Histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs) deposit methyl groups onto lysine residues on histones and play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression. The structures and functions of HKMTs have been extensively investigated in recent decades, significantly advancing our understanding of the dynamic regulation of histone methylation. Here, we review the recent progress in structural studies of representative HKMTs in complex with nucleosomes (H3K4, H3K27, H3K36, H3K79, and H4K20 methyltransferases), with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of nucleosome recognition and trans-histone crosstalk by these HKMTs. These structural studies inform HKMTs' roles in tumorigenesis and provide the foundations for developing new therapeutic approaches targeting HKMTs in cancers.

中文翻译：

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组蛋白赖氨酸甲基转移酶与核小体的结合：结构基础、调节机制和治疗意义。

组蛋白赖氨酸甲基转移酶 (HKMT) 将甲基沉积到组蛋白的赖氨酸残基上，并在调节染色质结构和基因表达方面发挥重要作用。近几十年来，对 HKMT 的结构和功能进行了广泛研究，极大地促进了我们对组蛋白甲基化动态调节的理解。在这里，我们回顾了与核小体（H3K4、H3K27、H3K36、H3K79 和 H4K20 甲基转移酶）复合的代表性 HKMT 的结构研究的最新进展，重点是这些 HKMT 的核小体识别和反式组蛋白串扰的分子机制。这些结构研究揭示了 HKMT 在肿瘤发生中的作用，并为开发针对 HKMT 的癌症新治疗方法奠定了基础。