IDENTIFICATION OF COMPOUNDS MODULATING THE SMYD3 TRANSFERASE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CANCER

摘要

The present invention features a method for determining the methyltransferase activity of a polypeptide and screening for modulators of methyltransferase activity, more particularly for modulators of the methylation of retinoblastoma by SMYD3. The invention further provides a method or pharmaceutical composition for prevention or treating of colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, bladder cancer and/or breast cancer using a modulator so identified. N-terminal truncated forms of SMYD3 (alias ZNFN3A1) have higher methylating activity. Lys 824 is a preferred methylation site on the RB1 protein for SMYD3.