Maintenance of spatial gene expression by Polycomb-mediated repression after formation of a vertebrate body plan

• DOI: 10.1242/dev.178590
• Publication Date: 2019-09-05T14:46:22Z
• Authors: Julien Rougeot; Naomi D. Chrispijn; Marco Aben; Dei M. Elurbe; Karolina M. Andra...; Patrick J. Murphy; Pascal W. T. C. J...; Michiel Vermeulen; Bradley R. Cairns; Leonie M. Kamminga
• Keywords: Body plan; Expression (computer science)

ABSTRACT Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are transcriptional repressors that important regulators of cell fate during embryonic development. Among them, Ezh2 is responsible for catalyzing the epigenetic repressive mark H3K27me3 and essential animal The ability zebrafish embryos lacking both maternal zygotic ezh2 to form a normal body plan provides unique model comprehensively studying function early development in vertebrates. By using multi-omics approach, we found required deposition proper recruitment protein Rnf2. However, despite complete absence PcG-associated proteins, only minor changes H3K4me3 gene expression occur. These were mainly due local dysregulation transcription factors outside their boundaries. Altogether, our results show Polycomb-mediated repression immediately after formed maintain spatially restricted profiles factors, highlight differences exist timing PcG action between vertebrate species.