Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

The Drosophila Imaginal Disc Tumor Model: Visualization and Quantification of Gene Expression and Tumor Invasiveness Using Genetic Mosaics
10:31

The Drosophila Imaginal Disc Tumor Model: Visualization and Quantification of Gene Expression and Tumor Invasiveness Using Genetic Mosaics

Published on: October 6, 2016

11.9K

Coordinate redeployment of PRC1 proteins suppresses tumor formation during Drosophila development

Vincent Loubière1,2, Anna Delest1,2, Aubin Thomas1,2

  • 1Institute of Human Genetics, UPR1142 CNRS, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34396, Montpellier Cedex 5, France.

Nature Genetics
|September 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) proteins function as tumor suppressors, regulating genes involved in cell growth independently of PRC2. This redeployment of PRC1 is conserved across species.

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Polycomb group proteins, including PRC1 and PRC2, are crucial epigenetic regulators.
  • These complexes typically coregulate target genes, playing roles in development and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the independent function of PRC1 components.
  • To identify PRC1 targets independent of PRC2 and H3K27me3.
  • To explore the evolutionary conservation of PRC1 function.

Main Methods:

  • Genome-wide mapping of PRC1 components and H3K27me3 in Drosophila.
  • Analysis of gene expression changes in PRC1 and PRC2 mutants.
  • Comparative analysis in human embryonic stem cells and differentiated cells.

Main Results:

  • PRC1 acts as a neoplastic tumor suppressor independently of PRC2.
  • A large set of proliferation, signaling, and polarity genes are targeted by PRC1 in the absence of H3K27me3.
  • These non-canonical PRC1 targets are specifically deregulated by PRC1 alterations.

Conclusions:

  • PRC1 has functions independent of PRC2, particularly in tumor suppression.
  • PRC1 is dynamically redeployed to regulate key cellular processes during development.
  • This redeployment mechanism is evolutionarily conserved from Drosophila to humans.

More Related Videos

Induction and Diagnosis of Tumors in Drosophila Imaginal Disc Epithelia08:14

Induction and Diagnosis of Tumors in Drosophila Imaginal Disc Epithelia

Published on: July 25, 2017

15.9K
Dissection of Drosophila Ovaries04:55

Dissection of Drosophila Ovaries

Published on: October 19, 2006

55.9K

Related Concept Videos

Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
5.4K
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
38.8K
Anaphase Promoting Complex00:50

Anaphase Promoting Complex

The stepwise destruction of specific proteins is necessary for the progression and completion of the cell cycle. Such proteins are ubiquitinated by ubiquitin ligases and then subsequently destroyed by the proteasome. The SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) are two important ubiquitin ligases involved in cell cycle progression. While SCF is active throughout the cell cycle, APC gets activated during metaphase to anaphase transition. Cdc20 or Cdh1 binds to APC and...
3.5K