Epigenetic mechanisms make gene expression patterns stable by maintaining gene regulatory information through the cell cycle. In some cases, this is thought to occur through heritable modification of chromatin structure. Proteins encoded by the Drosophila Polycomb Group (PcG) genes maintain key patterns of gene expression during development. These genes and their functions are conserved in mammals where PcG. proteins are also linked to many cancers. To understand how these proteins use chromatin structure to maintain gene silencing and to begin to reconstitute the steps in epigenetic inheritance, in vitro biochemical studies of Polycomb group proteins and chromatin will be carried out. First, detailed studies of a key PcG protein, Posterior Sex Combs (PSC), will be carried out to determine how this protein alters chromatin conformation. Mutations which disrupt in vitro activities of PSC will then be tested for in vivo function. Second, PcG-mediated regulation can be very stable. To test the hypothesis that this stability reflects stable interactions between PcG proteins and chromatin, the off rate of PcG complexes from chromatin will be measured under various conditions in vitro. Finally, a major unsolved mystery is how epigenetic regulators such as PcG proteins maintain gene regulatory information through the disruptive events of the cell cycle. To begin to reconstitute passage of epigenetic information through DNA replication, PcG protein-bound chromatin will be replicated in vitro and the fate of PcG protein-chromatin interactions determined. To connect these biochemical results with in vivo phenomena, the association of PcG proteins with chromatin through S-phase and role of DNA replication in the loss of repression upon depletion of PcG proteins in vivo will be determined. Relevance to public health: Epigenetic mechanisms help maintain cell identities through development by making patterns of gene expression stable. They can also lock aberrant regulatory events, such as those that trigger cellular transformation and cancer, into place. Polycomb proteins are thought to be epigenetic regulators of development and are also upregulated in many cancers. This study aims to understand how these proteins function, which will help understand their role in cancer and may eventually make it possible to target them for therapeutic purposes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM078456-05
Application #
7912875
Study Section
Molecular Genetics B Study Section (MGB)
Program Officer
Carter, Anthony D
Project Start
2006-09-01
Project End
2012-08-31
Budget Start
2010-09-01
Budget End
2012-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$309,268
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
082359691
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02138
Follmer, Nicole E; Wani, Ajazul H; Francis, Nicole J (2012) A polycomb group protein is retained at specific sites on chromatin in mitosis. PLoS Genet 8:e1003135
Lengsfeld, Bettina M; Berry, Kayla N; Ghosh, Sharmistha et al. (2012) A Polycomb complex remains bound through DNA replication in the absence of other eukaryotic proteins. Sci Rep 2:661
Lo, Stanley M; Follmer, Nicole E; Lengsfeld, Bettina M et al. (2012) A bridging model for persistence of a polycomb group protein complex through DNA replication in vitro. Mol Cell 46:784-96
Lo, Stanley M; McElroy, Kyle A; Francis, Nicole J (2012) Chromatin modification by PSC occurs at one PSC per nucleosome and does not require the acidic patch of histone H2A. PLoS One 7:e47162
Follmer, Nicole E; Francis, Nicole J (2012) Preparation of Drosophila tissue culture cells from different stages of the cell cycle for chromatin immunoprecipitation using centrifugal counterflow elutriation and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Methods Enzymol 513:251-69
Beh, Leslie Y; Colwell, Lucy J; Francis, Nicole J (2012) A core subunit of Polycomb repressive complex 1 is broadly conserved in function but not primary sequence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109:E1063-71
Grau, Daniel J; Chapman, Brad A; Garlick, Joe D et al. (2011) Compaction of chromatin by diverse Polycomb group proteins requires localized regions of high charge. Genes Dev 25:2210-21
Lo, Stanley M; Francis, Nicole J (2010) Inhibition of chromatin remodeling by polycomb group protein posterior sex combs is mechanistically distinct from nucleosome binding. Biochemistry 49:9438-48
Francis, Nicole J; Follmer, Nicole E; Simon, Matthew D et al. (2009) Polycomb proteins remain bound to chromatin and DNA during DNA replication in vitro. Cell 137:110-22
Lo, Stanley M; Ahuja, Nitin K; Francis, Nicole J (2009) Polycomb group protein Suppressor 2 of zeste is a functional homolog of Posterior Sex Combs. Mol Cell Biol 29:515-25