CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYCOMB GROUP COMPLEXES

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：polycomb组（PC-G） 果蝇的基因需要维持适当的基因抑制 调节发育过程的基因。Pc-G基因在哺乳动物中是保守的， 哺乳动物同源物的突变导致严重的发育缺陷。 它 据信，Pc-G蛋白至少部分地通过形成复合物来发挥功能， 建立一种抑制性染色质结构， 同源异型基因 为了研究抑制机制， 纯化Pc-G复合物和建立显示Pc-G复合物的测定所必需的。 这些复合体的功能。 该提案描述了一个PC-G的分析 一种从果蝇中分离出来的称为PRC 1的复合物， 几种Pc-G基因产物。 本研究的目的如下：1） 识别构成PRC 1的蛋白质。 有几个未知的 PRC 1中的蛋白质，这些蛋白质将被测序，它们的cDNA将被测序。 分离，编码的蛋白质将使用遗传和 生物化学方法。2)PRC 1的详细功能分析将在 执行。3)将分离并表征PRC 1的人同源物。 这些实验应该增加关于基因是如何在体内维持的知识。 在发育过程中被压抑的状态。

DESCRIPTION (adapted from applicant's abstract): The polycomb-group (Pc-G) genes of Drosophila are required to maintain appropriate repression of genes that regulate developmental processes. Pc-G genes are conserved in mammals, and mutation of the mammalian homologs leads to severe developmental defects. It is believed that Pc-G proteins function, at least in part, by forming complexes that establish a repressive chromatin structure that maintains the 'off' state of homeotic genes. In order to investigate the mechanism of repression, it is necessary to purify Pc-G complexes and to establish assays that display the function of these complexes. This proposal describes an analysis of a Pc-G complex called PRC1 that has been isolated from Drosophila and that contains several Pc-G gene products. This analysis includes the following aims: 1) Identification of the proteins that make up PRC1. There are several unknown proteins in PRC1, and these proteins will be sequenced, their cDNAs will be isolated, and the encoded proteins will be characterized using genetic and biochemical approaches. 2) A detailed functional analysis of PRC1 will be performed. 3) The human homolog of PRC1 will be isolated and characterized. These experiments should increase the knowledge of how genes are maintained in a repressed state during development.