DRM is a conserved transcription factor complex that includes E2F/DP and pRB family proteins and plays important roles in development and cancer. Here we describe new aspects of DRM binding and function revealed through genome-wide analyses of the Caenorhabditis elegans DRM subunit LIN-54. We show that LIN-54 DNA-binding activity recruits DRM to promoters enriched for adjacent putative E2F/DP and LIN-54 binding sites, suggesting that these two DNA-binding moieties together direct DRM to its target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and gene expression profiling reveals conserved roles for DRM in regulating genes involved in cell division, development, and reproduction. We find that LIN-54 promotes expression of reproduction genes in the germline, but prevents ectopic activation of germline-specific genes in embryonic soma. Strikingly, C. elegans DRM does not act uniformly throughout the genome: the DRM recruitment motif, DRM binding, and DRM-regulated embryonic genes are all under-represented on the X chromosome. However, germline genes down-regulated in lin-54 mutants are over-represented on the X chromosome. We discuss models for how loss of autosome-bound DRM may enhance germline X chromosome silencing. We propose that autosome-enriched binding of DRM arose in C. elegans as a consequence of germline X chromosome silencing and the evolutionary redistribution of germline-expressed and essential target genes to autosomes. Sex chromosome gene regulation may thus have profound evolutionary effects on genome organization and transcriptional regulatory networks.
Pubmed ID: 21589891 RIS Download
Publication data is provided by the National Library of Medicine ® and PubMed ®. Data is retrieved from PubMed ® on a weekly schedule. For terms and conditions see the National Library of Medicine Terms and Conditions.
Software environment and programming language for statistical computing and graphics. R is integrated suite of software facilities for data manipulation, calculation and graphical display. Can be extended via packages. Some packages are supplied with the R distribution and more are available through CRAN family.It compiles and runs on wide variety of UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS.
View all literature mentionsSoftware tool for automated microscope acquisition, device control, and image analysis. Used for integrating dissimilar fluorescent microscope hardware and peripherals into a single custom workstation, while providing all the tools needed to perform analysis of acquired images. Offers user friendly application modules for analysis such as cell signaling, cell counting, and protein expression.
View all literature mentionsSoftware application that provides researchers with the tools necessary for various types of statistical genetic analysis of human family data. (entry from Genetic Analysis Software)
View all literature mentionsSoftware package for the analysis of gene expression microarray data, especially the use of linear models for analyzing designed experiments and the assessment of differential expression.
View all literature mentionsSoftware R package of functions and classes for the analysis of oligonucleotide arrays manufactured by Affymetrix. Used to process probe level data and for exploratory oligonucleotide array analysis.
View all literature mentionsSoftware R package. Methods for Cluster analysis. Performs variety of types of cluster analysis and other types of processing on large microarray datasets.
View all literature mentionsSoftware application for discovering long shared segments of Identity by Descent (IBD) between pairs of individuals in a large population. It takes as input genotype or haplotype marker data for individuals (as well as an optional known pedigree) and generates a list of all pairwise segmental sharing.
View all literature mentionsCaenorhabditis elegans with name lin-54(n2231) IV. from WB.
View all literature mentions