Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review
  • Published:

Chromatin silencing and activation by Polycomb and trithorax group proteins

Oncogene volume 20, pages 3055–3066 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

The Polycomb group (PcG) of repressors and the trithorax group (trxG) of activators maintain the correct expression of several key developmental regulators, including the homeotic genes. PcG and trxG proteins function in distinct multiprotein complexes that are believed to control transcription by changing the structure of chromatin, organizing it into either a ‘closed’ or an ‘open’ conformation. The hallmark of gene regulation by PcG/trxG proteins is that it can lead to a mitotically stable pattern of gene expression, often referred to as epigenetic regulation. Although much remains to be learned, recent studies have provided insights into how this epigenetic switch is set, how PcG/trxG proteins might be linked to cis-acting DNA elements and what potential mechanisms underlie stable inheritance of gene expression status over multiple cell divisions. Finally, the study of the evolutionarily conserved PcG/trxG factors has recently gained additional urgency with the realization that they play a pertinent role in certain human cancers.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alkema MJ, Bronk M, Verhoeven E, Otte A, van't Veer LJ, Berns A, van Lohuizen M . 1997 Genes Dev. 11: 226–240

  • Armstrong JA, Emerson BM . 1998 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 8: 165–172

  • Benyajati C, Mueller L, Xu N, Pappano M, Gao J, Mosammaparast M, Conklin D, Granok H, Craig C, Elgin S . 1997 Nucleic Acids Res. 25: 3345–3353

  • Bhat KM, Farkas G, Karch F, Gyurkovics H, Gausz J, Schedl P . 1996 Development 122: 1113–1124

  • Biggin MD, Bickel S, Benson M, Pirrotta V, Tjian R . 1988 Cell 53: 713–722

  • Biggin MD, Tjian R . 1988 Cell 53: 699–711

  • Bochar DA, Wang L, Beniya H, Kinev A, Xue Y, Lane WS, Wang W, Kashanchi F, Shiekhattar R . 2000 Cell 102: 257–265

  • Breen TR . 1999 Genetics 152: 319–344

  • Breen TR, Harte PJ . 1993 Development 117: 119–134

  • Breiling A, Bone E, Ferrari S, Becker PB, Paro R . 1999 Mol. Cell Biol. 19: 8451–8460

  • Brizuela BJ, Elfring L, Ballard J, Tamkun JW, Kennison JA . 1994 Genetics 137: 803–813

  • Brizuela BJ, Kennison JA . 1997 Mech. Dev. 65: 209–220

  • Brown CE, Lechner T, Howe L, Workman JL . 2000 Trends Biochem. Sci. 25: 15–19

  • Brown JL, Mucci D, Whiteley M, Dirksen ML, Kassis JA . 1998 Mol. Cell 1: 1057–1064

  • Bunker CA, Kingston RE . 1994 Mol. Cell Biol. 14: 1721–1732

  • Busturia A, Bienz M . 1993 EMBO J. 12: 1415–1425

  • Busturia A, Wightman CD, Sakonju S . 1997 Development 124: 4343–4350

  • Cavalli G, Paro R . 1998a Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 10: 354–360

  • Cavalli G, Paro R . 1998b Cell 93: 505–518

  • Cavalli G, Paro R . 1999 Science 286: 955–958

  • Chan CS, Rastelli L, Pirrotta V . 1994 EMBO J. 13: 2553–2564

  • Chang YL, King BO, O'Connor M, Mazo A, Huang DH . 1995 Mol. Cell Biol. 15: 6601–6612

  • Chen JD, Pirrotta V . 1993 EMBO J. 12: 2075–2083

  • Cheng SW, Davies KP, Yung E, Beltran RJ, Yu J, Kalpana GV . 1999 Nat. Genet. 22: 102–105

  • Cheung P, Allis CD, Sassone-Corsi P . 2000 Cell 103: 263–271

  • Chiang A, O'Connor MB, Paro R, Simon J, Bender W . 1995 Development 121: 1681–1689

  • Chinwalla V, Jane EP, Harte PJ . 1995 EMBO J. 14: 2056–2065

  • Collins RT, Furukawa T, Tanese N, Treisman JE . 1999 EMBO J. 18: 7029–7040

  • Cosma MP, Tanaka T, Nasmyth K . 1999 Cell 97: 299–311

  • Crosby MA, Miller C, Alon T, Watson KL, Verrijzer CP, Goldman-Levi R, Zak NB . 1999 Mol. Cell Biol. 19: 1159–1170

  • Croston GE, Kerrigan LA, Lira LM, Marshak DR, Kadonaga JT . 1991 Science 251: 643–649

