Suppressor Of Variegation 3-9 Homolog 2 (SUV39H2)

Suv39h2 encodes an H3 histone methyltransferase with 59% identity to Suv39h1. Suv39h2 transcripts remained specifically expressed in adult testes. Immunolocalization of the Suv39h2 protein during spermatogenesis indicated enriched distribution at the heterochromatin from the leptotene to the round spermatid stage. Suv39h2 specifically accumulated with chromatin of the sex chromosomes, which undergo transcriptional silencing during the first meiotic prophase. These data were consistent with redundant enzymatic roles for Suv39h1 and Suv39h2 during mouse development and suggested an additional function of the Suv39h2 HMTase in organizing meiotic heterochromatin that may even impart an epigenetic imprint to the male germline.