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Differential expression of mRNAS for M31 and M32, murine homologues of Drosophila heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), during murine embryogenesis
Author(s) -
Miyado Kenji,
Sato Masahiro,
Kimura Minoru
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
iubmb life
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.132
H-Index - 113
eISSN - 1521-6551
pISSN - 1521-6543
DOI - 10.1080/15216549800202112
Subject(s) - biology , heterochromatin protein 1 , heterochromatin , chromatin , messenger rna , embryogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , northern blot , embryonic stem cell , gene , gene expression , embryo , genetics
Mice have two structural homologues of the Drosophila HP1 gene, termed M31 and M32, which have two structurally conserved domains, the chromo (C) and chromo shadow (CS) domains. In Drosophila, HP1 has been isolated as one of the components of conserved chromatin structure (heterochromatin) and is thought to bind DNA indirectly by mediating formation of a complex of nuclear proteins. However, little is known about the function of M31 and M32 in mammals. In order to assess the function of the M31 and M32 proteins, Northern blot analysis was performed in mice. M32 mRNA (with approximately 1,800 nucleotides (ntds)) was expressed strongly throughout embryonic stages examined and in TT2 embryonic stem (ES) cells, while expression of M31 mRNA (with approximately 2,300 and 1,100 ntds) was strong in embryos at embryonic day 8.5 (E8.5) and in TT2 cells, but was decreased at E12.5 and thereafter. In adults, expression of M32 mRNA was strongest in brain and brain stem among tissues examined, and was relatively weak in organs including kidney, stomach, intestine and testis. The two M31 transcripts were weakly but uniformly expressed throughout the organs examined in adults. These findings suggest that M31 and M32 may play different roles in murine embryogenesis, although they have the C and CS domains and are members of the same gene family.