Is Histone Methylation Part of Proteomics?

Histone methylation belongs to proteomics but is more inclined towards epigenetics.

 

Histones are structural proteins of eukaryotic chromosomes and are a class of small basic proteins. Histone methylation refers to the addition of one, two, or three methyl groups to certain amino acids in the histone, which is an important type of histone modification. Proteomics is a field of study that investigates the composition, structure, function, and interactions of all proteins in a biological entity, including the translation, modification, and interaction of proteins. Since histones are a type of protein, histone methylation is also categorized under proteomics.

 

Although histone methylation is a type of post-translational protein modification that pertains to changes in protein function and properties, it primarily focuses on regulatory aspects at the level of epigenetics, i.e., how to alter proteins on chromosomes through chemical modifications, thereby influencing gene expression. Such modifications can impact multiple facets, including gene transcription, splicing, stability, translation, nucleosome assembly, and chromatin structure. Common epigenetic modifications include DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNAs, RNA modification, and chromatin remodeling. Therefore, histone methylation is usually categorized under epigenetics.