γ-Difluorolysine as a 19F NMR probe for histone lysine methyltransferases and acetyltransferases.

Histone lysine methylation and acetylation are important posttranslational modifications that regulate gene expression in humans. Due to the interplay of these two modifications, new chemical methods to study lysine posttranslational modifications are highly desired. Here, we report the use of γ-difluorolysine as a lysine mimic and 19F NMR probe for examinations of histone methylation and acetylation.