  • DeCamillis M, Cheng NS, Pierre D, Brock HW . 1992 Genes Dev. 6: 223–232

  • Deuring R, Fanti L, Armstrong JA, Sarte M, Papoulas O, Prestel M, Daubresse G, Verardo M, Moseley SL, Berloco M, Tsukiyama T, Wu C, Pimpinelli S, Tamkun JW . 2000 Mol. Cell 5: 355–365

  • Dunaief JL, Strober BE, Guha S, Khavari PA, Alin K, Luban J, Begemann M, Crabtree GR, Goff SP . 1994 Cell 79: 119–130

  • Elgin SC . 1996 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 6: 193–202

  • Espinas ML, Canudas S, Fanti L, Pimpinelli S, Casanova J, Azorin F . 2000 EMBO J. 1: 253–259

  • Espinas ML, Jimenez-Garcia E, Vaquero A, Canudas S, Bernues J, Azorin F . 1999 J. Biol. Chem. 274: 16461–16469

  • Farkas G, Gausz J, Galloni M, Reuter G, Gyurkovics H, Karch F . 1994 Nature 371: 806–808

  • Fauvarque MO, Dura JM . 1993 Genes Dev. 7: 1508–1520

  • Franke A, DeCamillis M, Zink D, Cheng N, Brock HW, Paro R . 1992 EMBO J. 11: 2941–2950

  • Fritsch C, Brown JL, Kassis JA, Muller J . 1999 Development 126: 3905–3913

  • Gerasimova TI, Corces VG . 1998 Cell 92: 511–521

  • Gilmour DS, Thomas GH, Elgin SC . 1989 Science 245: 1487–1490

  • Gindhart JG, Kaufman TC . 1995 Genetics 139: 797–814

  • Gould A . 1997 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 7: 488–494

  • Granok H, Leibovitch BA, Shaffer CD, Elgin SC . 1995 Curr. Biol. 5: 238–241

  • Grunstein M . 1997 Nature 389: 349–352

  • Grunstein M . 1998 Cell 93: 325–328

  • Hagstrom K, Muller M, Schedl P . 1997 Genetics 146: 1365–1380

  • Haupt Y, Alexander WS, Barri G, Klinken SP, Adams JM . 1991 Cell 65: 753–763

  • Hecht A, Strahl-Bolsinger S, Grunstein M . 1996 Nature 383: 92–96

  • Horard B, Tatout C, Poux S, Pirrotta V . 2000 Mol. Cell Biol. 20: 3187–3197

  • Ingham PW . 1983 Nature 306: 591–593

  • Ingham PW, Whittle R . 1980 Mol. Gen. Genet. 179: 607–614

  • Jacobs JJ, Kieboom K, Marino S, DePinho RA, van Lohuizen M . 1999 Nature 397: 164–168

  • Jacobson RH, Ladurner AG, King DS, Tjian R . 2000 Science 288: 1422–1425

  • Jacobson S, Pillus L . 1999 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 9: 175–184

  • Jenuwein T, Laible G, Dorn R, Reuter G . 1998 Cell Mol. Life Sci. 54: 80–93

  • Jones CA, Ng J, Peterson AJ, Morgan K, Simon J, Jones RS . 1998 Mol. Cell Biol. 18: 2825–2834

  • Judd BH . 1995 Genetics 141: 245–253

  • Jurgens G . 1985 Nature 316: 153–155

  • Kadonaga JT . 1998 Cell 92: 307–313

  • Kal AJ, Mahmoudi T, Zak NB, Verrijzer CP . 2000 Genes Dev. 14: 1058–1071

  • Karpen GH . 1994 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 4: 281–291

  • Kassis JA . 1994 Genetics 136: 1025–1038

  • Katsani KR, Hajibagheri MA, Verrijzer CP . 1999 EMBO J. 18: 698–708

  • Kehle J, Beuchle D, Treuheit S, Christen B, Kennison JA, Bienz M, Muller J . 1998 Science 282: 1897–1900

  • Kennison JA . 1995 Annu. Rev. Genet. 29: 289–303

  • Kennison JA, Tamkum JW . 1988 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85: 8136–8140

  • Kingston RE, Narlikar GJ . 1999 Genes Dev. 13: 2339–2352

  • Klochendler-Yeivin A, Fiette L, Barra J, Muchardt C, Babinet C, Yaniv M . 2000 EMBO J. 1: 500–506

  • Kornberg RD, Lorch Y . 1999 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 9: 148–151

