The chromatin-binding protein HMGN1 regulates the expression of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) and affects the behavior of mice.

ABSTRACT: High mobility group N1 protein (HMGN1), a nucleosomal-binding protein that affects the structure and function of chromatin, is encoded by a gene located on chromosome 21 and is overexpressed in Down syndrome, one of the most prevalent genomic disorders. Misexpression of HMGN1 affects the cellular transcription profile; however, the biological function of this protein is still not fully understood. We report that HMGN1 modulates the expression of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a DNA-binding protein known to affect neurological functions including autism spectrum disorders, and whose alterations in HMGN1 levels affect the behavior of mice. Quantitative PCR and Western analyses of cell lines and brain tissues from mice that either overexpress or lack HMGN1 indicate that HMGN1 is a nega

SUBMITTER: Abuhatzira L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3234940 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature