Polycomb Group Genes as the Key Regulators in Gene Silencing  

作　　者：SU Shuaikun ZHANG Min LI Lianyun WU Min 

机构地区：[1]College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University [2]Torch High Technology Industry Development Center, The Ministry of Science and Technology of China

出　　处：《Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences》2014年第1期1-7,共7页武汉大学学报（自然科学英文版）

基　　金：Supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(2011CB504206,2012CB518700);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(91019013,31221061,31200653 and 31370866);Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University(NCET-11-0410)

摘　　要：The Polycomb group （PcG） genes repress gene expression mainly through chromatin modifications and regulation of chromatin structure. At present, at/east four protein complexes of PcG proteins are identified, including Polycomb repressive complex 1 （PRC1）, Polycomb repressive complex 2 （PRC2）, PHO-repressive complex （PhoRC） and Polycomb repressive deubiquitinase （PR-DUB）. In this review, the recent discoveries of the composition of the above complexes, as well as their roles in regulating histone modifications and gene silencing are discussed. We mainly focus on the composition of PRC1 and PRC2 complex and recruitment of PcG to target genes and mechanisms of PRC1 and PRC2-mediated gene silencing. Although much progress has been made in understanding gene silencing mediated by PcG proteins, we also discuss several important questions that still remained unanswered, such as the inheritance of histone modifications during cell division.The Polycomb group （PcG） genes repress gene expression mainly through chromatin modifications and regulation of chromatin structure. At present, at/east four protein complexes of PcG proteins are identified, including Polycomb repressive complex 1 （PRC1）, Polycomb repressive complex 2 （PRC2）, PHO-repressive complex （PhoRC） and Polycomb repressive deubiquitinase （PR-DUB）. In this review, the recent discoveries of the composition of the above complexes, as well as their roles in regulating histone modifications and gene silencing are discussed. We mainly focus on the composition of PRC1 and PRC2 complex and recruitment of PcG to target genes and mechanisms of PRC1 and PRC2-mediated gene silencing. Although much progress has been made in understanding gene silencing mediated by PcG proteins, we also discuss several important questions that still remained unanswered, such as the inheritance of histone modifications during cell division.

关 键 词：POLYCOMB EPIGENETICS histone modifications Polycomb repressive complex transcription regulation 

分 类 号：Q71[生物学—分子生物学]