DPY-27:a chromosome condensation protein homolog that regulates C. elegans dosage compensation through association with the X chromosome.
dpy-27 is an essential dosage compensation gene that acts to reduce expression of both hermaphrodite X chromosomes. The DPY-27 protein becomes specifically localized to the X chromosomes of wild-type XX embryos, but remains diffusely distributed throughout the nuclei of male (XO) embryos. In xol-1 mutant XO embryos that activate the XX mode of dosage compensation and die from inappropriately low X chromosome transcript levels, DPY-27 becomes localized to X. Therefore, sex specificity of the dosage compensation process is regulated at the step of DPY-27 X chromosome localization. DPY-27 exhibits striking similarity to proteins required for assembly and structural maintenance of Xenopus chromosomes in vitro and for segregation of yeast chromosomes in vivo. These findings suggest a link between global regulation of gene expression and higher order chromosome structure. We propose that DPY-27 implements dosage compensation by condensing the chromatin structure of X in a manner that causes general reduction of X chromosome expression.
Chuang
P T
PT
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
Albertson
D G
DG
Meyer
B J
BJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000235:genetics; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000502:physiology*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000098550:Structural Maintenance of Chromosome Protein 1
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; C090454:DPY-27 protein, C elegans; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C109974:NCAPH protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C090455:SMC2 protein, S cerevisiae; C490381:SMC2 protein, human; C090452:SMC4 protein, Xenopus; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000098550:Structural Maintenance of Chromosome Protein 1