title: Regulation of intestinal stem cell proliferation by human methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 in Drosophila.
abstract: Recent studies have suggested the involvement of epigenetic factors such as methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 (MeCP2) in tumorigenesis. In addition, cancer may represent a stem cell-based disease, suggesting that understanding of stem cell regulation could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of tumorigenesis. However, the function of epigenetic factors in stem cell regulation in adult tissues remains poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the role of human MeCP2 (hMeCP2), a bridge factor linked to DNA modification and histone modification, in stem cell proliferation using adult Drosophila midgut, which appears to be an excellent model system to study stem cell biology. Results show that enterocyte (EC)-specific expression of hMeCP2 in adult midgut using an exogenous GAL4/UAS expression system induced intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation marked by staining with anti-phospho-histone H3 antibody and BrdU incorporation assays. In addition, hMeCP2 expression in ECs activated extracellular stress-response kinase signals in ISCs. Furthermore, expression of hMeCP2 modulated the distribution of heterochromatin protein-1 in ECs. Our data suggests the hypothesis that the expression of hMeCP2 in differentiated ECs stimulates ISC proliferation, implying a role of MeCP2 as a stem cell regulator.
authors: Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors: Shin-Hae
authors: SH
authors: Lee
authors: In-Joo
authors: IJ
authors: Kim
authors: Joong-Gook
authors: JG
authors: Kim
authors: Joung-Sun
authors: JS
authors: Park
authors: Young-Shin
authors: YS
authors: Kim
authors: Masamitsu
authors: M
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Cheol-Min
authors: CM
authors: Kim
authors: Mi-Ae
authors: MA
authors: Yoo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology*; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006657:Histones; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine