Description
AlkB homolog 1 (ALKBH1) is one of nine members of the AlkB homologs in mammals. Most Alkbh1-deficient mice die during embryonic development, and survivors have severe defects in tissues originating from the ectodermal lineage. We hypothesized the phenotype to rely upon aberrant epigenetic regulation and provided evidence for ALKBH1 to be a histone H2A demethylase. We used a whole genome expression microarray to detail differentially expressed genes in embryonic stem cells lacking the Alkbh1 gene and identified distinct classes of up- and down-regulated genes during this process.