1. Smchd1 is a maternal effect gene required for autosomal imprinting
- Author
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Jessica Stringer, Iromi Wanigasuriya, Sarah Kinkel, Andrew Keniry, Kelsey Breslin, Quentin Gouil, Marnie E. Blewitt, Matthew E. Ritchie, Ellise Ea Roper, Karla J. Hutt, Andrés Tapia del Fierro, Heather J. Lee, and Tamara Beck
- Subjects
Genetics ,0303 health sciences ,Maternal effect ,Biology ,Germline ,Chromatin ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Histone methylation ,Epigenetics ,Imprinting (psychology) ,Genomic imprinting ,Gene ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,030304 developmental biology - Abstract
Genomic imprinting establishes parental allele-biased expression of a suite of mammalian genes based on parent-of-origin specific epigenetic marks. These marks are under the control of maternal effect proteins supplied in the oocyte. Here we report the epigenetic repressor Smchd1 as a novel maternal effect gene that regulates imprinted expression of 16 genes. Most Smchd1-sensitive genes only show loss of imprinting post-implantation, indicating maternal Smchd1’s long-lived epigenetic effect. Sm-chd1-sensitive genes include both those controlled by germline polycomb marks and germline DNA methylation imprints; however, Smchd1 differs to other maternal effect genes that regulate the latter group, as Smchd1 does not affect germline DNA methylation imprints. Instead, Smchd1-sensitive genes are united by their reliance on polycomb-mediated histone methylation marks as germline or secondary imprints. We propose that Smchd1 translates these imprints to establish a heritable chromatin state required for imprinted expression later in development, revealing a new mechanism for maternal effect genes.
- Published
- 2020
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