Article
Biology
Shufeng Bu, Samuel Song Yuan Lau, Wei Lin Yong, Heng Zhang, Sasinthiran Thiagarajan, Arash Bashirullah, Fengwei Yu
Summary: The study reveals the important roles of PcG and Hox genes in regulating ecdysone signalling and neuronal pruning in Drosophila. The findings suggest a non-canonical and PRC2-independent role of PRC1 in Hox gene silencing during neuronal pruning.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vignesh Kasinath, Curtis Beck, Paul Sauer, Simon Poepsel, Jennifer Kosmatka, Marco Faini, Daniel Toso, Ruedi Aebersold, Eva Nogales
Summary: Polycomb repressive complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1 and PRC2) work together to regulate gene expression and determine cell identity through epigenetic mechanisms. The recruitment of PRC2 by recognition of PRC1-mediated H2AK119ub1 involves cofactors JARID2 and AEBP2, which play important roles in overcoming inhibitory effects on PRC2 activity. The interactions between these cofactors and histone modifications suggest a key role in regulating PRC2 activity.
Review
Entomology
Jean-Michel Gibert, Frederique Peronnet
Summary: Drosophila melanogaster has played a crucial role in epigenetics, studying changes in gene function inherited through mitosis or meiosis that are not due to changes in the DNA sequence. By analyzing simple phenotypes, such as bristle position or cuticle pigmentation, identification of mutated genes led to the discovery of major chromatin regulators that are often conserved in distantly related organisms.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jeanne-Marie E. McPherson, Lucy C. Grossmann, Harmony R. Salzler, Robin L. Armstrong, Esther Kwon, A. Gregory Matera, Daniel J. McKay, Robert J. Duronio
Summary: The chromatin of animal cells contains two types of histones: canonical histones that are expressed during S phase of the cell cycle to package the newly replicated genome, and variant histones with specialized functions that are expressed throughout the cell cycle and in non-proliferating cells. Determining whether and how canonical and variant histones cooperate to regulate genome function is integral to understanding how chromatin-based processes affect normal and pathological development.
Article
Cell Biology
Laura Moniot-Perron, Benoit Moindrot, Line Manceau, Joanne Edouard, Yan Jaszczyszyn, Pascale Gilardi-Hebenstreit, Celine Hernandez, Sebastien Bloyer, Daan Noordermeer
Summary: Hox genes encode transcription factors that determine segmental identities along the body axis. The BX-C cluster in Drosophila contains the three most posterior Hox genes, which show collinear activation involving changes in histone modifications, chromatin structure, and regulatory elements. This study focuses on the Abd-B gene and reveals the importance of the Fab-7 boundary in maintaining insulation between different chromatin domains. Interestingly, a non-canonical inversion of collinear chromatin dynamics is observed at Abd-B, resulting in differential activation of alternative promoters and fine-tuning of transcriptional output.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Filippo Ciabrelli, Leily Rabbani, Francesco Cardamone, Fides Zenk, Eva Loeser, Melanie A. Schaechtle, Marina Mazina, Vincent Loubiere, Nicola Iovino
Summary: We conducted an in vivo RNA interference reverse genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster and identified histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases as key regulators of zygotic genome activation (ZGA). We showed that Nejire and Gcn5 are responsible for acetylation of different lysine sites on histone H3 during ZGA, with these marks being enriched at actively transcribed genes. Surprisingly, catalytic dead mutants of Nejire or Gcn5 can still activate ZGA and transactivate a reporter gene in vitro. Overall, our study identifies Nejire and Gcn5 as crucial regulators of ZGA.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Daniela Torres-Campana, Beatrice Horard, Sandrine Denaud, Gerard Benoit, Benjamin Loppin, Guillermo A. Orsi
Summary: This study identifies regulators and mechanisms involved in the expression of the dhd gene, shedding light on the complex regulation of gene expression in multicellular development. The researchers demonstrate the critical role of multiple epigenomic effectors in tissue-specific gene activation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aparna R. Rajpurkar, Leslie J. Mateo, Sedona E. Murphy, Alistair N. Boettiger
Summary: Chromatin structure plays a significant role in gene regulation. Researchers have used a deep learning-based approach to analyze the relationship between chromatin structure and transcriptional state at the individual cell level, finding that structural features of chromatin are important for gene expression state.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lei Du, Lina Wang, Hong Yang, Jianping Duan, Jianming Lai, Wei Wu, Shaohua Fan, Xiaoli Zhi
Summary: This study showed that high expression of SCML2 is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients, as it promotes proliferation, invasion, and migration while inhibiting apoptosis of HCC cells. Silencing SCML2 inhibited these processes by regulating the Wnt/beta-catenin/EMT pathway.
YONSEI MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maelle Bellec, Jeremy Dufourt, George Hunt, Helene Lenden-Hasse, Antonio Trullo, Amal Zine El Aabidine, Marie Lamarque, Marissa M. Gaskill, Heloise Faure-Gautron, Mattias Mannervik, Melissa M. Harrison, Jean-Christophe Andrau, Cyril Favard, Ovidiu Radulescu, Mounia Lagha
Summary: Using quantitative imaging and monitoring transcription in living embryos, Bellec et al. provide evidence that the pioneer factor GAF acts as a stable mitotic bookmarker during early Drosophila development. GAF remains associated with its interphase targets during mitosis, which are bookmarked via histone acetylation. GAF binding competence for rapid activation upon mitotic exit is observed.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Gwenaelle Gavory, Caroline Baril, Gino Laberge, Gawa Bidla, Surapong Koonpaew, Thomas Sonea, Guy Sauvageau, Marc Therrien
Summary: The study identified modifiers of the NUP98-HOXA9 oncoprotein through a genetic screen in Drosophila, revealing its impact on cell fate transdetermination and implicating multiple intracellular events. This network of genes connected to NUP98-HOXA9 not only enhances understanding of its mechanism of action but also suggests potential therapeutic targets.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Sabrina Fischer, Lisa Marie Weber, Robert Liefke
Summary: The Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is an essential chromatin regulatory complex that represses the transcription of various developmental genes. The composition and functionality of PRC2 have changed during evolution to adapt to different biological needs.
EPIGENETICS & CHROMATIN
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Tanguy Lucas, Terry L. Hafer, Harrison G. Zhang, Natalia Molotkova, Minoree Kohwi
Summary: The nuclear lamina is involved in gene silencing, and a 250 bp intronic element has been identified as essential for gene relocation to the lamina. This relocation establishes a heritably silenced gene state that affects neuroblast competence and early-born identity, with the involvement of Polycomb group chromatin factors in the process.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nikolay Postika, Paul Schedl, Pavel Georgiev, Olga Kyrchanova
Summary: The autonomy of segment-specific regulatory domains in the Bithorax complex is conferred by boundary elements and associated Polycomb response elements (PREs). The role of HS1 and HS2 in boundary function suggests that the boundary function of Fab-6 HS1 must be bolstered by a second element that has PRE activity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Susanne Voigt, Christin Froschauer
Summary: Environmental temperature can affect epigenetic regulation and gene expression in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Genes regulated by the Polycomb group show higher expression at lower temperatures, and this regulation is correlated with temperature-sensitive histone modifications. Differences in temperature sensitivity were also observed between flies adapted to temperate and tropical climates.