Transcriptional repression of Hox genes by binding of HP1 and methylated H1 to H3K27me3 in C. elegans
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ABSTRACT: Elucidation of the biological role of H1 and HP1 in mammals has been difficult owing to the existence of a least 11 distinct H1 and three HP1 subtypes in mice. Therefore we decided to study the function of HP1 (HPL-1 and HPL-2) and H1 (HIS-24) related proteins in C. elegans, since hpls and his-24 deficient nematodes are viable. Global transcriptional analysis of the mutant animals revealed that expression of only a small number of genes was affected and HPLs, and HIS-24 appear to influence the expression of genes through either activation or repression. Interestingly, knockout of HPL-2 and HIS-24 caused chromatin structure changes in the germline without altering core histone modifications. Furthermore, the mutant animals showed abnormal development of the male tail and the ectopic expression of C. elegans HOM-C genes (egl-5 and mab-5) involved in the developmental patterning of the mating structures. Surprisingly, H3K27me3 chromatin mark presented at the C. elegans HOM-C gene promoters was recognized by HPL-2 and methylated form of HIS-24. We propose that methylated HIS-24 and HPL-2 bind independently to PcG target loci that have been trimethylated at H3K27 by C. elegans MES-2 [E(Z)] to transcriptionally repress the Hox genes. Our results establish interplay of the H3K27me3 binding proteins, HP1/HPLs and H1/HIS-24 in the regulation of positional identity in the C. elegans males.
ORGANISM(S): Caenorhabditis elegans
PROVIDER: GSE33339 | GEO | 2012/08/13
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA148965
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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