G9a mediates Sharp-1–dependent inhibition of skeletal muscle differentiation

Sharp-1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, is a potent repressor of skeletal muscle differentiation and is dysregulated in muscle pathologies. However, the mechanisms by which it inhibits myogenesis are not fully understood. Here we show that G9a, a lysine methyltransferase, is involved in Sharp-1–mediated inhibition of muscle differentiation. We demonstrate that G9a directly interacts with Sharp-1 and enhances its ability to transcriptionally repress the myogenin promoter. Concomitant with a differentiation block, G9a-dependent histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) and MyoD methylation are apparent upon Sharp-1 overexpression in muscle cells. RNA interference–mediated reduction of G9a or pharmacological inhibition of its activity erases these repressive marks and rescues the differentiation defect imposed by Sharp-1. Our findings provide new insights into Sharp-1–dependent regulation of myogenesis and identify epigenetic mechanisms that could be targeted in myopathies characterized by elevated Sharp-1 levels.