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Shanghai Academy of Science and Technology's latest Science. Have you remembered the last question?
The human body has one of the most sophisticated delivery systems in nature, far surpassing even companies like FedEx and UPS. In cancer biology, there's an intricate packaging and delivery mechanism that plays a crucial role in whether or not the body develops cancer. At the heart of this system is histone, a key component of chromatin, which is central to understanding how DNA is organized and maintained.
Chromatin abnormalities are increasingly linked to DNA damage and cancer development. Researchers from the Li Haitao team at Tsinghua University School of Medicine’s Department of Basic Medicine and Structural Biology, along with the Shi Xiaobing group at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, have uncovered new insights into this process. Their work focuses on a protein called the YEATS domain, which acts as a "reader" for certain histone modifications. These readers interact with the "tails" of histones, influencing gene activity and playing a critical role in cellular function.
Shi Xiaobing, an assistant professor of epigenetics and molecular carcinogenesis at MD Anderson, emphasized the significance of their findings: “Our results show that the YEATS domain is a novel histone acetylation reader. This discovery opens up new possibilities for targeting chromatin regulation in cancer treatment.†The study was recently published in *Cell*.
When DNA wraps around histones, it forms a structure known as a nucleosome, which is then further condensed into chromatin. This packaging helps protect DNA, prevent damage, and regulate gene expression during cell division. Histone modifications—such as acetylation and methylation—are essential for proper chromatin function.
“Histone modifications act as docking sites for reader proteins that recognize these marks and influence biological outcomes,†Shi explained. “While we’ve identified many readers for histone methylation, there are very few known for acetylation.â€
In other words, if a scanner can’t read a package’s barcode, the delivery fails. Similarly, when the DNA packaging system malfunctions, it can lead to serious consequences, including cancer. A decade ago, bromodomains were discovered as the primary acetylation readers, and they are now considered key targets for drug development. However, the recent identification of the YEATS domain suggests there may be more players in this game.
Shi added, “With the discovery of YEATS as another acetylation reader, we believe it could play a significant role in both health and disease, potentially linking to cancer progression.†This finding highlights the growing complexity of chromatin regulation and offers exciting new directions for future research and therapeutic strategies.