KAT8

K(lysine) acetyltransferase 8 (KAT8) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the KAT8 gene.

Function
The MYST family of histone acetyltransferases, which includes KAT8, was named for the founding members MOZ (MYST3; MIM 601408), yeast YBF2 and SAS2, and TIP60 (HTATIP; MIM 601409). All members of this family contain a MYST region of about 240 amino acids with a canonical acetyl-CoA-binding site and a C2HC-type zinc finger motif. Most MYST proteins also have a chromodomain involved in protein-protein interactions and targeting transcriptional regulators to chromatin.

KAT8 is also known as MOF, and in humans hMOF. Given its fundamental role in modulating higher-order chromatin structure, hMOF is involved in many of the steps of the DNA damage response. The human hMOF gene encodes an enzyme that specifically acetylates histone H4 at lysine 16. The depletion of hMOF greatly decreases DNA double-strand break repair by both non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination. Thus MOF activity is critical for double-strand break repair.

Interactions
KAT8 has been shown to interact with MORF4L1.