Method for promoting formation of facultative heterochromatin

摘要

The present invention is a method for promoting facultative heterochromatin formation using SirT1. Using novel anti-SirT1 and anti-acetylated histone H1 antibodies, human SirT1 protein was shown to interact with and deacetylate histone H1 at lysine 26. Moreover, SirT1 was shown to mediate deactylation of histones H3 and H4 and spreading of hypomethylated H3-K79 with resultant silencing. Using the anti-SirT1 antibody, methods of diagnosing cancer are also provided.