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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
09:28
Assaying the Ability of Diffusible Signaling Molecules to Reorient Embryonic Spinal Commissural Axons
Published on: March 8, 2010
H3K27me3 regulates BMP activity in developing spinal cord.
Naiara Akizu1, Conchi Estarás, Laura Guerrero
1Department of Genomic Regulation, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Baldiri i Reixac 15-21, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|July 30, 2010
Summary
Trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) controls dorsal interneuron generation by regulating BMP signaling. This epigenetic mark represses Noggin, a BMP inhibitor, creating a feedback loop essential for spinal cord development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Epigenetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Histone modifications, including H3K27me3, are crucial for gene regulation during neural development.
- H3K27me3 is known to repress genes involved in neural differentiation, but its specific role in spinal cord neurogenesis remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of H3K27me3 in controlling dorsal interneuron generation in the developing spinal cord.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which H3K27me3 regulates neurogenesis, particularly concerning BMP signaling.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of H3K27me3 levels at key developmental genes during spinal cord development.
- Investigating the interaction between H3K27me3, BMP signaling, and the expression of Noggin.
- Utilizing genetic and molecular techniques to manipulate JMJD3 and Smad proteins.
Main Results:
- H3K27me3 was found to repress the expression of Noggin, a BMP extracellular inhibitor, in developing dorsal interneurons.
- BMP pathway activation was shown to induce Noggin expression, establishing a negative-feedback loop.
- JMJD3 histone demethylase, in complex with Smad1/Smad4, was identified as a key regulator that demethylates and activates the Noggin promoter in response to BMP signaling.
Conclusions:
- H3K27me3 plays a critical role in regulating dorsal interneuron production by modulating BMP activity.
- The interplay between BMP signaling and epigenetic modifications (H3K27me3) via JMJD3 establishes a feedback mechanism to control BMP pathway activity during spinal cord development.
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