Methionine Adenosyltransferase II-dependent Histone H3K9 Methylation at the COX-2 Gene Locus

Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) synthesizes S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), which is utilized as a methyl donor in transmethylation reactions involving histones. MATII alpha, a MAT isozyme, serves as a transcriptional corepressor in the oxidative stress response and forms the AdoMet-integrating transcription regulation module, affecting histone methyltransferase activities. However, the identities of genes regulated by MATII alpha or its associated methyltransferases are unclear. We show that MATII alpha represses the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), encoded by Ptgs2, by specifically interacting with histone H3K9 methyltransferase SETDB1, thereby promoting the trimethylation of H3K9 at the COX-2 locus. We discuss both gene-specific and epigenome-wide functions of MATII alpha.