  • Kuzin B, Tillib S, Sedkov Y, Mizrokhi L, Mazo A . 1994 Genes Dev. 8: 2478–2490

  • Kyba M, Brock HW . 1998 Mol. Cell Biol. 18: 2712–2720

  • Laney JD, Biggin MD . 1992 Genes Dev. 6: 1531–1541

  • Lemon B, Tjian R . 2000 Genes Dev. 14: 2551–2569

  • Lonie A, D'Andrea R, Paro R, Saint R . 1994 Development 120: 2629–2636

  • Lyko F, Paro R . 1999 Bioessays 21: 824–832

  • McCall K, Bender W . 1996 EMBO J. 15: 569–580

  • McGinnis W, Krumlauf R . 1992 Cell 68: 283–302

  • Mihaly J, Mishra RK, Karch F . 1998 Mol. Cell 1: 1065–1066

  • Muller J . 1995 EMBO J. 14: 1209–1220

  • Muller J, Bienz M . 1991 EMBO J. 10: 3147–3155

  • Ohtsuki S, Levine M . 1998 Genes Dev. 12: 3325–3330

  • Orlando V, Jane EP, Chinwalla V, Harte PJ, Paro R . 1998 EMBO J. 17: 5141–5150

  • Orlando V, Paro R . 1993 Cell 75: 1187–1198

  • Papoulas O, Beek SJ, Moseley SL, McCallum CM, Sarte M, Shearn A, Tamkun JW . 1998 Development 125: 3955–3966

  • Paro R . 2000 Nature 406: 579–580

  • Pelegri F, Lehmann R . 1994 Genetics 136: 1341–1353

  • Peterson CL, Workman JL . 2000 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 10: 187–192

  • Phillips MD, Shearn A . 1990 Genetics 125: 91–101

  • Pillus L, Grunstein M . 1995 Chromatin Structure and Gene Expression Elgin S (ed) Oxford University Press pp. 123–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirrotta V . 1998 Cell 93: 333–336

  • Pirrotta V . 1999 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1424: M1–M8

  • Pirrotta V, Bickel S, Mariani C . 1988 Genes Dev. 2: 1839–1850

  • Pirrotta V, Rastelli L . 1994 Bioessays 16: 549–556

  • Platero JS, Csink AK, Quintanilla A, Henikoff S . 1998 J. Cell Biol. 140: 1297–1306

  • Poux S, Kostic C, Pirrotta V . 1996 EMBO J. 15: 4713–4722

  • Rastelli L, Chan CS, Pirrotta V . 1993 EMBO J. 12: 1513–1522

  • Rea S, Eisenhaber F, O'Carroll D, Strahl BD, Sun ZW, Schmid M, Opravil S, Mechtler K, Ponting CP, Allis CD, Jenuwein T . 2000 Nature 406: 593–599

  • Roberts CW, Galusha SA, McMenamin ME, Fletcher CD, Orkin SH . 2000 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 13796–13800

  • Rosen C, Dorsett D, Jack J . 1998 Genetics 148: 1865–1874

  • Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Rozovskaia T, Burakov D, Sedkov Y, Tillib S, Blechman J, Nakamura T, Croce CM, Mazo A, Canaani E . 1998 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 4152–4157

  • Satijn DP, Otte AP . 1999 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1447: 1–16

  • Schlossherr J, Eggert H, Paro R, Cremer S, Jack RS . 1994 Mol. Gen. Genet. 243: 453–462

  • Schumacher A, Magnuson T . 1997 Trends Genet. 13: 167–170

  • Sedkov Y, Tillib S, Mizrokhi L, Mazo A . 1994 Development 120: 1907–1917

  • Sevenet N, Sheridan E, Amram D, Schneider P, Handgretinger R, Delattre O . 1999 Am. J. Hum. Genet. 65: 1342–1348

  • Sewalt RG, Van DV, Gunster MJ, Hamer KM, den Blaauwen JL, Satijn DP, Hendrix T, van Driel R, Otte AP . 1998 Mol. Cell. Biol. 18: 3586–3595

  • Shao Z, Raible F, Mollaaghababa R, Guyon JR, Wu CT, Bender W, Kingston RE . 1999 Cell 98: 37–46

  • Sharp EJ, Abramova NA, Park WJ, Adler PN . 1997 Chromosoma 106: 70–80

  • Simon J, Chiang A, Bender W, Shimell MJ, O'Connor M . 1993 Dev. Biol. 158: 131–144

