Identification of non-histone substrates for JMJD2A–C histone demethylases

Recent studies have shown that some Jumonji domain containing proteins demethylate tri- and dimethylated histone lysines by catalyzing a dioxygenase reaction. Here we report the substrate specificity of Jumonji domain-2 family histone demethylases (JMJD2A–C). A candidate substrate-based approach demonstrated that in addition to its known substrate, trimethylated histone H3-lysine-9, JMJD2A–C demethylate trimethylated lysine containing peptides from WIZ, CDYL1, CSB and G9a proteins, all constituents of transcription repression complexes. Our results are consistent with lax substrate specificities observed for the iron (II), 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, and shed new light on signaling pathways regulated by Jumonji domain-2 family histone demethylases during epigenetic transcriptional regulation.