Mcm2 promotes stem cell differentiation via its ability to bind H3-H4.

ABSTRACT: Mcm2, a subunit of the minichromosome maintenance proteins 2-7 (Mcm2-7) helicase best known for its role in DNA replication, contains a histone binding motif that facilitates the transfer of parental histones following DNA replication. Here, we show that Mcm2 is important for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. The Mcm2-2A mutation defective in histone binding shows defects in silencing of pluripotent genes and the induction of lineage-specific genes. The defects in the induction of lineage-specific genes in the mutant cells are likely, at least in part, due to reduced binding to Asf1a, a histone chaperone that binds Mcm2 and is important for nucleosome disassembly at bivalent chromatin domains containing repressive H3K27me3 and active H3K4me3 modifications during diffe

SUBMITTER: Xu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9681210 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature