Lucas Collins

Abstract Histone methyltransferases play essential roles in the organization and function of chromatin. They are also frequently mutated in human diseases including cancer. One such often mutated methyltransferase, SETD2, associates co-transcriptionally with RNA polymerase II and catalyzes histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) – a modification that contributes to gene transcription, splicing, and DNA repair.

Sirens wail as the squad cars scream down the dirt road into the empty lot just a half-mile from the police station. Responding officers race out of their vehicles to the aid of an incapacitated driver behind the wheel. The unresponsive man is trapped in his car, in the throes of an unknown drug overdose, all while the vehicle is still in gear. Despite the danger, the officers are able to pull the driver out of the vehicle and start providing lifesaving medical assistance.