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- Title
Transcriptional Repression of Hox Genes by C. elegans HP1/HPL and H1/HIS-24.
- Authors
Studencka, Maja; Wesolowski, Radoslaw; Opitz, Lennart; Salinas-Riester, Gabriela; Wisniewski, Jacek R.; Jedrusik-Bode, Monika
- Abstract
Elucidation of the biological role of linker histone (H1) and heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) in mammals has been difficult owing to the existence of a least 11 distinct H1 and three HP1 subtypes in mice. Caenorhabditis elegans possesses two HP1 homologues (HPL-1 and HPL-2) and eight H1 variants. Remarkably, one of eight H1 variants, HIS-24, is important for C. elegans development. Therefore we decided to analyse in parallel the transcriptional profiles of HIS-24, HPL-1/-2 deficient animals, and their phenotype, since hpl-1, hpl-2, and his-24 deficient nematodes are viable. Global transcriptional analysis of the double and triple mutants revealed that HPL proteins and HIS-24 play gene-specific roles, rather than a general repressive function. We showed that HIS-24 acts synergistically with HPL to allow normal reproduction, somatic gonad development, and vulval cell fate decision. Furthermore, the hpl-2; his-24 double mutant animals displayed abnormal development of the male tail and ectopic expression of C. elegans HOM-C/Hox genes (egl-5 and mab-5), which are involved in the developmental patterning of male mating structures. We found that HPL-2 and the methylated form of HIS-24 specifically interact with the histone H3 K27 region in the trimethylated state, and HIS-24 associates with the egl-5 and mab- 5 genes. Our results establish the interplay between HPL-1/-2 and HIS-24 proteins in the regulation of positional identity in C. elegans males.
- Subjects
HOMEOBOX genes; CAENORHABDITIS elegans; HETEROCHROMATIN; NEMATODES; GENES
- Publication
PLoS Genetics, 2012, Vol 8, Issue 9, p1
- ISSN
1553-7390
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pgen.1002940