title: EPOP Functionally Links Elongin and Polycomb in Pluripotent Stem Cells.
abstract: The cellular plasticity of pluripotent stem cells is thought to be sustained by genomic regions that display both active and repressive chromatin properties. These regions exhibit low levels of gene expression, yet the mechanisms controlling these levels remain unknown. Here, we describe Elongin BC as a binding factor at the promoters of bivalent sites. Biochemical and genome-wide analyses show that Elongin BC is associated with Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) in pluripotent stem cells. Elongin BC is recruited to chromatin by the PRC2-associated factor EPOP (Elongin BC and Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Associated Protein, also termed C17orf96, esPRC2p48, E130012A19Rik), a protein expressed in the inner cell mass of the mouse blastocyst. Both EPOP and Elongin BC are required to maintain low levels of expression at PRC2 genomic targets. Our results indicate that keeping the balance between activating and repressive cues is a more general feature of chromatin in pluripotent stem cells than previously appreciated.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Malte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beringer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chammas
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vizán
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Arantxa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aranda
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Payer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wierer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: luciano.dicroce@crg.eu.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Croce
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004257:DNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000075065:Elongin; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D000066450:Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D000075065:Elongin; C579430:Epop protein, mouse; D006657:Histones; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D004257:DNA Polymerase II
keywords: Elongin; Polycomb; chromatin; epigenetics; gene regulation; pre-implantation development; stem cells; transcription