Molecular basis of formation of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Genome biology; Molecular biology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: NAGAO Koji 北海道大学, 先端生命科学研究科(研究院), 講師 (60426575)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: エピジェネティクス / ヘテロクロマチン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) play a key role in silencing developmentally regulated genes to establish and maintain facultative heterochromatin. The core PRC2 complex comprises four components (EZH1/2, SUZ12, EED and RBBP4/7) and methylates histone H3 at Lys 27 through its enzymatic subunit EZH1/2. In addition, five regulatory components have been identified in mammalian PRC2. However, how mammalian PRC2 regulates various genomic sites and collaborates with other chromatin modulators remains unclear. To define the entire composition of PRC2 in human, we performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis of all PRC2 components using by semi-quantitative mass-spectrometry. We established the protein interaction network between PRC2 components and found that distinct PRC2 complexes are formed in human cells.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学