Identification of a somatic H3K23me3 methyltransferase SET-19 in C. elegans

Loss of set-19 in Caenorhabditis elegans sharply reduces H3K23me3 levels, and recombinant SET-19 directly catalyzes H3K23 methylation in vitro.

• Why it matters: H3K23 methylation is conserved, but its biological function and the enzyme depositing it were unclear.
• What they did: The study combined quantitative mass spectrometry, western blotting, immunofluorescence, genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation, and in vitro methyltransferase assays with recombinant SET-19 purified from E. coli.
• The result: H3K23me3 is enriched at heterochromatic regions, set-19 loss alters these levels with derepression of a subset of genes, and SET-19 acts predominantly in somatic tissues, causing a modest developmental delay.

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