Open AccessDifferential Histone H3 Lys-9 and Lys-27 Methylation Profiles on the X Chromosome
Author(s) -
Claire Rougeulle,
Julie Chaumeil,
Kavitha Sarma,
C. David Allis,
Danny Reinberg,
Philip Avner,
Edith Heard
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.24.12.5475-5484.2004
Subject(s) - biology , histone h3 , x inactivation , xist , histone , methylation , histone methyltransferase , chromatin , histone methylation , microbiology and biotechnology , x chromosome , methyltransferase , ezh2 , dna methylation , genetics , gene , gene expression
Histone H3 tail modifications are among the earliest chromatin changes in the X-chromosome inactivation process. In this study we investigated the relative profiles of two important repressive marks on the X chromosome: methylation of H3 lysine 9 (K9) and 27 (K27). We found that both H3K9 dimethylation and K27 trimethylation characterize the inactive X in somatic cells and that their relative kinetics of enrichment on the X chromosome as it undergoes inactivation are similar. However, dynamic changes of H3K9 and H3K27 methylation on the inactivating X chromosome compared to the rest of the genome are distinct, suggesting that these two modifications play complementary and perhaps nonredundant roles in the establishment and/or maintenance of X inactivation. Furthermore, we show that a hotspot of H3K9 dimethylation 5' to Xist also displays high levels of H3 tri-meK27. However, analysis of this region in G9a mutant embryonic stem cells shows that these two methyl marks are dependent on different histone methyltransferases.