A Mouse Speciation Gene Encodes a Meiotic Histone H3 Methyltransferase
A Mouse Speciation Gene Encodes a Meiotic Histone H3 Methyltransferase
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1163601
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发表时间：
2009-01-16
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Forejt, Jiri
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mihola, Ondrej;Trachtulec, Zdenek;Forejt, Jiri
物种形成基因限制了早期物种和相关类群之间的基因流动。30年前，我们在家鼠亚种间杂种中定位了一个哺乳动物物种形成基因，杂种不育基因1（hybrid sterility 1，Hst 1）。在这里，我们确定这个基因Prdm9，编码组蛋白H3赖氨酸4三甲基转移酶。我们用携带Prdm9的细菌人工染色体从具有“生育力”Hst 1（f）等位基因的菌株中拯救了雄性杂交种的不育性。不育杂交体显示下调的micrororchidia 2B（Morc2b），并且未能将γ H2AX区室化到粗线性（XY）体中。这些缺陷也见于Prdm9缺失突变体，被Prdm9转基因挽救。脊椎动物杂种不育基因的鉴定揭示了表观遗传学在物种形成中的作用，并为杂种不育基因网络打开了一扇窗户。
Speciation genes restrict gene flow between the incipient species and related taxa. Three decades ago, we mapped a mammalian speciation gene, hybrid sterility 1 (Hst1), in the intersubspecific hybrids of house mouse. Here, we identify this gene as Prdm9, encoding a histone H3 lysine 4 trimethyltransferase. We rescued infertility in male hybrids with bacterial artificial chromosomes carrying Prdm9 from a strain with the "fertility" Hst1(f) allele. Sterile hybrids display down-regulated microrchidia 2B (Morc2b) and fail to compartmentalize gamma H2AX into the pachynema sex (XY) body. These defects, seen also in Prdm9-null mutants, are rescued by the Prdm9 transgene. Identification of a vertebrate hybrid sterility gene reveals a role for epigenetics in speciation and opens a window to a hybrid sterility gene network.