Histone acetyltransferase KAT8 and oocyte development

Oocyte development is necessary for female fertility and is characterized by dramatic changes in gene expression and chromatin structure. Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic mechanism for gene regulation as it changes the chromatin structure and affects the binding ability of transcription factors to DNAs. Histone acetylation level is regulated antagonistically by two classes of enzyme, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In this review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge about an important HAT, K (Lysine) Acetyltransferase 8 (KAT8), and introduce the role of this enzyme in oocyte and follicle development, which gives new insight about epigenetic and female reproduction. Journal of Nature and Science (JNSCI), 3(12):e476, 2017