Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are evolutionary conserved enzymes which operate by removing acetyl groups from histones and other protein regulatory factors, with functional consequences on chromatin remodeling and gene expression profiles. We provide here a review on the recent knowledge accrued on the zinc-dependent HDAC protein family across different species, tissues, and human pathologies, specifically focusing on the role of HDAC inhibitors as anti-cancer agents. We will investigate the chemical specificity of different HDACs and discuss their role in the human interactome as members of chromatin-binding and regulatory complexes.

中文翻译：

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组蛋白去乙酰化酶 (HDAC)：进化、特异性、在转录复合物中的作用和药理学可操作性

组蛋白去乙酰化酶 (HDAC) 是进化保守的酶，它通过从组蛋白和其他蛋白质调节因子中去除乙酰基而起作用，对染色质重塑和基因表达谱产生功能影响。我们在此综述了对不同物种、组织和人类病理学中锌依赖性 HDAC 蛋白家族的最新知识，特别关注 HDAC 抑制剂作为抗癌剂的作用。我们将研究不同 HDAC 的化学特异性，并讨论它们作为染色质结合和调节复合物成员在人类相互作用组中的作用。