Association of Structure and Functions of Lysine Methyltransferase SET8 with Tumorigenesis

SET8, also named SETD8, PR-SET7 or KMT5a, is a sole lysine methyltransferase that catalyzesmonomethylation of histone H4 lysine 20(H4K20). SET8 and the H4K20me1 catalyzed by SET8 are jointly implicated in modulating cell cycle, maintaining chromatin structure and regulating the transcription of several genes. Recently, it is reported that the high expression of SET8 involves in regulating cell cycle, cell proliferation and apoptosis. SET8 is also related with tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis, suggesting that SET8 may be a potential target for cancer treatment. In this review, we focus on analyzing the association of the structure and function of SET8 and its effect in tumorigenesis.