Polycomb repressive complex PRC2 regulates Xenopus retina development downstream of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

ABSTRACT: The histone methyltransferase complex PRC2 controls key steps in developmental transitions and cell fate choices; however, its roles in vertebrate eye development remain unknown. Here, we report that in Xenopus, PRC2 regulates the progression of retinal progenitors from proliferation to differentiation. We show that the PRC2 core components are enriched in retinal progenitors and downregulated in differentiated cells. Knockdown of the PRC2 core component Ezh2 leads to reduced retinal progenitor proliferation, in part due to upregulation of the Cdk inhibitor p15(Ink4b). In addition, although PRC2 knockdown does not alter eye patterning, retinal progenitor gene expression or expression of the neural competence factor Sox2, it does cause suppression of proneural bHLH gene expression, indicati

SUBMITTER: Aldiri I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3699278 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature