title: Intergenic transcription is not required in Th2 cells to maintain histone acetylation and transcriptional permissiveness at the Il4-Il13 locus.
abstract: Noncoding RNA transcripts mapping to intergenic regions of the Il4-Il13 locus have been detected in Th2 cells harboring transcriptionally permissive Il4 and Il13 genes but not in Th1 cells where these genes are repressed. This correlation has given rise to the idea that intergenic transcription may be involved in maintaining the "open" chromatin structure of the Il4-Il13 locus in Th2 cells. We present evidence from real-time RT-PCR, nuclear run on, chromatin immunoprecipitation and 5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole 1-beta-D-ribofuranoside-mediated transcriptional inhibition analyses that argue against this hypothesis. Instead, our results are consistent with an alternative role for intergenic transcription in the maintenance of transcriptional silence in Th1-primed cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Aurelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baguet
authors.forename: Xizhang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arroll
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krumm
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bix
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D006657:Histones; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015847:Interleukin-4