title: PRC1 and PRC2 are not required for targeting of H2A.Z to developmental genes in embryonic stem cells.
abstract: The essential histone variant H2A.Z localises to both active and silent chromatin sites. In embryonic stem cells (ESCs), H2A.Z is also reported to co-localise with polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) at developmentally silenced genes. The mechanism of H2A.Z targeting is not clear, but a role for the PRC2 component Suz12 has been suggested. Given this association, we wished to determine if polycomb functionally directs H2A.Z incorporation in ESCs. We demonstrate that the PRC1 component Ring1B interacts with multiple complexes in ESCs. Moreover, we show that although the genomic distribution of H2A.Z co-localises with PRC2, Ring1B and with the presence of CpG islands, H2A.Z still blankets polycomb target loci in the absence of Suz12, Eed (PRC2) or Ring1B (PRC1). Therefore we conclude that H2A.Z accumulates at developmentally silenced genes in ESCs in a polycomb independent manner.
authors.affiliation: MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Illingworth
authors.forename: Catherine H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Botting
authors.forename: Graeme R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Grimes
authors.forename: Wendy A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bickmore
authors.forename: Ragnhild
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eskeland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D018899:CpG Islands; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D050437:Genes, Developmental; D056426:Genetic Loci; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; C107275:Eed protein, mouse; D006657:Histones; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; C489842:Rnf2 protein, mouse; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases