PHF8 is a histone lysine demethylase that functions as a transcriptional activator by specifically demethylating a number of repressive histone methylation marks: mono- and Dimethyl-histone H3 Lys9 (H3K9me1 and H3K9me2), Dimethyl-histone H3 Lys27 (H3K27me2) and Monomethyl-histone H4 Lys20 (H4K20me1). PHF8 contains an N-terminal zinc finger-like PHD domain that binds Trimethylated histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4Me3) and a C-terminal jumonji domain that is responsible for the demethylase activity. PHF8 is highly expressed in prostate cancer, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Its expression is predictive of poor survival. Overexpression of PHF8 increases cell proliferation and cell motility, while silencing of PHF8 reduces cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
