Mechanisms of transcriptional memory.
How can the same gene remember that it is 'off' in one cell lineage and 'on' in another? Studies of how homeotic genes are regulated in Drosophila melanogaster have uncovered a transcriptional maintenance system, encoded by the Polycomb and trithorax group genes, that preserves expression patterns across development. Here we try to formulate a broad framework for the types of molecular mechanism used by the Polycomb and trithorax proteins.
Francis
N J
NJ
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Kingston
R E
RE
D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C066770:Pc protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C063460:Trl protein, Drosophila; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1