Project description:Polycomb-mediated chromatin repression modulates gene expression during development in metazoans. Binding of multiple sequence-specific factors at discrete Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) is thought to recruit repressive complexes that spread across an extended chromatin domain. To dissect the structure of PREs, we applied high-resolution mapping of non-histone chromatin proteins in native chromatin of Drosophila cells. Analysis of occupied sites reveal cooperative interactions between transcription factors that stabilize Polycomb anchoring to DNA, and implicate the general transcription factor Adf1 as a novel PRE component. By comparing two Drosophila cell lines with differential chromatin states, we provide evidence that repression is accomplished at multiple steps in transcription, including inactivation of distant enhancers, enhanced Polycomb recruitment to PREs and target promoters, and elevated stalling of RNAPII in repressed genes. These results suggest that the stability of complexes bridging promoters, enhancers, and PREs is a crucial aspect of developmentally regulated gene expression. Native chromatin immunoprecipitation of histones, transcription factors and Polycomb protein in Drosophila cell lines.
Project description:Eggless/SETDB1 (Egg), the only essential histone methyltransferase (HMT) in Drosophila, plays a role in gene repression, including piRNA‐mediated transposon silencing in the ovaries. Previous studies suggested that Egg is post‐translationally modified and showed that Windei (Wde) regulates Egg nuclear localization through protein–protein interaction. Monoubiquitination of mammalian SETDB1 is necessary for the HMT activity. Here, using cultured ovarian somatic cells, we show that Egg is monoubiquitinated and phosphorylated but that only monoubiquitination is required for piRNA‐mediated transposon repression. Egg monoubiquitination occurs in the nucleus. Egg has its own nuclear localization signal, and the nuclear import of Egg is Wde‐independent. Wde recruits Egg to the chromatin at target gene silencing loci, but their interaction is monoubiquitin‐independent. The abundance of nuclear Egg is governed by that of nuclear Wde. These results illuminate essential roles of nuclear monoubiquitination of Egg and the role of Wde in piRNA‐mediated transposon repression.
Project description:Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are essential for accurate axial body patterning during embryonic development. PcG-mediated repression is conserved in metazoans and is targeted in Drosophila by Polycomb response elements (PREs). Targeting sequences in humans have not been described. While analyzing chromatin architecture in the context of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation, we discovered a 1.8kb region between HOXD11 and HOXD12 (D11.12) that is associated with PcG proteins, is nuclease hypersensitive, and shows alteration as hESCs differentiate. D11.12 repressed luciferase expression from a reporter construct both before and after differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes. Full repression by D11.12 required a highly conserved region and YY1 binding sites. Repression relied upon PcG proteins Bmi1 and Eed and a YY1-interacting partner, RYBP. We conclude that D11.12 is a Polycomb-dependent regulatory region with similarities to Drosophila PREs, indicating conservation in the mechanisms that target PcG function in mammals and flies.
Project description:Polycomb-mediated chromatin repression modulates gene expression during development in metazoans. Binding of multiple sequence-specific factors at discrete Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) is thought to recruit repressive complexes that spread across an extended chromatin domain. To dissect the structure of PREs, we applied high-resolution mapping of non-histone chromatin proteins in native chromatin of Drosophila cells. Analysis of occupied sites reveal cooperative interactions between transcription factors that stabilize Polycomb anchoring to DNA, and implicate the general transcription factor Adf1 as a novel PRE component. By comparing two Drosophila cell lines with differential chromatin states, we provide evidence that repression is accomplished at multiple steps in transcription, including inactivation of distant enhancers, enhanced Polycomb recruitment to PREs and target promoters, and elevated stalling of RNAPII in repressed genes. These results suggest that the stability of complexes bridging promoters, enhancers, and PREs is a crucial aspect of developmentally regulated gene expression.