The fully linked HTML version of this article has now been published.
Development ePress online publication date 15 Mar 2006
doi: 10.1242/dev.02302
Research article
Multiple epigenetic maintenance factors implicated by the loss of Mll2 in mouse development
Stefan Glaser,
Julia Schaft,
Sandra Lubitz,
Kristina Vintersten,
Frank van der Hoeven,
Katharina R. Tufteland,
Rein Aasland,
Konstantinos Anastassiadis,
Siew-Lan Ang,
and
A. Francis Stewart*
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: stewart{at}biotec.tu-dresden.de)
Epigenesis is the process whereby the daughters of a dividing cell retain a chromatin state determined before cell division. The best-studied cases involve the inheritance of heterochromatic chromosomal domains, and little is known about specific gene regulation by epigenetic mechanisms. Recent evidence shows that epigenesis pivots on methylation of nucleosomes at histone 3 lysines 4, 9 or 27. Bioinformatics indicates that mammals have several enzymes for each of these methylations, including at least six histone 3 lysine 4 methyltransferases. To look for evidence of gene-specific epigenetic regulation in mammalian development, we examined one of these six, Mll2, using a multipurpose allele in the mouse to ascertain the loss-of-function phenotype. Loss of Mll2 slowed growth, increased apoptosis and retarded development, leading to embryonic failure before E11.5. Using chimera experiments, we demonstrated that Mll2 is cell-autonomously required. Evidence for gene-specific regulation was also observed. Although Mox1 and Hoxb1 expression patterns were correctly established, they were not maintained in the absence of Mll2, whereas Wnt1 and Otx2 were. The Mll2 loss-of-function phenotype is different from that of its sister gene Mll, and they regulate different Hox complex genes during ES cell differentiation. Therefore, these two closely related epigenetic factors play different roles in development and maintain distinct gene expression patterns. This suggests that other epigenetic factors also regulate particular patterns and that development entails networks of epigenetic specificities.

CiteULike
Complore
Connotea
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Technorati
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. Wang, C. Lin, E. R. Smith, H. Guo, B. W. Sanderson, M. Wu, M. Gogol, T. Alexander, C. Seidel, L. M. Wiedemann, et al.
Global Analysis of H3K4 Methylation Defines MLL Family Member Targets and Points to a Role for MLL1-Mediated H3K4 Methylation in the Regulation of Transcriptional Initiation by RNA Polymerase II
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
November 15, 2009;
29(22):
6074 - 6085.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. M. Tate, J.-H. Lee, and D. G. Skalnik
CXXC Finger Protein 1 Contains Redundant Functional Domains That Support Embryonic Stem Cell Cytosine Methylation, Histone Methylation, and Differentiation
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
July 15, 2009;
29(14):
3817 - 3831.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Liu, T. D. Westergard, and J. J.-D. Hsieh
MLL5 governs hematopoiesis: a step closer
Blood,
February 12, 2009;
113(7):
1395 - 1396.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y. Zhang, J. Wong, M. Klinger, M. T. Tran, K. M. Shannon, and N. Killeen
Mll5 contributes to hematopoietic stem cell fitness and homeostasis
Blood,
February 12, 2009;
113(7):
1455 - 1463.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Heuser, D. B. Yap, M. Leung, T. R. de Algara, A. Tafech, S. McKinney, J. Dixon, R. Thresher, B. Colledge, M. Carlton, et al.
Loss of Mll5 results in pleiotropic hematopoietic defects, reduced neutrophil immune function, and extreme sensitivity to DNA demethylation
Blood,
February 12, 2009;
113(7):
1432 - 1443.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
V. Madan, B. Madan, U. Brykczynska, F. Zilbermann, K. Hogeveen, K. Dohner, H. Dohner, O. Weber, C. Blum, H.-R. Rodewald, et al.
Impaired function of primitive hematopoietic cells in mice lacking the Mixed-Lineage-Leukemia homolog Mll5
Blood,
February 12, 2009;
113(7):
1444 - 1454.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Wu, P. F. Wang, J. S. Lee, S. Martin-Brown, L. Florens, M. Washburn, and A. Shilatifard
Molecular Regulation of H3K4 Trimethylation by Wdr82, a Component of Human Set1/COMPASS
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
December 15, 2008;
28(24):
7337 - 7344.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Patel, V. E. Vought, V. Dharmarajan, and M. S. Cosgrove
A Conserved Arginine-containing Motif Crucial for the Assembly and Enzymatic Activity of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia Protein-1 Core Complex
J. Biol. Chem.,
November 21, 2008;
283(47):
32162 - 32175.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. Schotta, R. Sengupta, S. Kubicek, S. Malin, M. Kauer, E. Callen, A. Celeste, M. Pagani, S. Opravil, I. A. De La Rosa-Velazquez, et al.
A chromatin-wide transition to H4K20 monomethylation impairs genome integrity and programmed DNA rearrangements in the mouse
Genes & Dev.,
August 1, 2008;
22(15):
2048 - 2061.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J.-H. Lee and D. G. Skalnik
Wdr82 Is a C-Terminal Domain-Binding Protein That Recruits the Setd1A Histone H3-Lys4 Methyltransferase Complex to Transcription Start Sites of Transcribed Human Genes
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
January 15, 2008;
28(2):
609 - 618.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. D. Gregory, C. R. Vakoc, T. Rozovskaia, X. Zheng, S. Patel, T. Nakamura, E. Canaani, and G. A. Blobel
Mammalian ASH1L Is a Histone Methyltransferase That Occupies the Transcribed Region of Active Genes
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
December 15, 2007;
27(24):
8466 - 8479.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Niwa
Open conformation chromatin and pluripotency
Genes & Dev.,
November 1, 2007;
21(21):
2671 - 2676.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y.-W. Cho, T. Hong, S. Hong, H. Guo, H. Yu, D. Kim, T. Guszczynski, G. R. Dressler, T. D. Copeland, M. Kalkum, et al.
PTIP Associates with MLL3- and MLL4-containing Histone H3 Lysine 4 Methyltransferase Complex
J. Biol. Chem.,
July 13, 2007;
282(28):
20395 - 20406.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Lubitz, S. Glaser, J. Schaft, A. F. Stewart, and K. Anastassiadis
Increased Apoptosis and Skewed Differentiation in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Lacking the Histone Methyltransferase Mll2
Mol. Biol. Cell,
June 1, 2007;
18(6):
2356 - 2366.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J.-H. Lee, C. M. Tate, J.-S. You, and D. G. Skalnik
Identification and Characterization of the Human Set1B Histone H3-Lys4 Methyltransferase Complex
J. Biol. Chem.,
May 4, 2007;
282(18):
13419 - 13428.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Lee, D.-K. Lee, Y. Dou, J. Lee, B. Lee, E. Kwak, Y.-Y. Kong, S.-K. Lee, R. G. Roeder, and J. W. Lee
Coactivator as a target gene specificity determinant for histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferases
PNAS,
October 17, 2006;
103(42):
15392 - 15397.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2006