The C. elegans H3K27 demethylase UTX-1 is essential for normal development,independent of its enzymatic activity

Epigenetic modifications influence gene expression and provide a unique mechanism for fine-tuning cellular differentiation and development in multicellular organisms. here we report on the biological functions of utx-1,the caenorhabditis elegans homologue of mammalian utx,a histone demethylase specific for h3k27me2/3. we demonstrate that utx-1 is an essential gene that is required for correct embryonic and postembryonic development. consistent with its homology to utx,utx-1 regulates global levels of h3k27me2/3 in c. elegans. surprisingly,we found that the catalytic activity is not required for the developmental function of this protein. biochemical analysis identified utx-1 as a component of a complex that includes set-16(mll),and genetic analysis indicates that the defects associated with loss of utx-1 are likely mediated by compromised set-16/utx-1 complex activity. taken together,these results demonstrate that utx-1 is required for many aspects of nematode development; but,unexpectedly,this function is independent of its enzymatic activity. © 2012 vandamme et al.