title: MacroH2A in stem cells: a story beyond gene repression.
abstract: The importance of epigenetic mechanisms is most clearly illustrated during early development when a totipotent cell goes through multiple cell fate transitions to form the many different cell types and tissues that constitute the embryo and the adult. The exchange of a canonical H2A histone for the 'repressive' macroH2A variant is one of the most striking epigenetic chromatin alterations that can occur at the level of the nucleosome. Here, we discuss recent data on macroH2A in zebrafish and mouse embryos, in embryonic and adult stem cells and also in nuclear reprogramming. We highlight the role of macroH2A in the establishment and maintenance of differentiated states and we discuss its still poorly recognized function in transcriptional activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Predictive & Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Crta. Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Creppe
authors.forename: Melanija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Posavec
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Douet
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buschbeck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006657:Histones / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C120756:macroH2A histone