Structural basis for PRC2 engagement with chromatin

The polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is a conserved multiprotein, repressive chromatin complex essential for development and maintenance of eukaryotic cellular identity. PRC2 comprises a trimeric core of SUZ12, EED and EZH1/2, which together with RBBP4/7 is sufficient to catalyse monomethylation, di-methylation and tri-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me1/2/3). These histone methyltransferase activities of PRC2 are deregulated in several human cancers and certain developmental disorders, such as Weaver Syndrome. Core PRC2 associates with several accessory proteins, which organise to define two main subassemblies, PRC2.1 and PRC2.2. Here we review new biochemical and structural studies that are providing critical insights into how core and accessory PRC2 subunits coordinate the faithful deposition of H3K27 methylations genome-wide.

Automated summary

PRC2 is a crucial chromatin complex essential for cellular development and identity maintenance, catalyzing different levels of methylation on histone H3. These activities may be dysregulated in cancer and certain developmental disorders. Through the coordination of core and accessory proteins, PRC2 faithfully deposits H3K27 methylations genome-wide.