The role of a newly identified SET domain-containing protein, SETD3, in oncogenesis

The SET domain is found in histone methyltransferases and other lysine methyltransferases. SET domain-containing proteins such as MLL1 play a critical role in leukemogenesis, while others such as SETD2 may function as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma. We recently discovered that SETD3, a well-conserved SET domain-containing protein, was involved in a translocation to the immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus in one of the non-homologous end-joining/p53-deficient peripheral B-cell lymphomas. We showed that a truncated mRNA lacking the SET domain sequences in Setd3 gene was highly expressed in the lymphoma. Furthermore, we found that the truncated SET-less protein displayed oncogenic potential while the full length SETD3 protein did not. Finally, SETD3 exhibits histone methyltransferases activity on nucleosomal histone 3 in a SET-domain dependent manner. We propose that this newly identified Setd3 gene may play an important role in carcinogenesis.