Variant PRC1 Complex-Dependent H2A Ubiquitylation Drives PRC2 Recruitment and Polycomb Domain Formation

Chromatin modifying activities inherent to polycomb repressive complexes PRC1 and PRC2 play an essential role in gene regulation, cellular differentiation, and development. However, the mechanisms by which these complexes recognize their target sites and function together to form repressive chromatin domains remain poorly understood. Recruitment of PRC1 to target sites has been proposed to occur through a hierarchical process, dependent on prior nucleation of PRC2 and placement of H3K27me3. Here, using a de novo targeting assay in mouse embryonic stem cells we unexpectedly discover that PRC1-dependent H2AK119ub1 leads to recruitment of PRC2 and H3K27me3 to effectively initiate a polycomb domain. This activity…

• EM
  European Molecular Biology Organization
• W
  Wellcome

  Awards: WT0834922, WT081385
• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Award: 098024/Z/11/Z
• CR
  Cancer Research UK
• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research
• LI
  Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
• MO
  Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
• R
  RIKEN
• CR
  Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology