Sex Comb On Midleg Like Protein 2 (SCML2)

SCML2 encodes a member of the Polycomb group proteins. These proteins form the Polycomb repressive complexes which are involved in transcriptional repression. The encoded protein binds histone peptides that are monomethylated at lysine residues and may be involved in regulating homeotic gene expression during development.The predicted 700-amino acid SCML2 protein contains 2 N-terminal mbt domains, first described in the Drosophila lethal(3)malignant brain tumor gene product, and a C-terminal SPM domain. The SPM domain is found in many PcG members and is thought to play a role in protein-protein interactions and in the assembly or stabilization of multiprotein complexes of PcG proteins. Northern blot analysis revealed that the 4.4-kb SCML2 mRNA is expressed in several human tissues, with the highest levels in placenta, thymus, and testis.