HDAC11: The lone mystic member of class IV HDAC

Abstract

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are the members of Histone deacetylase superfamily that play an essential role in epigenetics by modifying (deacetylation) histone and non-histone proteins and thereby regulating transcription of genes. In humans, the 18 HDACs are divided into four classes, namely Class I to IV. Among the four classes of HDACs, the lesser known Class IV has a single member, HDAC11. Although few reports indicate the physiological role of HDAC11 in immune tolerance via the regulation of IL10 production, cell cycle arrest and cell death in cancer cells, its role concerning the cellular physiology remains unexplored. According to the Cancer Atlas database, HDAC11 shows high mutations in many cancer patients and thereby acting like a potential candidate for targeted drug therapy. Also, due to the overlapping functions between the HDAC isoforms belonging to various classes, several toxicities are reported with HDAC inhibitors in clinical trials. However, HDAC11 being the only member of class IV is unique and a potent drug target for carcinomas. In this review, we summarise the existing knowledge on HDAC11 and the need to explore its structure, function and evolutionary significance.