Insulators and imprinting from flies to mammals.
The nuclear factor CTCF has been shown to be necessary for the maintenance of genetic imprinting at the mammalian H19/Igf2 locus. MacDonald and colleagues now report in BMC Biology that the mechanisms responsible for maintaining the imprinted state in Drosophila may be evolutionarily conserved and that CTCF may also play a critical role in this process. See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/105.
Hou
Chunhui
C
Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. chou3@emory.edu
Corces
Victor G
VG
D000818:Animals; D000076246:CCCTC-Binding Factor; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D000076246:CCCTC-Binding Factor; C524946:CTCF protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins