title: Histone XH2AX is required for Xenopus anterior neural development: critical role of threonine 16 phosphorylation.
abstract: A role for histone H2AX, one of the variants of the nucleosome core histone H2A, has been demonstrated in DNA repair, tumor suppression, apoptosis, and cell cycle checkpoint function. However, the physiological function and post-translational modification of histone H2AX during vertebrate development have not been elucidated. Here, we provide evidence showing that Xenopus histone H2AX (XH2AX) has a role in the anterior neural plate for eye field formation during Xenopus embryogenesis. A loss-of-function study clearly demonstrated a critical role of XH2AX in anterior neural specification. Through a differentiation assay with Xenopus animal cap embryonic stem cells, we confirmed that XH2AX is required for the activin-induced anterior neural specification of the ectoderm. Furthermore, we found that Chk1 is an essential kinase to phosphorylate histone XH2AX at Thr(16), which is involved in the biological function of this histone. Taken together, our findings reveal that XH2AX has a specific role in anterior neural formation of Xenopus, which is mediated through phosphorylation of XH2AX at Thr(16) by Chk1.
authors.affiliation: Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota 55912, USA.
authors.forename: Sung-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Andy T Y
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Chul-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Jung-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Hong-Gyum
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jaebong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: Zigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D054258:Neural Plate / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D013912:Threonine; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; C000605875:Chek1 protein, Xenopus