Project description:BackgroundPolycomb group complexes PRC1 and PRC2 repress gene expression at the chromatin level in eukaryotes. The classic recruitment model of Polycomb group complexes in which PRC2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation recruits PRC1 for H2A monoubiquitination was recently challenged by data showing that PRC1 activity can also recruit PRC2. However, the prevalence of these two mechanisms is unknown, especially in plants as H2AK121ub marks were examined at only a handful of Polycomb group targets.ResultsBy using genome-wide analyses, we show that H2AK121ub marks are surprisingly widespread in Arabidopsis thaliana, often co-localizing with H3K27me3 but also occupying a set of transcriptionally active genes devoid of H3K27me3. Furthermore, by profiling H2AK121ub and H3K27me3 marks in atbmi1a/b/c, clf/swn, and lhp1 mutants we found that PRC2 activity is not required for H2AK121ub marking at most genes. In contrast, loss of AtBMI1 function impacts the incorporation of H3K27me3 marks at most Polycomb group targets.ConclusionsOur findings show the relationship between H2AK121ub and H3K27me3 marks across the A. thaliana genome and unveil that ubiquitination by PRC1 is largely independent of PRC2 activity in plants, while the inverse is true for H3K27 trimethylation.
Project description:BACKGROUND: Polycomb group complexes PRC1 and PRC2 repress gene expression at the chromatin level in eukaryotes. The classic recruitment model of Polycomb group complexes in which PRC2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation recruits PRC1 for H2A monoubiquitination was recently challenged by data showing that PRC1 activity can also recruit PRC2. However, the prevalence of these two mechanisms is unknown, especially in plants as H2AK121ub marks were examined at only a handful of Polycomb group targets. RESULTS: By using genome-wide analyses, we show that H2AK121ub marks are surprisingly widespread in Arabidopsis thaliana, often co-localizing with H3K27me3 but also occupying a set of transcriptionally active genes devoid of H3K27me3. Furthermore, by profiling H2AK121ub and H3K27me3 marks in atbmi1a/b/c, clf/swn, and lhp1 mutants we found that PRC2 activity is not required for H2AK121ub marking at most genes. In contrast, loss of AtBMI1 function impacts the incorporation of H3K27me3 marks at most Polycomb group targets. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the relationship between H2AK121ub and H3K27me3 marks across the A. thaliana genome and unveil that ubiquitination by PRC1 is largely independent of PRC2 activity in plants, while the inverse is true for H3K27 trimethylation.
Project description:BACKGROUND: Polycomb group complexes PRC1 and PRC2 repress gene expression at the chromatin level in eukaryotes. The classic recruitment model of Polycomb group complexes in which PRC2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation recruits PRC1 for H2A monoubiquitination was recently challenged by data showing that PRC1 activity can also recruit PRC2. However, the prevalence of these two mechanisms is unknown, especially in plants as H2AK121ub marks were examined at only a handful of Polycomb group targets. RESULTS: By using genome-wide analyses, we show that H2AK121ub marks are surprisingly widespread in Arabidopsis thaliana, often co-localizing with H3K27me3 but also occupying a set of transcriptionally active genes devoid of H3K27me3. Furthermore, by profiling H2AK121ub and H3K27me3 marks in atbmi1a/b/c, clf/swn, and lhp1 mutants we found that PRC2 activity is not required for H2AK121ub marking at most genes. In contrast, loss of AtBMI1 function impacts the incorporation of H3K27me3 marks at most Polycomb group targets. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the relationship between H2AK121ub and H3K27me3 marks across the A. thaliana genome and unveil that ubiquitination by PRC1 is largely independent of PRC2 activity in plants, while the inverse is true for H3K27 trimethylation.
Project description:Polycomb group (PcG) proteins form essential epigenetic memory systems for controlling gene expression during development in plants and animals. However, the mechanism of plant PcG protein functions remains poorly understood. Here, we probed the composition and function of plant Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). This work established the fact that all known plant PRC2 complexes contain MSI1, a homologue of Drosophila p55. While p55 is not essential for the in vitro enzymatic activity of PRC2, plant MSI1 was required for the functions of the EMBRYONIC FLOWER and the VERNALIZATION PRC2 complexes including trimethylation of histone H3 Lys27 (H3K27) at the target chromatin, as well as gene repression and establishment of competence to flower. We found that MSI1 serves to link PRC2 to LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 (LHP1), a protein that binds H3K27me3 in vitro and in vivo and is required for a functional plant PcG system. The LHP1-MSI1 interaction forms a positive feedback loop to recruit PRC2 to chromatin that carries H3K27me3. Consequently, this can provide a mechanism for the faithful inheritance of local epigenetic information through replication.
