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First published online November 21, 2008
doi: 10.1242/10.1242/dev.024554

Development 135, 4131-4139 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
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The DNA-binding Polycomb-group protein Pleiohomeotic maintains both active and repressed transcriptional states through a single site

Miki Fujioka, Galina L. Yusibova, Jian Zhou and James B. Jaynes*

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: jaynes{at}jci.tju.edu)

Accepted 8 October 2008

Although epigenetic maintenance of either the active or repressed transcriptional state often involves overlapping regulatory elements, the underlying basis of this is not known. Epigenetic and pairing-sensitive silencing are related properties of Polycomb-group proteins, whereas their activities are generally opposed by the trithorax group. Both groups modify chromatin structure, but how their opposing activities are targeted to allow differential maintenance remains a mystery. Here, we identify a strong pairing-sensitive silencing (PSS) element at the 3' border of the Drosophila even skipped (eve) locus. This element can maintain repression during embryonic as well as adult eye development. Transgenic dissection revealed that silencing activity depends on a binding site for the Polycomb-group protein Pleiohomeotic (Pho) and on pho gene function. Binding sites for the trithorax-group protein GAGA factor also contribute, whereas sites for the known Polycomb response element binding factors Zeste and Dsp1 are dispensible. Normally, eve expression in the nervous system is maintained throughout larval stages. An enhancer that functions fully in embryos does not maintain expression, but the adjacent PSS element confers maintenance. This positive activity also depends on pho gene activity and on Pho binding. Thus, a DNA-binding complex requiring Pho is differentially regulated to facilitate epigenetic transcriptional memory of both the active and the repressed state.

Key words: Polycomb group, Trithorax group, Epigenetics, Pleiohomeotic, Even-skipped, Drosophila


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Pho-nomenal transcriptional memory

Development 2008 135: e2405. [Full Text]  





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