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First published online 10 May 2006
doi: 10.1242/dev.02405


Development 133, 2371-2381 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006


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Distinct roles of Polycomb group gene products in transcriptionally repressed and active domains of Hoxb8

Yu-ichi Fujimura1,*, Kyo-ichi Isono1,*, Miguel Vidal2, Mitsuhiro Endoh1, Hiroshi Kajita1, Yoko Mizutani-Koseki1, Yoshihiro Takihara3, Maarten van Lohuizen4, Arie Otte5, Thomas Jenuwein6, Jacqueline Deschamps7 and Haruhiko Koseki1,{dagger}

1 RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.
2 Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
3 Department of Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
4 Division of Molecular Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
5 Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 406, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
6 Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, The Vienna Biocenter, Dr Bohrgasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
7 Hubrecht Laboratory, Uppsalalaan 8 3584CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.


Figure 1
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Fig. 1. Comparison of PcG associations with Hoxb8 genomic surrounding at 12.5 dpc between anterior and posterior tissues. (A) Embryonic tissues used in this study. Wild-type embryos at 12.5 dpc were dissected as illustrated and anterior (A) and posterior (P) tissues (paraxial mesoderm plus neuroectoderm) were subjected to the ChIP analyses. (B) Comparative analysis of Rnf2 association to regions 2, 14 and D1 between anterior and posterior tissues. The chromatin fraction purified from A or P tissue was subjected to the immunoprecipitation with anti-Rnf2 antibody. Amounts of genomic DNA immunoprecipitated by anti-Rnf2 (A+ or P+) were quantified by comparing with serially diluted genomic DNA isolated from the original chromatin fractions designated as `Input' (see Fig. S2A in the supplementary material) and equivalent amounts of immunoprecipitated DNA to that of `Input' DNA loaded into lane 1 were subjected to PCR reactions. Usually 10 to 20 ng of genomic DNA was used. Immunoprecipitated DNA was also serially diluted. Mock-immunoprecipitated DNA (A- and P-) derived from the same volume of the chromatin fraction as used for anti-Rnf2 immunoprecipitation were subjected to the PCR. The adam34 locus was used as a negative control. (C) Comparative analysis of Phc1 association to regions 2 and 14 between anterior and posterior tissues. (D) Comparative analyses for association of Cbx2 and Ring1 to regions 2 and 14. Amounts of genomic DNA (A+ and P+) immunoprecipitated by anti-Cbx2 and anti-Ring1 antibodies subjected to PCR were equivalent to that of `Input' DNA loaded into lane 1. Mock-immunoprecipitated DNA (A- and P-) derived from the same volume of the chromatin fraction as used for anti-Cbx2 and -Ring1 immunoprecipitation were subjected to the PCR. (E) Rnf110 association to regions 2 and 14. All experiments were conducted as described using anti-Rnf110 antibody. (F) Schematic comparisons of Rnf2, Ring1, Phc1, Cbx2 and Rnf110 association to the Hoxb8 genomic surrounding between anterior and posterior tissues. Genomic organization around Hoxb8 gene is shown at the top. Exonic regions are indicated by black boxes and the exon numbers are numerically shown in the boxes. Positions of known cis-acting regulatory elements are represented by overlying bold bars indicated as BH1100, KA and DE (Charité et al., 1995Go; Vogels et al., 1993Go; Oosterveen et al., 2003Go). Putative promotor regions are indicated by folded arrows. The genomic regions examined by PCR using specific primer pairs listed in Table 1 are shown by bars and numerically indicated. The relative quantity of each genomic region in immunoprecipitated genomic DNA from anterior and posterior tissues was estimated by referring to `Input' DNA isolated from the initial lysates and enrichment values against the `Input', and are represented by the black and gray bars, respectively. Genomic regions left unexamined are covered by boxes crossed with a diagonal line.

 

Figure 2
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Fig. 2. Comparison of H3-K9 acetylation, H3-K4 methylation and H3-K27 trimethylation in Hoxb8 genomic surrounding at 12.5 dpc between anterior and posterior tissues. (A) Comparative analysis of H3-K9 acetylation at regions 2, 7, 8 and 9. (Left) Whole-cell lysates (WCE) prepared from anterior and posterior parts of 12.5 dpc embryos were subjected to ChIP analyses by using anti-acetylated H3-K9. Amounts of immunoprecipitated genomic DNA (A+ and P+) by anti-acetylated H3-K9 subjected to PCR were equivalent to that of `Input' DNA loaded in lane 1. Mock-immunoprecipitated DNA (A- and P-) derived from the same volume of the chromatin fraction as used for anti-acetylated H3-K9 immunoprecipitation were subjected to the PCR. (Right) Schematic comparison of H3-K9 acetylation between anterior and posterior tissues. The relative quantity of each genomic region in immunoprecipitated genomic DNA from anterior and posterior tissues was estimated by referring to `Input' DNA isolated from the initial lysates and enrichment values against the initial lysate are represented by the black and gray bars, respectively. (B) Comparative analysis of di- and trimethylation of H3-K4 at the region 2, 7, 8 and 9. Representative results (left) and schematic summary (right) are shown. (C) Comparative analysis of trimethylation of H3-K27 at the region 2, 3 and 8. Representative results (left) and schematic summary (right) are shown.