  • Soeller WC, Poole SJ, Kornberg T . 1988 Genes Dev. 2: 68–81

  • St Johnston D, Nusslein-Volhard C . 1992 Cell 68: 201–219

  • Stassen MJ, Bailey D, Nelson S, Chinwalla V, Harte PJ . 1995 Mech. Dev. 52: 209–223

  • Strahl BD, Allis CD . 2000 Nature 403: 41–45

  • Strobeck MW, Knudsen KE, Fribourg AF, DeCristofaro MF, Weissman BE, Imbalzano AN, Knudsen ES . 2000 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 7748–7753

  • Struhl G, Akam M . 1985 EMBO J. 4: 3259–3264

  • Strutt H, Cavalli G, Paro R . 1997 EMBO J. 16: 3621–3632

  • Strutt H, Paro R . 1997 Mol. Cell Biol. 17: 6773–6783

  • Tamkun JW, Deuring R, Scott MP, Kissinger M, Pattatucci AM, Kaufman TC, Kennison JA . 1992 Cell 68: 561–572

  • Tie F, Furuyama T, Harte PJ . 1998 Development 125: 3483–3496

  • Tillib S, Petruk S, Sedkov Y, Kuzin A, Fujioka M, Goto T, Mazo A . 1999 Mol. Cell Biol. 19: 5189–5202

  • Trouche D, Le Chalony C, Muchardt C, Yaniv M, Kouzarides T . 1997 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 11268–11273

  • Tsukiyama T, Becker PB, Wu C . 1994 Nature 367: 525–532

  • Tsukiyama T, Daniel C, Tamkun J, Wu C . 1995 Cell 83: 1021–1026

  • van Lohuizen M, Tijms M, Voncken JW, Schumacher A, Magnuson T, Wientjens E . 1998 Mol. Cell Biol. 18: 3572–3579

  • van Lohuizen M, Verbeek S, Scheijen B, Wientjens E, van der GH, Berns A . 1991 Cell 65: 737–752

  • van der Vlag J, Otte AP . 1999 Nat. Genet. 23: 474–478

  • Varga-Weisz PD, Becker PB . 1998 Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 10: 346–353

  • Vazquez M, Moore L, Kennison JA . 1999 Development 126: 733–742

  • Versteege I, Sevenet N, Lange J, Rousseau-Merck MF, Ambros P, Handgretinger R, Aurias A, Delattre O . 1998 Nature 394: 203–206

  • Wade PA, Wolffe AP . 1999 Curr. Biol. 9: R221–R224

  • Wakimoto BT . 1998 Cell 93: 321–324

  • Wallrath LL . 1998 Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 8: 147–153

  • Wallrath LL, Elgin SC . 1995 Genes Dev. 9: 1263–1277

  • Wang W, Xue Y, Zhou S, Kuo A, Cairns BR, Crabtree GR . 1996 Genes Dev. 10: 2117–2130

  • Waring PM, Cleary ML . 1997 Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 220: 1–23

  • Weiler KS, Wakimoto BT . 1995 Annu. Rev. Genet. 29: 577–605

  • Wilkins RC, Lis JT . 1997 Nucleic Acids Res. 25: 3963–3968

  • Wolffe AP, Matzke MA . 1999 Science 286: 481–486

  • Workman JL, Kingston RE . 1998 Annu. Rev. Biochem. 67: 545–579

  • Yu BD, Hanson RD, Hess JL, Horning SE, Korsmeyer SJ . 1998 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 10632–10636

  • Yu BD, Hess JL, Horning SE, Brown GA, Korsmeyer SJ . 1995 Nature 378: 505–508

  • Zhang HS, Gavin M, Dahiya A, Postigo AA, Ma D, Luo RX, Harbour JW, Dean DC . 2000 Cell 101: 79–89

  • Zink B, Engstrom Y, Gehring WJ, Paro R . 1991 EMBO J. 10: 153–162

  • Zink B, Paro R . 1989 Nature 337: 468–471

  • Zink D, Paro R . 1995 EMBO J. 14: 5660–5671

Download references

Acknowledgements

We apologize to authors whose work was not cited because of space limitations. We thank Josephine Dorsman, AG Jochemsen, Eric Kalkhoven, Robert Vries and members of our lab for critical reading of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Cell Biology, MGC Centre for Biomedical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9503, RA Leiden, 2300, The Netherlands

    Tokameh Mahmoudi & C Peter Verrijzer

Authors
  1. Tokameh Mahmoudi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C Peter Verrijzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mahmoudi, T., Verrijzer, C. Chromatin silencing and activation by Polycomb and trithorax group proteins. Oncogene 20, 3055–3066 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1204330

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1204330

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links