Project description:Histone H2A monoubiquitination (H2Aub1) functions as a conserved posttranslational modification in eukaryotes to maintain gene expression and guarantee cellular identity. Arabidopsis H2Aub1 is catalyzed by the core components AtRING1s and AtBMI1s of polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1). Because PRC1 components lack known DNA binding domains, it is unclear how H2Aub1 is established at specific genomic locations. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis cohesin subunits AtSYN4 and AtSCC3 interact with each other, and AtSCC3 binds to AtBMI1s. H2Aub1 levels are reduced in atsyn4 mutant or AtSCC3 artificial microRNA knockdown plants. ChIP-seq assays indicate that most binding events of AtSYN4 and AtSCC3 are associated with H2Aub1 along the genome where transcription is activated independently of H3K27me3. Finally, we show that AtSYN4 binds directly to the G-box motif and directs H2Aub1 to these sites. Our study thus reveals a mechanism for cohesin-mediated recruitment of AtBMI1s to specific genomic loci to mediate H2Aub1.
Project description:Covalent histone modifications play an essential role in gene regulation and cellular specification required for multicellular organism development. Monoubiquitination of histone H2A (H2AUb1) is a reversible transcriptionally repressive mark. Exchange of histone H2A monoubiquitination and deubiquitination reflects the succession of transcriptional profiles during development required to produce cellular diversity from pluripotent cells. Germ-line pathogenic variants in components of the H2AUb1 regulatory axis are being identified as the genetic basis of congenital neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we review the human genetics findings coalescing on molecular mechanisms that alter the genome-wide distribution of this histone modification required for development.
Project description:Polycomb Repressive Complex (PRC) 2 catalyzes the H3K27me3 modification that warrants inheritance of a repressive chromatin structure during cell division, thereby assuring stable target gene repression in differentiated cells. It is still under investigation how H3K27me3 is passed on from maternal to filial strands during DNA replication; however, cell division can reinforce H3K27me3 coverage at target regions. To identify novel factors involved in the Polycomb pathway in plants, we performed a forward genetic screen for enhancers of the like heterochromatin protein 1 (lhp1) mutant, which shows relatively mild phenotypic alterations compared with other plant PRC mutants. We mapped enhancer of lhp1 (eol) 1 to a gene related to yeast Chromosome transmission fidelity 4 (Ctf4) based on phylogenetic analysis, structural similarities, physical interaction with the CMG helicase component SLD5, and an expression pattern confined to actively dividing cells. A combination of eol1 with the curly leaf (clf) allele, carrying a mutation in the catalytic core of PRC2, strongly enhanced the clf phenotype; furthermore, H3K27me3 coverage at target genes was strongly reduced in eol1 clf double mutants compared with clf single mutants. EOL1 physically interacted with CLF, its partially redundant paralog SWINGER (SWN), and LHP1. We propose that EOL1 interacts with LHP1-PRC2 complexes during replication and thereby participates in maintaining the H3K27me3 mark at target genes.
Project description:Histone H2A monoubiquitination (H2Aub1) function as a conserved post-translational modification in eukaryotes to maintain gene repression and ensure cellular identity. Arabidopsis H2Aub1 is catalyzed by polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) contributed by AtRING1s and AtBMI1s. Because PRC1 components lack known DNA binding domains, how H2Aub1 is established at the specific genomic sites remains a topic of debate. Here we show that the cohesin subunits AtSYN4 and AtSCC3 interact with each other and AtSCC3 binds to AtBMI1s. We find that H2Aub1 levels are significantly reduced in the atsyn4 mutant or AtSCC3 RNAi knockdown plants. ChIP-seq analysis indicated that AtSYN4 and AtSCC3 tend to associate with H2Aub1 in the genome regions of transcription activation independent on H3K27me3. Finally, we show that AtSYN4 binds directly to the G-box element and targets H2Aub1to these sites. Our study thus revealed a mechanism for cohesin-mediated recruitment of AtBMI1s to specific loci to mediate H2Aub1.