Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40312364›Full record

ArticleEpigenetics & chromatin2025

H3K27me3 and the PRC1-H2AK119ub pathway cooperatively maintain heterochromatin and transcriptional silencing after the loss of H3K9 methylation.

Kei Fukuda, Chikako Shimura, Yoichi Shinkai

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Article in Epigenetics & chromatin, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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5citing papers in PubMed
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3 · Its place in the literature

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5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Kei FukudaCellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, 351-0198, Japan. k.fukuda@yamanashi.ac.jp.
Chikako ShimuraCellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, 351-0198, Japan.
Yoichi ShinkaiCellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, 351-0198, Japan. yshinkai@riken.jp.

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 22K15044Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP18H05530Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP22H00413
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHeterochromatin is a fundamental component of eukaryotic chromosome architecture, crucial for genome stability and cell type-specific gene regulation. In mammalian nuclei, heterochromatin forms condensed B compartments, distinct from the transcriptionally active euchromatic A compartments. Histone H3 lysine 9 and lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K9me3 and H3K27me3) are two major epigenetic modifications that enrich constitutive and facultative heterochromatin, respectively. Previously, we found that the redistribution of H3K27me3 following the loss of H3K9 methylation contributes to heterochromatin maintenance, while the simultaneous loss of both H3K27me3 and H3K9 methylation induces heterochromatin decondensation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. However, the spatial positioning of B compartments largely persists, suggesting additional mechanisms are involved.

resultsIn this study, we investigated the role of H2AK119 monoubiquitylation (uH2A), a repressive chromatin mark deposited by Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1), in maintaining heterochromatin structure following the loss of H3K9 and H3K27 methylation. We observed that uH2A and H3K27me3 are independently enriched in B compartments after H3K9 methylation loss. Despite the absence of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, uH2A remained localized and contributed to heterochromatin retention. These results suggest that PRC1-mediated uH2A functions independently and cooperatively with H3K27me3 to maintain heterochromatin organization originally created by H3K9 methylation.

conclusionOur findings highlight a compensatory role for uH2A in preserving heterochromatin structure after the loss of other repressive chromatin modifications. The PRC1-uH2A pathway plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of B compartments and suggests that heterochromatin architecture is supported by a network of redundant epigenetic mechanisms in mammalian cells.

Indexed as

Gene SilencingHeterochromatinHistonesPolycomb Repressive Complex 1AnimalsFibroblastsLysineMethylationMiceUbiquitinationHeterochromatinHistonesLysinePolycomb Repressive Complex 1

Identifiers

PMID40312364
PMCPMC12046855

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.