased fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression. Hydroxyurea, which is currently part of the standard treatment of sickle cell anemia, causes increased expression of HbF. However, the l...