A Histone Methylation Network Regulates Transgenerational Epigenetic Memory in C. elegans

Eric L. Greer; Sara E. Beese-Sims; Emily Brookes; Ruggero Spadafora; Yun Zhu; Scott B. Rothbart; David Aristizábal-Corrales; Shuzhen Chen; Aimee I. Badeaux; Qiuye Jin; Wei Wang; Brian D. Strahl; Monica P. Colaiácovo; Yang Shi

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2014.02.044

Cell Reports (Apr 2014)

A Histone Methylation Network Regulates Transgenerational Epigenetic Memory in C. elegans

Eric L. Greer,
Sara E. Beese-Sims,
Emily Brookes,
Ruggero Spadafora,
Yun Zhu,
Scott B. Rothbart,
David Aristizábal-Corrales,
Shuzhen Chen,
Aimee I. Badeaux,
Qiuye Jin,
Wei Wang,
Brian D. Strahl,
Monica P. Colaiácovo,
Yang Shi

Affiliations

Eric L. Greer: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Sara E. Beese-Sims: Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Emily Brookes: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Ruggero Spadafora: Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Yun Zhu: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Scott B. Rothbart: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
David Aristizábal-Corrales: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Shuzhen Chen: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Aimee I. Badeaux: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Qiuye Jin: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Wei Wang: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Brian D. Strahl: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Monica P. Colaiácovo: Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Yang Shi: Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2014.02.044
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 113 – 126

Abstract

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How epigenetic information is transmitted from generation to generation remains largely unknown. Deletion of the C. elegans histone H3 lysine 4 dimethyl (H3K4me2) demethylase spr-5 leads to inherited accumulation of the euchromatic H3K4me2 mark and progressive decline in fertility. Here, we identified multiple chromatin-modifying factors, including H3K4me1/me2 and H3K9me3 methyltransferases, an H3K9me3 demethylase, and an H3K9me reader, which either suppress or accelerate the progressive transgenerational phenotypes of spr-5 mutant worms. Our findings uncover a network of chromatin regulators that control the transgenerational flow of epigenetic information and suggest that the balance between euchromatic H3K4 and heterochromatic H3K9 methylation regulates transgenerational effects on fertility.

Published in Cell Reports

ISSN: 2211-1247 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home

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