TASOR

Component of the HUSH complex, a multiprotein complex that mediates epigenetic repression (PubMed:26022416, PubMed:28581500). The HUSH complex is recruited to genomic loci rich in H3K9me3 and is required to maintain transcriptional silencing by promoting recruitment of SETDB1, a histone methyltransferase that mediates further deposition of H3K9me3, as well as MORC2 (PubMed:26022416, PubMed:28581500). Also represses L1 retrotransposons in collaboration with MORC2 and, probably, SETDB1, the silencing is dependent of repressive epigenetic modifications, such as H3K9me3 mark. Silencing events often occur within introns of transcriptionally active genes, and lead to the down-regulation of host gene expression (PubMed:29211708). The HUSH complex is also involved in the silencing of unintegrated retroviral DNA by being recruited by ZNF638: some part of the retroviral DNA formed immediately after infection remains unintegrated in the host genome and is transcriptionally repressed (PubMed:30487602). Plays a crucial role in early embryonic development (By similarity). Involved in the organization of spindle poles and spindle apparatus assembly during zygotic division (By similarity). Plays an important role in maintaining epiblast fitness or potency (By similarity).