RRC ID 46248
著者 Zheng C, Karimzadegan S, Chiang V, Chalfie M.
タイトル Histone methylation restrains the expression of subtype-specific genes during terminal neuronal differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
ジャーナル PLoS Genet
Abstract Although epigenetic control of stem cell fate choice is well established, little is known about epigenetic regulation of terminal neuronal differentiation. We found that some differences among the subtypes of Caenorhabditis elegans VC neurons, particularly the expression of the transcription factor gene unc-4, require histone modification, most likely H3K9 methylation. An EGF signal from the vulva alleviated the epigenetic repression of unc-4 in vulval VC neurons but not the more distant nonvulval VC cells, which kept unc-4 silenced. Loss of the H3K9 methyltransferase MET-2 or H3K9me2/3 binding proteins HPL-2 and LIN-61 or a novel chromodomain protein CEC-3 caused ectopic unc-4 expression in all VC neurons. Downstream of the EGF signaling in vulval VC neurons, the transcription factor LIN-11 and histone demethylases removed the suppressive histone marks and derepressed unc-4. Behaviorally, expression of UNC-4 in all the VC neurons caused an imbalance in the egg-laying circuit. Thus, epigenetic mechanisms help establish subtype-specific gene expression, which are needed for optimal activity of a neural circuit.
巻・号 9(12)
ページ e1004017
公開日 2013-1-1
DOI 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004017
PII PGENETICS-D-13-01714
PMID 24348272
PMC PMC3861114
MeSH Animals Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics Caenorhabditis elegans / growth & development* Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics* Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism Cell Differentiation / genetics* Epigenesis, Genetic / genetics Female Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Histones / genetics* Homeodomain Proteins / genetics* Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism Methylation Neurons / cytology* Neurons / physiology Nuclear Proteins / genetics* Nuclear Proteins / metabolism Signal Transduction / genetics Vulva / growth & development
IF 5.175
引用数 10
WOS 分野 GENETICS & HEREDITY
リソース情報
線虫 tm3525 tm2966 tm1489 tm1624