Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
Subscribe

Logo for

Science 310 (5749): 869-872

Copyright © 2005 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Tissue-Specific TAFs Counteract Polycomb to Turn on Terminal Differentiation

Xin Chen, Mark Hiller,* Yasemin Sancak,{dagger} Margaret T. Fuller{ddagger}

Abstract: Polycomb transcriptional silencing machinery is implicated in the maintenance of precursor fates, but how this repression is reversed to allow cell differentiation is unknown. Here we show that testis-specific TAF (TBP-associated factor) homologs required for terminal differentiation of male germ cells may activate target gene expression in part by counteracting repression by Polycomb. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that testis TAFs bind to target promoters, reduce Polycomb binding, and promote local accumulation of H3K4me3, a mark of Trithorax action. Testis TAFs also promoted relocalization of Polycomb Repression Complex 1 components to the nucleolus in spermatocytes, implicating subnuclear architecture in the regulation of terminal differentiation.

Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305–5329, USA.

* Present address: Department of Biological Science, Goucher College, Baltimore, MD 21204, USA.

{dagger} Present address: Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 04159, USA.

{ddagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. Department of Developmental Biology, Beckman Center B300, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305–5329, USA. E-mail: fuller{at}cmgm.stanford.edu

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
MicroRNAs downregulate Bag of marbles to ensure proper terminal differentiation in the Drosophila male germline.
S. H. Eun, P. M. Stoiber, H. J. Wright, K. E. McMurdie, C. H. Choi, Q. Gan, C. Lim, and X. Chen (2013)
Development 140, 23-30
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) Disassembles RNA Polymerase II Preinitiation Complexes.
L. Lehmann, R. Ferrari, A. A. Vashisht, J. A. Wohlschlegel, S. K. Kurdistani, and M. Carey (2012)
J. Biol. Chem. 287, 35784-35794
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The bromodomain-containing protein tBRD-1 is specifically expressed in spermatocytes and is essential for male fertility.
K. Leser, S. Awe, B. Barckmann, R. Renkawitz-Pohl, and C. Rathke (2012)
Biology Open 1, 597-606
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
In vivo Polycomb kinetics and mitotic chromatin binding distinguish stem cells from differentiated cells.
J. P. Fonseca, P. A. Steffen, S. Muller, J. Lu, A. Sawicka, C. Seiser, and L. Ringrose (2012)
Genes & Dev. 26, 857-871
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Drosophila Polycomb complexes restrict neuroblast competence to generate motoneurons.
J. J. Touma, F. F. Weckerle, and M. D. Cleary (2012)
Development 139, 657-666
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The THO complex is required for nucleolar integrity in Drosophila spermatocytes.
S. Moon, B. Cho, S.-H. Min, D. Lee, and Y. D. Chung (2011)
Development 138, 3835-3845
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Drosophila Gene Disruption Project: Progress Using Transposons With Distinctive Site Specificities.
H. J. Bellen, R. W. Levis, Y. He, J. W. Carlson, M. Evans-Holm, E. Bae, J. Kim, A. Metaxakis, C. Savakis, K. L. Schulze, et al. (2011)
Genetics 188, 731-743
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Unique Aspects of Transcription Regulation in Male Germ Cells.
H. White-Cooper and I. Davidson (2011)
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 3, a002626
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Sequential changes at differentiation gene promoters as they become active in a stem cell lineage.
X. Chen, C. Lu, J. R. M. Prado, S. H. Eun, and M. T. Fuller (2011)
Development 138, 2441-2450
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Molecular mechanisms of gene regulation during Drosophila spermatogenesis.
H. White-Cooper (2010)
Reproduction 139, 11-21
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Recruitment of Polycomb group complexes and their role in the dynamic regulation of cell fate choice.
B. Schuettengruber and G. Cavalli (2009)
Development 136, 3531-3542
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
CBP-mediated acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 antagonizes Drosophila Polycomb silencing.
F. Tie, R. Banerjee, C. A. Stratton, J. Prasad-Sinha, V. Stepanik, A. Zlobin, M. O. Diaz, P. C. Scacheri, and P. J. Harte (2009)
