Unsafe SETs: histone lysine methyltransferases and cancer

Enzymes that covalently modify histones control many cellular processes by affecting gene expression. A new class of these enzymes is the histone lysine methyltransferase family, whose catalytic activity lies within a conserved domain, the SET domain. This article surveys the evidence for a connection between SET-domain-containing proteins and cancer. It proposes that deregulation of SET-domain function has an important role in carcinogenesis.