Project description:The Drosophila MSL complex mediates dosage compensation by increasing transcription of the single X chromosome in males approximately two-fold. This is accomplished through recognition of the X chromosome and subsequent acetylation of histone H4K16 on X-linked genes. Initial binding to the X is thought to occur at a subset of sites. However, the consensus sequence motif of entry sites (“MSL recognition element” or MRE) is only slightly enriched on the X (~2 fold), and only a fraction of them is utilized by the MSL complex. Here we ask whether chromatin context could distinguish between utilized and non-utilized copies of the motif, by comparing their relative enrichment for histone modifications and chromosomal proteins mapped in the NHGRI modENCODE project. Through a comparative analysis of the chromatin features in male S2 cells, which contain MSL complex, and female Kc cells, which lack the complex, we find that the presence of active chromatin modifications, together with an elevated local GC content in surrounding sequence, has strong predictive value for functional MSL entry sites, independent of MSL binding. We tested these sites for function in Kc cells by RNAi knockdown of Sxl, resulting in induction of MSL complex. We show that ectopic MSL expression in Kc cells leads to H4K16 acetylation around these sites, and a relative increase in X chromosome transcription. Collectively, our results support a model in which a pre-existing active chromatin environment, coincident with H3K36me3, contributes to MSL entry site selection. The consequences of MSL targeting of the male X chromosome include increase in nucleosome lability, enrichment for H4K16 acetylation and JIL-1 kinase, and depletion of linker histone H1 on active X-linked genes. Our finding serves as a model to understand how chromatin and local sequence features are involved in the selection of functional protein binding sites in the genome. The key Drosophila female sex determinant protein, SXL, represses dosage compensation by inhibiting MSL2 translation. Loss of SXL results in the expression, stabilization, and targetting of the MSL complex in female cells. Therefore, depletion of SXL by RNA interference (RNAi) in female Kc cells will lead to a MSL2-dependent increase in transcription from the female X chromosomes, consistent with the induction of dosage compensation. In this experiment, we generated gene expression profiles of Kc cells of control (GFP), Sxl RNAi and Sxl-Msl2 RNAi experiments.

Project description:The Drosophila MSL complex mediates dosage compensation by increasing transcription of the single X chromosome in males approximately two-fold. This is accomplished through recognition of the X chromosome and subsequent acetylation of histone H4K16 on X-linked genes. Initial binding to the X is thought to occur at a subset of sites. However, the consensus sequence motif of entry sites (M-bM-^@M-^\MSL recognition elementM-bM-^@M-^] or MRE) is only slightly enriched on the X (~2 fold), and only a fraction of them is utilized by the MSL complex. Here we ask whether chromatin context could distinguish between utilized and non-utilized copies of the motif, by comparing their relative enrichment for histone modifications and chromosomal proteins mapped in the NHGRI modENCODE project. Through a comparative analysis of the chromatin features in male S2 cells, which contain MSL complex, and female Kc cells, which lack the complex, we find that the presence of active chromatin modifications, together with an elevated local GC content in surrounding sequence, has strong predictive value for functional MSL entry sites, independent of MSL binding. We tested these sites for function in Kc cells by RNAi knockdown of Sxl, resulting in induction of MSL complex. We show that ectopic MSL expression in Kc cells leads to H4K16 acetylation around these sites, and a relative increase in X chromosome transcription. Collectively, our results support a model in which a pre-existing active chromatin environment, coincident with H3K36me3, contributes to MSL entry site selection. The consequences of MSL targeting of the male X chromosome include increase in nucleosome lability, enrichment for H4K16 acetylation and JIL-1 kinase, and depletion of linker histone H1 on active X-linked genes. Our finding serves as a model to understand how chromatin and local sequence features are involved in the selection of functional protein binding sites in the genome. The key Drosophila female sex determinant protein, SXL, represses dosage compensation by inhibiting MSL2 translation. Loss of SXL results in the expression, stabilization, and targetting of the MSL complex in female cells. Therefore, depletion of SXL by RNA interference (RNAi) in female Kc cells will lead to a MSL2-dependent increase in transcription from the female X chromosomes, consistent with the induction of dosage compensation. In this experiment, we generated ChIP-chip profiles of H4K16 acetylation (H4K16ac) in Kc cells of control (GFP) and Sxl RNAi. For ChIP, we used Upstate (now Millipore) anti-H4K16ac antibody, catalog # 07-329, lot #JBC1355376.

Project description:Drosophila males double transcription of their single X chromosome to equalize X-linked gene expression with females, which carry two X chromosomes. Increased transcription requires the Male-Specific Lethal (MSL) complex. One of the primary functions of the MSL complex is thought to be enrichment of H4Ac16 on the male X chromosome, a modification linked to elevated transcription. The roX1 and roX2 RNAs are essential but redundant components of the MSL complex. Simultaneous removal of both roX RNAs reduces MSL X-localization and leads to ectopic binding of these proteins at autosomal sites and to the chromocenter. Some H4Ac16 accumulates at these ectopic sites in roX1- roX2- males, suggesting the possibility of increased expression. The global effect of roX mutations on gene expression was measured by microarray analysis. We found that expression of the X chromosome was decreased by 26% in roX1- roX2- male larvae, supporting the involvement of roX RNAs in the up-regulation of X-linked genes. This finding is broadly comparable to reports of reduced X chromosome expression following msl2 RNAi knockdown in S2 cells. In spite of strong MSL binding and H4Ac16 accumulation at autosomal sites in roX1- roX2- males, enhanced gene expression could not be detected at these sites by microarray analysis or reverse northern blotting. Thus, failure to compensate X-linked genes, rather than inappropriate up-regulation of autosomal genes at ectopic sites of MSL binding, appears to cause male lethality upon loss of roX RNAs. Experiment Overall Design: Total RNA was prepared from groups of 50 third instar larvae by TRIzol (Invitrogen) extraction and purified using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). Three independent RNA preparations for each genotype served as templates for probe synthesis. Affymetrix Drosophila Genome 2.0 chips were hybridized to these probes (Santa Clara, CA). The affymertrix Drosophila annotation of December 2004 was used to map genes to their cytological locations. Genes were filtered for present/absent calls by a PM-MM (Perfect match- Mismatch) comparison. Autosomal transcripts were normalized on a chip-by-chip basis to bring their median values to 100. The identical degree of adjustment was used to normalize X-linked transcripts. Changes in gene expression were determined by comparing the mean signal intensities of genes on arrays hybridized with roX1SMC17A roX2- probes to those hybridized with roX1+ roX2- probes.

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Drosophila melanogaster

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