 

Figure 3
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Fig. 3. Temporal changes in Rnf2 association, H3-K9 acetylation and H3-K27 trimethylation at the Hoxb8 putative promotor region. (A) The expression of Hoxb8 in the cranial and caudal tissues at various developmental stages, as quantified by using real-time PCR against the expression of Gapdh. Relative quantity was compared between anterior and posterior tissues. The Hoxb8/Gapdh ratio in the anterior tissue of 8.0 dpc embryo was arbitrarily 1. Embryos were bisected into the anterior and posterior tissues as described below. (B) Six- and eight-somite embryos were bisected at the level of the newly generated somite boundary and separated into anterior segmented (A) and posterior unsegmented (P) regions, and WCE prepared from respective tissues were subjected to ChIP analyses. (C) Embryos at the ~13-somite stage were dissected into three pieces at the boundary between somites 9 and 10, and at the newly generated somite boundary. WCE prepared from cranial region up to somite 9 (A) and posterior unsegmented region (P) were subjected to ChIP analyses. (D) Embryos at 9.5 dpc (about 25 somites) were bisected into anterior (A) and posterior (P) pieces at the level of somite 9/10 boundary and respective WCE were subjected to ChIP analyses. (E) Embryos at 10.5 dpc (~35 somites) were dissected at the level of the posterior end of the hindbrain and caudally to the forelimb bud after removing the viscera. For ChIP using anti-Rnf2, chromatin fractions prepared from the anterior (A) and posterior (P) tissues were used, whereas WCE were used for anti-acetylated H3-K9 and -trimethylated H3-K27 antibodies. (F) Schematic comparisons of Rnf2 association, H3-K9 acetylation and H3-K27 trimethylation at the region 3 between anterior and posterior tissues. The relative quantity of each genomic region in immunoprecipitated genomic DNA from anterior and posterior tissues was estimated by referring to those of `Input' DNA isolated from the initial lysates and enrichment values against the `Input' are represented by the black and gray bars, respectively. Stages left unexamined are indicated by boxes crossed with a diagonal line.

 

Figure 4
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Fig. 4. De-repression of Hox genes in Rnf2-/- MEFs and ES cells. (A) Conditional depletion of Rnf2 lead to de-repression of Hoxb8 in MEFs derived from the cranial part of Rnf2fl/fl 9.5 dpc embryos. (Top) Infection of Cre-expressing adenovirus vector to MEFs derived from Rnf2fl/fl embryos (fl/fl) depleted the Rnf2 gene products, whereas the wild-type (+/+) MEFs were unaffected. Lamin B was used as a control. (Bottom) The expression of Hoxb8 was induced by infection of Cre-expressing adenovirus vector in Rnf2fl/fl MEFs (fl/fl), but not in the wild type (+/+). (B) Rnf2-/- (-/-) ES cells were derived from Rnf2fl/fl (fl/fl) ES cells by transient overexpression of Cre-recombinase. Rnf2 was re-expressed by transfecting Rnf2-/- ES cells with a construct expressing Myc-tagged Rnf2 (tr). The expression of endogenous and transfected Rnf2 was examined by using anti-Rnf2 (left) and -Myc (middle) antibodies. CBB staining was used as a loading control (right). (C) The expression of Hox cluster genes in Rnf2fl/fl (fl/fl), Rnf2-/- (-/-) and Rnf2 transfected (tr) ES cells was compared by RT-PCR. The quantity of synthesized cDNA from respective cells was equalized by comparing the relative amounts of ß-actin transcripts. (D) The expression of Phc1 and Cbx2 gene products was reduced in Rnf2-/- ES cells (-/-) in comparison with the wild type (fl/fl), whereas the expression of RYBP (another Rnf2-binding protein that is not found in hPRC-H complex or class 1 PcG proteins) was not altered. (E) Rnf2 association and H3-K27 trimethylation at Hox promoter regions were compared between Rnf2fl/fl and Rnf2-/- ES cells. For the `Input', genomic DNA extracted from the original whole cell lysate equivalent to the 1/40 volume of that used for the ChIP analysis was subjected to the PCR. Hprt was used as a negative control.

 

Figure 5
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Fig. 5. De-repression of Hox genes in Suz12-/- ES cells correlates with reduction of Rnf2 association to Hox genomic regions. (A) The association of Suz12, Eed, Rnf2 and H3-K27 trimethylation at the Hox promoter regions in the wild-type and suz12-/- ES cells. Whole-cell lysates prepared from approximately the same number of wild type (+/+) and suz12-/- (-/-) ES cells were subjected to ChIP analyses using anti-Suz12, -Eed, -trimethylated H3-K27 and -Rnf2 antibodies. For the `Input', genomic DNA extracted from the original whole cell lysate equivalent to the 1/40 volume of that used for the ChIP analysis was subjected to the PCR. Hprt was used as a control. (B) The expression of Hox cluster genes in the wild type (+/+) and suz12-/- (-/-) ES cells was compared by RT-PCR.

 

Figure 6
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Fig. 6. Decreased H3-K9 acetylation at the first exonic region of Hoxb8 in the posterior tissues of Rnf110-/-Bmi1-/- and Phc1-/-Phc2-/- embryos at 9.5 dpc. (A) Degree of H3-K9 acetylation in the anterior (A) and posterior (P) regions were compared in Rnf110+/-Bmi1+/- and Rnf110-/-Bmi1-/- embryos. The ß-actin promoter was used as a positive control. (B) Degree of H3-K9 acetylation in the anterior (A) and posterior (P) regions were compared in Phc1-/-Phc2+/-, Phc1+/-Phc2-/- and Phc1-/-Phc2-/- embryos. The ß-actin promoter was used as a positive control. In this study, the negative control ChIPs (A- and P-) were performed with rabbit IgG.

 

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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2006