Mutation of Drosophila Lsd1 disrupts H3-K4 methylation, resulting in tissue-specific defects during development

Histone-tall modifications play a fundamental role in the processes that establish chromatin structure and determine gene expression [1-4]. One such modification, histone methylation, was considered irreversible until the recent discovery of histone demethylases. Lsd1 was the first histone demethylase to be identified [5]. Lsd1 is highly conserved in many species, from yeast to humans, but its function has primarily been studied through biochemical approaches. The mammalian ortholog has been shown to demethylate monomethyl- and dimethyl-K4 and -K9 residues of histone H3 [5, 6]. Here we describe the effects of Lsd1 mutation in Drosophila. The inactivation of dLsd1 strongly affects the global level of monomethyl-and dimethyl-H3-K4 methylation and results in elevated expression of a subset of genes. dLsd1 is not an essential gene, but animal viability is strongly reduced in mutant animals in a gender-specific manner. Interestingly, dLsd1 mutants are sterile and possess defects in ovary development, indicating that dLsd1 has tissue-specific functions. Mutant alleles of dLsd1 suppress positional-effect variegation, suggesting a disruption of the balance between euchromatin and heterochromatin. Taken together, these results show that dLsd1-mediated H3-K4 demethylation has a significant and specific role in Drosophila development.