Abstract

Trithorax and polycomb group proteins are generally thought to antagonize one another. The trithorax family member MLL (myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia) is presumed to activate Hox expression, counteracting polycomb-mediated repression. PC4 and SF2 interacting protein 1 (PSIP1)/p75, also known as LEDGF, whose PWWP domain binds to H3K36me3, interacts with MLL and tethers MLL fusion proteins to HOXA9 in leukaemias. Here we show, unexpectedly, that Psip1/p75 regulates homeotic genes by recruiting not only MLL complexes, but also the polycomb group protein Bmi1. In Psip1−/− cells binding of Mll1/2, Bmi1 and the co-repressor Ctbp1 at Hox loci are all abrogated and Hoxa and Hoxd mRNA expression increased. Our data not only reveal a potential mechanism of action for Psip1 in the regulation of Hox genes but also suggest an unexpected interplay between proteins usually considered as transcriptional activators and repressors.

Highlights

  • The Homeotic (Hox) gene family encodes transcription factors essential for patterning the anterior–posterior body axis

  • The preference for p75 occupancy over Hox A and D clusters does not reflect an intrinsic property of the DNA sequence there: Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) in independent primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived in our laboratory [28] showed specific occupancy of p75 over Hoxa, b and c genes which are expressed in those cells, suggesting that PC4 and SF2 interacting protein 1 (Psip1)/p75 generally binds to expressed Hox genes

  • We have demonstrated that Psip1/p75 is required to retain Mll1/2 and Bmi1/Ctbp1 at HoxA and HoxD loci (Figures 1 and 2), with the net result of dampened gene expression

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Summary

Introduction

The Homeotic (Hox) gene family encodes transcription factors essential for patterning the anterior–posterior body axis. Trithorax (Trx) proteins (MLL proteins in mammals) of the COMPASS-like family have histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyl transferase activity and are generally thought to maintain the active expression level of Hox genes [4,5], and may function as anti-repressors to prevent the repressive function of polycomb [6,7,8]. Six mammalian COMPASS-like complexes have been identified, each with a SET domain-containing HMT subunit including; Set1A/KMT2F, Set1B/KMT2G and four MLL-family proteins––MLL1/KMT2A, Mll2/KMT2B, MLL3/KMT2C, MLL4/KMT2D [9,10]. Each of these complexes associates with proteins that can modulate target site selection and enzymatic activity. Set1A/B are associated with Wdr82 [11,12], Mll and Mll are associated with Menin [5], Mll and Mll with PTIP [13]

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