Dual functionality of cis-regulatory elements as developmental enhancers and Polycomb response elements.
Genes Dev
; 31(6): 590-602, 2017 03 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28381411
ABSTRACT
Developmental gene expression is tightly regulated through enhancer elements, which initiate dynamic spatio-temporal expression, and Polycomb response elements (PREs), which maintain stable gene silencing. These two cis-regulatory functions are thought to operate through distinct dedicated elements. By examining the occupancy of the Drosophila pleiohomeotic repressive complex (PhoRC) during embryogenesis, we revealed extensive co-occupancy at developmental enhancers. Using an established in vivo assay for PRE activity, we demonstrated that a subset of characterized developmental enhancers can function as PREs, silencing transcription in a Polycomb-dependent manner. Conversely, some classic Drosophila PREs can function as developmental enhancers in vivo, activating spatio-temporal expression. This study therefore uncovers elements with dual function activating transcription in some cells (enhancers) while stably maintaining transcriptional silencing in others (PREs). Given that enhancers initiate spatio-temporal gene expression, reuse of the same elements by the Polycomb group (PcG) system may help fine-tune gene expression and ensure the timely maintenance of cell identities.
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MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos
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Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento
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Elementos de Resposta
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Proteínas de Drosophila
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Proteínas do Grupo Polycomb
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2017
Tipo de documento:
Article