biology

KDM2A

KDM2A is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand KDM2A rather than just read about it. In short: Lysine-specific demethylase 2A (KDM2A) also known as F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 11 (FBXL11) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the KDM2A gene. KDM2A is a member of the superfamily of alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent hydroxylases, which are non-haem iron-containing proteins.

Key takeaways

KDM2A belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect KDM2A to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of KDM2A from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lysine-specific demethylase 2A (KDM2A) also known as F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 11 (FBXL11) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the KDM2A gene. KDM2A is a member of the superfamily of alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent hydroxylases, which are non-haem iron-containing proteins.

Function This gene encodes a member of the F-box protein family which is characterized by an approximately 40 amino acid motif, the F-box. The F-box proteins constitute one of the four subunits of ubiquitin protein ligase complex called SCFs (SKP1-cullin-F-box), which function in phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination. The F-box proteins are divided into 3 classes: Fbws containing WD-40 domains, Fbls containing leucine-rich repeats, and Fbxs containing either different protein-protein interaction modules or no recognizable motifs. The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the Fbls class and, in addition to an F-box, contains at least 6 highly degenerated leucine-rich repeats. FBXL11/KDM2A is a histone H3 lysine 36 demethylase enzyme. The enzymatic activity of FBXL11/KDM2A relies on a conserved JmjC domain in the N-terminus of the protein that co-ordinates iron and alphaketoglutarate to catalyze demethylation via a hydroxylation based mechanism. It has recently been demonstrated that a ZF-CxxC DNA binding domain within FBXL11/KDM2A has the capacity to interact with non-methylated DNA and this domain targets FBXL11/KDM2A to CpG island regions of the genome where it specifically removes histone H3 lysine 36 methylation. This mechanism acts to create a chromatin environment at CpG islands that highlights these regulatory elements and differentiates them from non-regulatory regions in large complex mammalian genomes. In a study in mouse hepatocytes, this gene was shown to regulate hepatic gluconeogenesis.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with KDM2A

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what KDM2A claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to KDM2A before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about KDM2A ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of KDM2A

In research: KDM2A appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses KDM2A in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: KDM2A is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics EC 1.14.11, Genes on human chromosome 11, Human 2OG oxygenases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for KDM2A outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study KDM2A in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what KDM2A means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain KDM2A out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is KDM2A in simple terms?

Why does KDM2A matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study KDM2A?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on KDM2A.