Development 136, 3131-3141
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
TBP2 is essential for germ cell development by regulating transcription and chromatin condensation in the oocyte.
E. Gazdag, A. Santenard, C. Ziegler-Birling, G. Altobelli, O. Poch, L. Tora, and M.-E. Torres-Padilla (2009)
Genes & Dev. 23, 2210-2223
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Molecular Evolution of the Testis TAFs of Drosophila.
V. C. Li, J. C. Davis, K. Lenkov, B. Bolival, M. T. Fuller, and D. A. Petrov (2009)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 26, 1103-1116
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Regulation of Self-renewal and Differentiation in Adult Stem Cell Lineages: Lessons from the Drosophila Male Germ Line.
E.L. Davies and M.T. Fuller (2009)
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol
   Abstract »    PDF »
In search of nonribosomal nucleolar protein function and regulation.
T. Pederson and R. Y.L. Tsai (2009)
J. Cell Biol. 184, 771-776
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The B-type lamin is required for somatic repression of testis-specific gene clusters.
Y. Y. Shevelyov, S. A. Lavrov, L. M. Mikhaylova, I. D. Nurminsky, R. J. Kulathinal, K. S. Egorova, Y. M. Rozovsky, and D. I. Nurminsky (2009)
PNAS 106, 3282-3287
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The role of the polycomb complex in silencing {alpha}-globin gene expression in nonerythroid cells.
D. Garrick, M. De Gobbi, V. Samara, M. Rugless, M. Holland, H. Ayyub, K. Lower, J. Sloane-Stanley, N. Gray, C. Koch, et al. (2008)
Blood 112, 3889-3899
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Antagonistic roles for Ultrabithorax and Antennapedia in regulating segment-specific apoptosis of differentiated motoneurons in the Drosophila embryonic central nervous system.
A. Rogulja-Ortmann, S. Renner, and G. M. Technau (2008)
Development 135, 3435-3445
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Transcription strategies in terminally differentiated cells: shaken to the core.
K. A. Jones (2007)
Genes & Dev. 21, 2113-2117
   Full Text »    PDF »
Arabidopsis enhanced ethylene response 4 encodes an EIN3-interacting TFIID transcription factor required for proper ethylene response, including ERF1 induction.
L. M. Robles, J. S. Wampole, M. J. Christians, and P. B. Larsen (2007)
J. Exp. Bot. 58, 2627-2639
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Tombola, a tesmin/TSO1-family protein, regulates transcriptional activation in the Drosophila male germline and physically interacts with Always early.
J. Jiang, E. Benson, N. Bausek, K. Doggett, and H. White-Cooper (2007)
Development 134, 1549-1559
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Abnormal Sperm in Mice Lacking the Taf7l Gene.
Y. Cheng, M. G. Buffone, M. Kouadio, M. Goodheart, D. C. Page, G. L. Gerton, I. Davidson, and P. J. Wang (2007)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 27, 2582-2589
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
General transcription factor specified global gene regulation in archaea.
M. T. Facciotti, D. J. Reiss, M. Pan, A. Kaur, M. Vuthoori, R. Bonneau, P. Shannon, A. Srivastava, S. M. Donohoe, L. E. Hood, et al. (2007)
PNAS 104, 4630-4635
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Polycomb/Trithorax response elements and epigenetic memory of cell identity.
L. Ringrose and R. Paro (2007)
Development 134, 223-232
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Transcription saga tells developmental stories..
B. J. Graves and J. W. Tamkun (2006)
Development 133, 4393-4397
   Full Text »    PDF »
Two Isoforms of Drosophila TRF2 Are Involved in Embryonic Development, Premeiotic Chromatin Condensation, and Proper Differentiation of Germ Cells of Both Sexes.
D. V. Kopytova, A. N. Krasnov, M. R. Kopantceva, E. N. Nabirochkina, J. V. Nikolenko, O. Maksimenko, M. M. Kurshakova, L. A. Lebedeva, M. M. Yerokhin, O. B. Simonova, et al. (2006)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 26, 7492-7505
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Transcriptional regulation by Modulo integrates meiosis and spermatid differentiation in male germ line.
L. M. Mikhaylova, A. M. Boutanaev, and D. I. Nurminsky (2006)
PNAS 103, 11975-11980
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Genome-wide mapping of Polycomb target genes unravels their roles in cell fate transitions.
A. P. Bracken, N. Dietrich, D. Pasini, K. H. Hansen, and K. Helin (2006)
Genes & Dev. 20, 1123-1136
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882