Premium
E2f6 and Bmi1 cooperate in axial skeletal development
Author(s) -
Courel Maria,
Friesenhahn Laurie,
Lees Jacqueline A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21516
Subject(s) - biology , bmi1 , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell
Bmi1 is a Polycomb Group protein that functions as a component of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) to control axial skeleton development through Hox gene repression. Bmi1 also represses transcription of the Ink4a‐Arf locus and is consequently required to maintain the proliferative and self‐renewal properties of hematopoietic and neural stem cells. Previously, one E2F family member, E2F6, has been shown to interact with Bmi1 and other known PRC1 components. However, the biological relevance of this interaction is unknown. In this study, we use mouse models to investigate the interplay between E2F6 and Bmi1. This analysis shows that E2f6 and Bmi1 cooperate in the regulation of Hox genes, and consequently axial skeleton development, but not in the repression of the Ink4a‐Arf locus. These findings underscore the significance of the E2F6–Bmi1 interaction in vivo and suggest that the Hox and Ink4a‐Arf loci are regulated by somewhat different mechanisms. Developmental Dynamics 237:1232‐1242, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.