Characterizing the Role of SMYD2 in Mammalian Embryogenesis-Future Directions

Dillon K Jarrell; Kelly N Hassell; Debbie C Crans; Shari Lanning; Mark A Brown

doi:10.3390/vetsci7020063

Characterizing the Role of SMYD2 in Mammalian Embryogenesis-Future Directions

Vet Sci. 2020 May 12;7(2):63. doi: 10.3390/vetsci7020063.

Authors

Dillon K Jarrell¹, Kelly N Hassell², Debbie C Crans^{2

3}, Shari Lanning⁴, Mark A Brown^{2

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80523, USA.
² Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
³ Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
⁴ Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
⁵ Epidemiology Section, Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.

Abstract

The SET and MYND domain-containing (SMYD) family of lysine methyltransferases are essential in several mammalian developmental pathways. Although predominantly expressed in the heart, the role of SMYD2 in heart development has yet to be fully elucidated and has even been shown to be dispensable in a murine Nkx2-5-associated conditional knockout. Additionally, SMYD2 was recently shown to be necessary not only for lymphocyte development but also for the viability of hematopoietic leukemias. Based on the broad expression pattern of SMYD2 in mammalian tissues, it is likely that it plays pivotal roles in a host of additional normal and pathological processes. In this brief review, we consider what is currently known about the normal and pathogenic functions of SMYD2 and propose specific future directions for characterizing its role in embryogenesis.

Keywords: WNT; cancer; epigenetics; gonadotropin-releasing hormone; hematopoiesis; histone methylation; leukemia; mesendoderm; neural migration; vomeronasal organ.

Abstract

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