Lysine demethylase 7a regulates murine anterior-posterior development by modulating the transcription of Hox gene cluster.

ABSTRACT: Temporal and spatial colinear expression of the Hox genes determines the specification of positional identities during vertebrate development. Post-translational modifications of histones contribute to transcriptional regulation. Lysine demethylase 7A (Kdm7a) demethylates lysine 9 or 27 di-methylation of histone H3 (H3K9me2, H3K27me2) and participates in the transcriptional activation of developmental genes. However, the role of Kdm7a during mouse embryonic development remains to be elucidated. Herein, we show that Kdm7a^-/- mouse exhibits an anterior homeotic transformation of the axial skeleton, including an increased number of presacral elements. Importantly, posterior Hox genes (caudally from Hox9) are specifically downregulated in the Kdm7a^-/- embryo, which correl

SUBMITTER: Higashijima Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7704666 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature