ASH2L (human recombinant)

ASH2L is the human homolog of the Drosophila absent, small or homeotic discs 2 (ash2) gene product, a member of the trithorax group (TrxG) of proteins.{19552} The TrxG gene products in Drosophila and their mammalian homologs are responsible for controlling gene transcription. The ASH2L protein is a component of various multisubunit protein complexes, including the large complex of proteins associated with the SET1 (MLL) family of lysine methyltransferases.{19554} ASH2L, along with WDR5 and RbBP5, form the human MLL1 core protein complex.{19551} MLL1-5 protein complexes catalyze the di- and trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me2/me3), leading to the maintenance of global H3K4 trimethylation.{19556} Post-translational modifications of ASH2L have also been described showing methylation of Arg-296 by protein-arginine methyltransferease 1 (PRMT1) in vitro and in cells and by PRMT5 in vitro.{19555} Further experimental evidence in rats suggests that ASH2L cooperates with Ha-RAS to transform rat embryonic fibroblasts, implicating ASH2L as a novel oncoprotein.{19553}