Genomewide identification of target genes of histone methyltransferase dG9a during Drosophila embryogenesis.
Post-translational modification of the histone plays important roles in epigenetic regulation of various biological processes. Among the identified histone methyltransferases (HMTases), G9a is a histone H3 Lys 9 (H3K9)-specific example active in euchromatic regions. Drosophila G9a (dG9a) has been reported to feature H3K9 dimethylation activity in vivo. Here, we show that the time required for hatching of a homozygous dG9a null mutant and heteroallelic combination of dG9a null mutants is delayed, suggesting that dG9a is at least partially responsible for progression of embryogenesis. Immunocytochemical analyses of the wild-type and the dG9a null mutant flies indicated that dG9a localizes in cytoplasm up to nuclear division cycle 7 where it is likely responsible for di-methylation of nucleosome-free H3K9. From cycles 8-11, dG9a moves into the nucleus and is responsible for di-methylating H3K9 in nucleosomes. RNA-sequence analysis utilizing early wild-type and dG9a mutant embryos showed that dG9a down-regulates expression of genes responsible for embryogenesis. RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis further showed temporal and spatial expression patterns of these mRNAs did not significantly change in the dG9a mutant. These results indicate that dG9a controls transcription levels of some zygotic genes without changing temporal and spatial expression patterns of the transcripts of these genes.
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.|Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
Kouhei
K
Shimaji
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.|Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
Takahiro
T
Konishi
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.|Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
Shintaro
S
Tanaka
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.|Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
Hideki
H
Yoshida
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.|Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
Yasuko
Y
Kato
Department of Advanced Medical Initiatives, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Maidashi, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Yasuyuki
Y
Ohkawa
Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Maidashi, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Sato
Division of Bioinformatics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Maidashi, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Mikita
M
Suyama
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Kimura
Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.|Insect Biomedical Research Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
Masamitsu
M
Yamaguchi
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics; D000076983:Histone Methyltransferases; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D059467:Transcriptome
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006657:Histones; D000076983:Histone Methyltransferases; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase