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Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using Drosophila tissue

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Published on: March 23, 2012

Polycomb group response elements in Drosophila and vertebrates.

Judith A Kassis¹, J Lesley Brown

¹Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. jkassis@mail.nih.gov

Advances in Genetics

|February 20, 2013

Summary

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic regulators that repress gene transcription. This review explores Polycomb group response elements (PREs) in Drosophila and vertebrates, examining how PcG proteins are recruited to DNA.

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Quantitative Comparison of cis-Regulatory Element (CRE) Activities in Transgenic Drosophila melanogaster

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Published on: December 19, 2011

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Epigenetics
Molecular Biology

Background:

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are conserved epigenetic regulators essential for development.
In Drosophila, PcG proteins repress homeotic genes via Polycomb group response elements (PREs).
PcG proteins function in complexes and are not DNA-binding themselves.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the evidence for PREs in vertebrates.
To compare and contrast Drosophila and vertebrate PREs.
To understand the mechanisms of PcG protein recruitment to DNA.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on PcG proteins and PREs.
Comparative analysis of PRE function in Drosophila and vertebrates.
Discussion of functional PRE assays in transgenes.

Main Results:

Drosophila PREs are complex DNA elements that recruit PcG complexes.
PRE activity is context-dependent and influenced by other regulatory DNA.
Vertebrates show diverse PcG recruitment mechanisms, including RNA-mediated pathways.

Conclusions:

PREs are crucial for PcG-mediated gene repression in both Drosophila and vertebrates.
Differences exist in PRE structure and PcG recruitment mechanisms between species.
Further research is needed to fully elucidate vertebrate PRE function.