Role of histone methyltransferase Set7 in cardiac gene regulation and mitochondrial function

Epigenetics is biological processes that involves the switching of gene behaviour in response to environmental stimulus. These processes of gene expression are controlled by enzymes called methyltransferases, which can access the core histones. In a heart, cardiac genes can be activated in order to supply more energy, assisting in cardiac performance. The energy in cardiac cells is provided by the mitochondria which can be controlled by methyltransferases, as the nucleus and the mitochondria often cross talk. In particular, this PhD thesis describes the mechanisms in which the methyltransferase known as Set7 interacts with mitochondrial genes and supports cardiac function using Set7 deficient mouse model.