The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it>
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CTCF is a versatile zinc finger DNA-binding protein that functions as a highly conserved epigenetic transcriptional regulator. CTCF is known to act as a chromosomal insulator, bind promoter regions, and facilitate long-range chromati...
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BMC
2010-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Biology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/105 |
| _version_ | 1819122230164979712 |
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| author | Rasheva Vanya Sperry G Elizabeth Bartlett Nicholas J Menon Debashish MacDonald William A Meller Victoria Lloyd Vett K |
| author_facet | Rasheva Vanya Sperry G Elizabeth Bartlett Nicholas J Menon Debashish MacDonald William A Meller Victoria Lloyd Vett K |
| author_sort | Rasheva Vanya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CTCF is a versatile zinc finger DNA-binding protein that functions as a highly conserved epigenetic transcriptional regulator. CTCF is known to act as a chromosomal insulator, bind promoter regions, and facilitate long-range chromatin interactions. In mammals, CTCF is active in the regulatory regions of some genes that exhibit genomic imprinting, acting as insulator on only one parental allele to facilitate parent-specific expression. In <it>Drosophila</it>, CTCF acts as a chromatin insulator and is thought to be actively involved in the global organization of the genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To determine whether CTCF regulates imprinting in <it>Drosophila</it>, we generated <it>CTCF </it>mutant alleles and assayed gene expression from the imprinted <it>Dp(1;f)LJ9 </it>mini-X chromosome in the presence of reduced <it>CTCF </it>expression. We observed disruption of the maternal imprint when <it>CTCF </it>levels were reduced, but no effect was observed on the paternal imprint. The effect was restricted to maintenance of the imprint and was specific for the <it>Dp(1;f)LJ9 </it>mini-X chromosome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>CTCF in <it>Drosophila </it>functions in maintaining parent-specific expression from an imprinted domain as it does in mammals. We propose that <it>Drosophila </it>CTCF maintains an insulator boundary on the maternal X chromosome, shielding genes from the imprint-induced silencing that occurs on the paternally inherited X chromosome.</p> <p>See commentary: <url>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/104</url></p> |
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| id | doaj.art-1069b5a834314024bef531dc089c3490 |
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| issn | 1741-7007 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T06:49:09Z |
| publishDate | 2010-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1069b5a834314024bef531dc089c34902022-12-21T18:35:11ZengBMCBMC Biology1741-70072010-07-018110510.1186/1741-7007-8-105The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it>Rasheva VanyaSperry G ElizabethBartlett Nicholas JMenon DebashishMacDonald William AMeller VictoriaLloyd Vett K<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CTCF is a versatile zinc finger DNA-binding protein that functions as a highly conserved epigenetic transcriptional regulator. CTCF is known to act as a chromosomal insulator, bind promoter regions, and facilitate long-range chromatin interactions. In mammals, CTCF is active in the regulatory regions of some genes that exhibit genomic imprinting, acting as insulator on only one parental allele to facilitate parent-specific expression. In <it>Drosophila</it>, CTCF acts as a chromatin insulator and is thought to be actively involved in the global organization of the genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To determine whether CTCF regulates imprinting in <it>Drosophila</it>, we generated <it>CTCF </it>mutant alleles and assayed gene expression from the imprinted <it>Dp(1;f)LJ9 </it>mini-X chromosome in the presence of reduced <it>CTCF </it>expression. We observed disruption of the maternal imprint when <it>CTCF </it>levels were reduced, but no effect was observed on the paternal imprint. The effect was restricted to maintenance of the imprint and was specific for the <it>Dp(1;f)LJ9 </it>mini-X chromosome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>CTCF in <it>Drosophila </it>functions in maintaining parent-specific expression from an imprinted domain as it does in mammals. We propose that <it>Drosophila </it>CTCF maintains an insulator boundary on the maternal X chromosome, shielding genes from the imprint-induced silencing that occurs on the paternally inherited X chromosome.</p> <p>See commentary: <url>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/104</url></p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/105 |
| spellingShingle | Rasheva Vanya Sperry G Elizabeth Bartlett Nicholas J Menon Debashish MacDonald William A Meller Victoria Lloyd Vett K The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it> BMC Biology |
| title | The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it> |
| title_full | The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it> |
| title_fullStr | The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it> |
| title_full_unstemmed | The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it> |
| title_short | The <it>Drosophila </it>homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator, CTCF, maintains the maternal genomic imprint in <it>Drosophila melanogaster</it> |
| title_sort | it drosophila it homolog of the mammalian imprint regulator ctcf maintains the maternal genomic imprint in it drosophila melanogaster it |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/105 |
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