SMYD proteins in immunity: dawning of a new era.

Abstract

In the past decade, the SMYD protein family has gradually become a center of research, thanking for its essential role in heart and muscle development and cancer development. However, because of such a role, the research scope for the SMYD protein family has been fairly stereotyped, its focus largely restricted to muscle and cancer. Initial studies of SMYD1 and SMYD3 were responsible for these biased research directions. SMYD1 was originally identified as a myogenic factor and regulated cardiomyocyte maturation and proper formation of the right ventricle [1]. SMYD3 was initially identified as an oncogene and regulated expression of cell-cycle genes in colorectal and hepatocellular carcinomas [2]. These findings have clearly indicated an essential role of SMYD1 and SMYD3 in cardiac muscle development and tumorigenesis respectively. Because of this, the research directions in SMYD proteins have been strongly influenced by these two studies, and much subsequent research has biased towards muscle and cancer.