Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan; Centre for Translational Medicine,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Takaho A Endo
Laboratory for Integrative Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
Jun Shinga
Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
Katsuhiko Hayashi
Department of Developmental Stem Cell Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Anca Farcas
Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
Kit-Wan Ma
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
Shinsuke Ito
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
Jafar Sharif
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
Tamie Endoh
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Centre for Translational Medicine,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Naoko Onaga
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
Manabu Nakayama
Chromosome Engineering Team, Department of Technology Development, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu, Japan
Tomoyuki Ishikura
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
Osamu Masui
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
Benedikt M Kessler
Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Toshio Suda
Centre for Translational Medicine,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
Osamu Ohara
Laboratory for Integrative Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Chromosome Engineering Team, Department of Technology Development, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu, Japan
Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
The ring finger protein PCGF6 (polycomb group ring finger 6) interacts with RING1A/B and E2F6 associated factors to form a non-canonical PRC1 (polycomb repressive complex 1) known as PCGF6-PRC1. Here, we demonstrate that PCGF6-PRC1 plays a role in repressing a subset of PRC1 target genes by recruiting RING1B and mediating downstream mono-ubiquitination of histone H2A. PCGF6-PRC1 bound loci are highly enriched for promoters of germ cell-related genes in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Conditional ablation of Pcgf6 in ESCs leads to robust de-repression of such germ cell-related genes, in turn affecting cell growth and viability. We also find a role for PCGF6 in pre- and peri-implantation mouse embryonic development. We further show that a heterodimer of the transcription factors MAX and MGA recruits PCGF6 to target loci. PCGF6 thus links sequence specific target recognition by the MAX/MGA complex to PRC1-dependent transcriptional silencing of germ cell-specific genes in pluripotent stem cells.
