Nature Communications (Apr 2018)

A somatic role for the histone methyltransferase Setdb1 in endogenous retrovirus silencing

  • Masaki Kato,
  • Keiko Takemoto,
  • Yoichi Shinkai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04132-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Previous studies suggest that DNA methylation is the main mechanism to silence endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in somatic cells. Here the authors provide evidence that distinctive sets of ERVs are silenced by Setdb1 in different types of somatic cells, suggesting a general function in ERV silencing.