The trithorax group and Pc group proteins are differentially involved in heterochromatin formation in Drosophila
The trithorax group and Pc group proteins are differentially involved in heterochromatin formation in Drosophila
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DOI：
10.1007/s00412-007-0123-7
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发表时间：
2008-02-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1.6
通讯作者：
Pimpinelli, Sergio
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fanti, Laura;Perrini, Barbara;Pimpinelli, Sergio
在果蝇中，Polycomb组和trithorax组蛋白在发育过程中控制同源异型基因复合体的表达状态中起关键作用。一般认为这两类蛋白质与同源异型复合物结合并在染色质水平上调节转录。在目前的工作中，我们测试了参与有丝分裂异染色质形成的两组果蝇。使用特定的抗体，我们表明，一些测试的Pc-G蛋白存在于异染色质，而所有测试的trx-G蛋白定位于有丝分裂染色体和间期核的异染色质的特定区域。我们还观察到trx-G基因突变是位置效应杂色的隐性增强子，并且能够抑制异染色质基因的转录。这些结果有力地表明，trx-G蛋白，沿着一些Pc-G蛋白，在果蝇异染色质的形成中起着积极的作用。
In Drosophila, the Polycomb group and trithorax group proteins play a critical role in controlling the expression states of homeotic gene complexes during development. The common view is that these two classes of proteins bind to the homeotic complexes and regulate transcription at the level of chromatin. In the present work, we tested the involvement of both groups in mitotic heterochromatin formation in Drosophila. Using specific antibodies, we show that some of the tested Pc-G proteins are present in heterochromatin, while all the tested trx-G proteins localize to specific regions of heterochromatin in both mitotic chromosomes and interphase nuclei. We also observed that mutations in trx-G genes are recessive enhancers of position-effect variegation and are able to repress the transcription of heterochromatic genes. These results strongly suggest that trx-G proteins, along with some Pc-G proteins, play an active role in heterochromatin formation in Drosophila.