Pathway: PRC2 methylates histones and DNA
Reactions in pathway: PRC2 methylates histones and DNA :
PRC2 methylates histones and DNA
Polycomb group proteins are responsible for the heritable repression of genes during development (Lee et al. 2006, Ku et al. 2008, reviewed in Simon and Kingston 2009, Margueron and Reinberg 2011, Di Croce and Helin 2013). Two major families of Polycomb complexes exist: Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) and Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). PRC1 and PRC2 each appear to comprise sets of distinct complexes that contain common core subunits and distinct accessory subunits (reviewed in Nayak et al. 2011). PRC2, through its component EZH2 or, in some complexes, EZH1 produces the initial molecular mark of repression, the trimethylation of lysine-27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3). How PRC2 is initially recruited to a locus remains unknown, however cytosine-guanine (CpG) motifs and transcripts have been suggested. Different mechanisms may be used at different loci. The trimethylated H3K27 produced by PRC2 is bound by the Polycomb subunit of PRC1. PRC1 ubiquitinates histone H2A and maintains repression.
Epigenetic processes regulate gene expression by modulating the frequency, rate, or extent of gene expression in a mitotically or meiotically heritable way that does not entail a change in the DNA sequence. Originally the definition applied only to heritability across generations but later also encompassed the heritable changes that occur during cellular differentiation within one organism.
Molecular analysis shows epigenetic changes comprise covalent modifications, such as methylation and acetylation, to DNA and histones. RNA interference has been implicated in the initiation of some epigenetic changes, for example transcriptional silencing of transposons. Proteins which bind to the modified DNA and histones are then responsible for repressing transcription and for maintaining the epigenetic modifications during cell division.
During differentiation, patterns of gene expression are established by polycomb complexes PRC1 and PRC2. PRC2 methylates histones and DNA to produce the initial marks of repression: trimethylated lysine-27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3) and 5-methylcytosine in DNA. PRC2, through its component EZH2 or, in some complexes, EZH1 trimethylates lysine-27 of histone H3. The H3K27me3 produced by PRC2 is bound by the Polycomb subunit of PRC1. PRC1 ubiquitinates histone H2A and maintains repression.
PRC2 and other epigenetic systems modulate gene expression through DNA methyation, the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to the 5 position of cytosine in DNA by a family of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs): DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B.
In the reverse process TET1,2,3 and TDG demethylate DNA through the oxidation of the methyl group of 5-methylcytosine by TET enzymes and the excision of the oxidized product (5-formylcytosine or 5-carboxylcytosine) by TDG.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are activated and deactivated according to the metabolic requirements of the cell. Positive epigenetic regulation of rRNA expression occurs through chromatin modifications produced by activators such as ERCC6 (CSB), the B-WICH complex, and histone acetylases such as KAT2B (PCAF). Negative epigenetic regulation of rRNA expression occurs through chromatin modifications produced by repressors such as the eNoSC complex, SIRT1, and the NoRC complex.
WDR5 is a component of six histone methyltransferases and three histone acetyltransferases involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression (reviewed in Guarnaccia and Tansey 2018).
Molecular analysis shows epigenetic changes comprise covalent modifications, such as methylation and acetylation, to DNA and histones. RNA interference has been implicated in the initiation of some epigenetic changes, for example transcriptional silencing of transposons. Proteins which bind to the modified DNA and histones are then responsible for repressing transcription and for maintaining the epigenetic modifications during cell division.
During differentiation, patterns of gene expression are established by polycomb complexes PRC1 and PRC2. PRC2 methylates histones and DNA to produce the initial marks of repression: trimethylated lysine-27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3) and 5-methylcytosine in DNA. PRC2, through its component EZH2 or, in some complexes, EZH1 trimethylates lysine-27 of histone H3. The H3K27me3 produced by PRC2 is bound by the Polycomb subunit of PRC1. PRC1 ubiquitinates histone H2A and maintains repression.
PRC2 and other epigenetic systems modulate gene expression through DNA methyation, the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to the 5 position of cytosine in DNA by a family of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs): DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B.
In the reverse process TET1,2,3 and TDG demethylate DNA through the oxidation of the methyl group of 5-methylcytosine by TET enzymes and the excision of the oxidized product (5-formylcytosine or 5-carboxylcytosine) by TDG.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are activated and deactivated according to the metabolic requirements of the cell. Positive epigenetic regulation of rRNA expression occurs through chromatin modifications produced by activators such as ERCC6 (CSB), the B-WICH complex, and histone acetylases such as KAT2B (PCAF). Negative epigenetic regulation of rRNA expression occurs through chromatin modifications produced by repressors such as the eNoSC complex, SIRT1, and the NoRC complex.
WDR5 is a component of six histone methyltransferases and three histone acetyltransferases involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression (reviewed in Guarnaccia and Tansey 2018).
Gene expression encompasses transcription and translation and the regulation of these processes. RNA Polymerase I Transcription produces the large preribosomal RNA transcript (45S pre-rRNA) that is processed to yield 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and 5.8S rRNA, accounting for about half the RNA in a cell. RNA Polymerase II transcription produces messenger RNAs (mRNA) as well as a subset of non-coding RNAs including many small nucleolar RNAs (snRNA) and microRNAs (miRNA). RNA Polymerase III Transcription produces transfer RNAs (tRNA), 5S RNA, 7SL RNA, and U6 snRNA. Transcription from mitochondrial promoters is performed by the mitochondrial RNA polymerase, POLRMT, to yield long transcripts from each DNA strand that are processed to yield 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, tRNAs, and a few RNAs encoding components of the electron transport chain. Regulation of gene expression can be divided into epigenetic regulation, transcriptional regulation, and post-transcription regulation (comprising translational efficiency and RNA stability). Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is the result of heritable chemical modifications to DNA and DNA-binding proteins such as histones. Epigenetic changes result in altered chromatin complexes that influence transcription. Gene Silencing by RNA mostly occurs post-transcriptionally but can also affect transcription. Small RNAs originating from the genome (miRNAs) or from exogenous RNA (siRNAs) are processed and transferred to the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which interacts with complementary RNA to cause cleavage, translational inhibition, or transcriptional inhibition.