This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hodgson, J. W.
Right arrow Articles by Brock, H. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hodgson, J. W.
Right arrow Articles by Brock, H. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2001, p. 4528-4543, Vol. 21, No. 14
0270-7306/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/MCB.21.14.4528-4543.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Site-Specific Recognition of a 70-Base-Pair Element Containing d(GA)n Repeats Mediates bithoraxoid Polycomb Group Response Element-Dependent Silencing

Jacob W. Hodgson, Bob Argiropoulos, and Hugh W. Brock*

Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4

Received 5 March 2001/Returned for modification 30 March 2001/Accepted 23 April 2001

Polycomb group proteins act through Polycomb group response elements (PREs) to maintain silencing at homeotic loci. The minimal 1.5-kb bithoraxoid (bxd) PRE contains a region required for pairing-sensitive repression and flanking regions required for maintenance of embryonic silencing. Little is known about the identity of specific sequences necessary for function of the flanking regions. Using gel mobility shift analysis, we identify DNA binding activities that interact specifically with a multipartite 70-bp fragment (MHS-70) downstream of the pairing-sensitive sequence. Deletion of MHS-70 in the context of a 5.1-kb bxd Polycomb group response element derepresses maintenance of silencing in embryos. A partially purified binding activity requires multiple, nonoverlapping d(GA)3 repeats for MHS-70 binding in vitro. Mutation of d(GA)3 repeats within MHS-70 in the context of the 5.1-kb bxd PRE destabilizes maintenance of silencing in a subset of cells in vivo but gives weaker derepression than deletion of MHS-70. These results suggest that d(GA)3 repeats are important for silencing but that other sequences within MHS-70 also contribute to silencing. Antibody supershift assays and Western analyses show that distinct isoforms of Polyhomeotic and two proteins that recognize d(GA)3 repeats, the TRL/GAGA factor and Pipsqueak (Psq), are present in the MHS-70 binding activity. Mutations in Trl and psq enhance homeotic phenotypes of ph, indicating that TRL/GAGA factor and Psq are enhancers of Polycomb which have sequence-specific DNA binding activity. These studies demonstrate that site-specific recognition of the bxd PRE by d(GA)n repeat binding activities mediates PcG-dependent silencing.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4. Phone: (604) 822-2619. Fax: (604) 822-2416. E-mail: brock{at}zoology.ubc.ca.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2001, p. 4528-4543, Vol. 21, No. 14
0270-7306/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/MCB.21.14.4528-4543.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Fujioka, M., Yusibova, G. L., Zhou, J., Jaynes, J. B. (2008). The DNA-binding Polycomb-group protein Pleiohomeotic maintains both active and repressed transcriptional states through a single site. Development 135: 4131-4139 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Petruk, S., Smith, S. T., Sedkov, Y., Mazo, A. (2008). Association of trxG and PcG proteins with the bxd maintenance element depends on transcriptional activity. Development 135: 2383-2390 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sipos, L., Kozma, G., Molnar, E., Bender, W. (2007). In situ dissection of a Polycomb response element in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 12416-12421 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ringrose, L., Paro, R. (2007). Polycomb/Trithorax response elements and epigenetic memory of cell identity. Development 134: 223-232 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Blastyak, A., Mishra, R. K., Karch, F., Gyurkovics, H. (2006). Efficient and Specific Targeting of Polycomb Group Proteins Requires Cooperative Interaction between Grainyhead and Pleiohomeotic. Mol. Cell. Biol. 26: 1434-1444 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Andreyeva, E. N., Belyaeva, E. S., Semeshin, V. F., Pokholkova, G. V., Zhimulev, I. F. (2005). Three distinct chromatin domains in telomere ends of polytene chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster Tel mutants. J. Cell Sci. 118: 5465-5477 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brown, J. L., Grau, D. J., DeVido, S. K., Kassis, J. A. (2005). An Sp1/KLF binding site is important for the activity of a Polycomb group response element from the Drosophila engrailed gene. Nucleic Acids Res 33: 5181-5189 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Canudas, S., Perez, S., Fanti, L., Pimpinelli, S., Singh, N., Hanes, S. D., Azorin, F., Espinas, M. L. (2005). dSAP18 and dHDAC1 contribute to the functional regulation of the Drosophila Fab-7 element. Nucleic Acids Res 33: 4857-4864 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Voncken, J. W., Niessen, H., Neufeld, B., Rennefahrt, U., Dahlmans, V., Kubben, N., Holzer, B., Ludwig, S., Rapp, U. R. (2005). MAPKAP Kinase 3pK Phosphorylates and Regulates Chromatin Association of the Polycomb Group Protein Bmi1. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 5178-5187 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Palsson, A., Gibson, G. (2004). Association Between Nucleotide Variation in Egfr and Wing Shape in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 167: 1187-1198 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tchurikov, N. A., Kretova, O. V., Chernov, B. K., Golova, Y. B., Zhimulev, I. F., Zykov, I. A. (2004). SuUR Protein Binds to the Boundary Regions Separating Forum Domains in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 11705-11710 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • SCHWARTZ, Y.B., KAHN, T.G., DELLINO, G.I., PIRROTTA, V. (2004). Polycomb Silencing Mechanisms in Drosophila. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 69: 301-308 [Abstract]  
  • ZHANG, Y., CAO, R., WANG, L., JONES, R.S. (2004). Mechanism of Polycomb Group Gene Silencing. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 69: 309-318 [Abstract]  
  • Mahmoudi, T., Zuijderduijn, L. M. P., Mohd-Sarip, A., Verrijzer, C. P. (2003). GAGA facilitates binding of Pleiohomeotic to a chromatinized Polycomb response element. Nucleic Acids Res 31: 4147-4156 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Poux, S., Horard, B., Sigrist, C. J. A., Pirrotta, V. (2003). The Drosophila Trithorax protein is a coactivator required to prevent re-establishment of Polycomb silencing. Development 129: 2483-2493 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brown, J. L., Fritsch, C., Mueller, J., Kassis, J. A. (2003). The Drosophila pho-like gene encodes a YY1-related DNA binding protein that is redundant with pleiohomeotic in homeotic gene silencing. Development 130: 285-294 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Faucheux, M., Roignant, J.-Y., Netter, S., Charollais, J., Antoniewski, C., Theodore, L. (2003). batman Interacts with Polycomb and trithorax Group Genes and Encodes a BTB/POZ Protein That Is Included in a Complex Containing GAGA Factor. Mol. Cell. Biol. 23: 1181-1195 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schwendemann, A., Lehmann, M. (2002). Pipsqueak and GAGA factor act in concert as partners at homeotic and many other loci. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 12883-12888 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Huang, D.-H., Chang, Y.-L., Yang, C.-C., Pan, I-C., King, B. (2002). pipsqueak Encodes a Factor Essential for Sequence-Specific Targeting of a Polycomb Group Protein Complex. Mol. Cell. Biol. 22: 6261-6271 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sangwan, I., O'Brian, M. R. (2002). Identification of a Soybean Protein That Interacts with GAGA Element Dinucleotide Repeat DNA. Plant Physiol. 129: 1788-1794 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Americo, J., Whiteley, M., Brown, J. L., Fujioka, M., Jaynes, J. B., Kassis, J. A. (2002). A Complex Array of DNA-Binding Proteins Required for Pairing-Sensitive Silencing by a Polycomb Group Response Element From the Drosophila engrailed Gene. Genetics 160: 1561-1571 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»