Yi Zhang先生は、ヒストン修飾研究の第一人者であり、遺伝子転写制御におけるヒストン修飾に関するReinberg教授と共著の総説（GENES & DEV. 15, 2343-2360, 2001）はヒストンコード仮説を解説したものとして広く知られている。今回は、ヒストンメチル化酵素のノックアウトマウスの解析を交えて、最新の成果を御紹介頂きます。
Epigenetic modifications play important roles in diverse biological processes. To understand how epigenetic modifications participate in these diverse processes, our effort has been focused on identification and characterization of these enzymes. Our studies have uncovered a number of novel enzymes that are involved in histone methylation and ubiquitination. I will present evidence that support a direct link between the enzymatic activity and their functions in Polycomb silencing, X-inactivation and the development of cancer. Our studies raise the intriguing possibility that these enzymes may serve as potential targets for cancer intervention.