# Lysine Methyltransferase SETD7 (SET7/9) Regulates ROS Signaling through mitochondria and NFE2L2/ARE pathway

## TL;DR

This study shows that the enzyme SETD7 regulates harmful oxygen molecules in cells, suggesting it could be a target for treating related diseases.

## Contribution

The study reveals a novel role of SETD7 in regulating ROS signaling via mitochondrial and NFE2L2/ARE pathways.

## Key findings

- SETD7 inhibition reduces oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in macrophages and Beas-2B cells.
- SETD7 negatively regulates mitochondrial antioxidant functions through PPARGC1A and NFE2L2.
- SETD7 directly interacts with NFE2L2, influencing antioxidant gene expression and ROS clearance.

## Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis requires stringent regulation. ROS imbalance, especially ROS accumulation, has profound implications in various disease pathogenesis. Lysine methylation of histone and non-histone proteins has been implicated in various cellular responses. The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of SET domain containing lysine methyltransferase SETD7 (SET7/9) in the regulation of ROS-mediated signaling. Here we report that inhibition of SETD7 with siRNA or a SETD7 small molecule inhibitor in both macrophages and a human bronchial epithelial cell line (Beas-2B) were able to counter NF-ĸB-induced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Meanwhile, inhibition of SETD7 elevates mitochondria antioxidant functions via negative regulation of PPARGC1A and NFE2L2. Using a co-expression system and purified proteins, we detected direct interaction between SETD7 and NFE2L2. These results indicate that lysine methylation by SETD7 is important for the fine-tuning of ROS signaling through its regulation on pro-inflammatory responses, mitochondrial function and the NFE2L2/ARE pathway. Up-regulation of multiple antioxidant genes and improved ROS clearance by inhibition of SETD7 suggests the potential benefit of targeting SETD7 in treating ROS-associated diseases.