A Conserved Chromatin Architecture Marks and Maintains the Restricted Germ Cell Lineage in Worms and Flies

In C. elegans, mRNA production is initially repressed in the embryonic germline by a protein unique to C. elegans germ cells, PIE-1. PIE-1 is degraded upon the birth of the germ cell precursors, Z2 and Z3. We have identified a chromatin-based mechanism that succeeds PIE-1 repression in these cells....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental cell 2003-11, Vol.5 (5), p.747-757
Main Authors: Schaner, Christine E, Deshpande, Girish, Schedl, Paul D, Kelly, William G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Blastomeres - cytology
Blastomeres - physiology
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - cytology
Caenorhabditis elegans - embryology
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism
Cell Lineage
Chromatin - metabolism
Drosophila melanogaster - cytology
Drosophila melanogaster - embryology
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - metabolism
Germ Cells - physiology
Histones - metabolism
Methylation
nanos gene
Nuclear Proteins - genetics
Nuclear Proteins - metabolism
Nucleic Acid Conformation
PIE-1 protein
RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics
RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism
Transcription Factors - metabolism
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Summary:In C. elegans, mRNA production is initially repressed in the embryonic germline by a protein unique to C. elegans germ cells, PIE-1. PIE-1 is degraded upon the birth of the germ cell precursors, Z2 and Z3. We have identified a chromatin-based mechanism that succeeds PIE-1 repression in these cells. A subset of nucleosomal histone modifications, methylated lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3meK4) and acetylated lysine 8 on histone H4 (H4acetylK8), are globally lost and the DNA appears more condensed. This coincides with PIE-1 degradation and requires that germline identity is not disrupted. Drosophila pole cell chromatin also lacks H3meK4, indicating that a unique chromatin architecture is a conserved feature of embryonic germ cells. Regulation of the germline-specific chromatin architecture requires functional nanos activity in both organisms. These results indicate that genome-wide repression via a nanos-regulated, germ cell-specific chromatin organization is a conserved feature of germline maintenance during embryogenesis.
ISSN:1534-5807
1878-1551
DOI:10.1016/S1534-5807(03)00327-7