Background
PHF8 is a histone lysine demethylase that functions as a transcriptional activator by specifically demethylating a number of repressive histone methylation marks: mono- and Dimethyl-histone H3 Lys9 (H3K9me1 and H3K9me2), Dimethyl-histone H3 Lys27 (H3K27me2) and Monomethyl-histone H4 Lys20 (H4K20me1). PHF8 contains an N-terminal zinc finger-like PHD domain that binds Trimethylated histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4Me3) and a C-terminal jumonji domain that is responsible for the demethylase activity. PHF8 is highly expressed in prostate cancer, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Its expression is predictive of poor survival. Overexpression of PHF8 increases cell proliferation and cell motility, while silencing of PHF8 reduces cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
Cellular location
Nucleus