SUV39H2 Antibody

The murine gene Suv39h2 encodes an H3 histone methyltransferase (HMTase) 59% identical in sequence to mouse Suv39h1. During embryogenesis, both proteins overlap in tissue expression, yet Suv39h2 transcripts are restricted to the testes in adult animals. Immunolocalization of the Suv39h2 protein during spermatogenesis indicates enrichment at the heterochromatin from the leptotene to the round spermatid stage. Moreover, Suv39h2 specifically accumulates with chromatin of the sex chromosomes, which undergo transcriptional silencing during the first meiotic prophase. Suv39h2 HMTase may also organize meiotic heterochromatin with the potential for epigenetic imprint to the male germline.