SET Domain, Bifurcated 2 (SETDB2)

Proteins that contain a SET domain, such as SETDB2, modulate gene expression epigenetically through histone H3 methylation. SETDB2 is likely a histone H3 methyltransferase, as it contains both the active site and flanking cysteine residues required for catalytic activity.

The deduced 719-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of about 82 kD. SETDB2 contains a methyl-CpG-binding domain, a preSET domain, and a SET domain that is bifurcated by a 218-amino acid insertion. SETDB2 shares 45% identity with SETDB1. Northern blot analysis detected a 3.3-kb transcript in nearly all tissues and tumor cell lines examined, with highest expression in heart, testis, and ovary.