title: Flickin' the ubiquitin switch: the role of H2B ubiquitylation in development.
abstract: The reversible ubiquitylation of histone H2B has long been implicated in transcriptional activation and gene silencing. However, many questions regarding its regulation and effects on chromatin structure remain unanswered. In addition, while several studies have uncovered an involvement of this modification in the control of certain developmental processes, a more general understanding of its requirement is lacking. Herein, we present a broad overview of the pathways known to be regulated by H2B ubiquitylation, while drawing parallels between findings in disparate organisms, in order to facilitate continued delineation of its spatiotemporal role in development. Finally, we integrate the findings of recent studies into how H2B ubiquitylation affects chromatin, and cast an eye over emerging areas for future research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Duncan Edward
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Chen-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cheng-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D015398:Signal Transduction; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000502:physiology*; D054875:Ubiquitination
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D025801:Ubiquitin