Conserved chromosomal clustering of genes governed by chromatin regulators in Drosophila.
BACKGROUND
The trithorax group (trxG) and Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are responsible for the maintenance of stable transcriptional patterns of many developmental regulators. They bind to specific regions of DNA and direct the post-translational modifications of histones, playing a role in the dynamics of chromatin structure.


RESULTS
We have performed genome-wide expression studies of trx and ash2 mutants in Drosophila melanogaster. Using computational analysis of our microarray data, we have identified 25 clusters of genes potentially regulated by TRX. Most of these clusters consist of genes that encode structural proteins involved in cuticle formation. This organization appears to be a distinctive feature of the regulatory networks of TRX and other chromatin regulators, since we have observed the same arrangement in clusters after experiments performed with ASH2, as well as in experiments performed by others with NURF, dMyc, and ASH1. We have also found many of these clusters to be significantly conserved in D. simulans, D. yakuba, D. pseudoobscura and partially in Anopheles gambiae.


CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of genes governed by chromatin regulators has led to the identification of clusters of functionally related genes conserved in other insect species, suggesting this chromosomal organization is biologically important. Moreover, our results indicate that TRX and other chromatin regulators may act globally on chromatin domains that contain transcriptionally co-regulated genes.
Blanco
Enrique
E
Departament de Genètica and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. eblanco@ub.edu
Pignatelli
Miguel
M
Beltran
Sergi
S
Punset
Adrià
A
Pérez-Lluch
Silvia
S
Serras
Florenci
F
Guigó
Roderic
R
Corominas
Montserrat
M
D000818:Animals; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005810:Multigene Family; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C103604:ash2 protein, Drosophila; C512571:trx protein, Drosophila
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