The role of mel-18, a mammalian Polycomb group gene, during IL-7-dependent proliferation of lymphocyte precursors.
mel-18 is a mammalian homolog of Drosophila melanogaster Polycomb group genes. Mice lacking the mel-18 gene show a posterior transformation of the axial skeleton, severe combined immunodeficiency, and a food-passing disturbance in the lower intestine due to hypertrophy of the smooth muscle layer. In this study, the severe combined immunodeficiency observed in mel-18 mutant mice is correlated with the impaired mitotic response of lymphocyte precursors upon interleukin-7 stimulation. Strikingly, the axial skeleton and lymphoid phenotypes are identical in both mel-18 and bmi-1 mutants, indicating that the Mel-18 and Bmi-1 gene products might act in the same genetic cascade. These results suggest that mammalian Polycomb group gene products are involved in cell cycle progression in the immune system.
Akasaka
T
T
Core Research for Evolution Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and Division of Molecular Immunology, Center for Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, Chiba University.
Tsuji
K
K
Kawahira
H
H
Kanno
M
M
Harigaya
K
K
Hu
L
L
Ebihara
Y
Y
Nakahata
T
T
Tetsu
O
O
Taniguchi
M
M
Koseki
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005838:Genotype; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015851:Interleukin-7; C066476:Pcgf6 protein, mouse; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1