Association of transcriptionally silent genes with Ikaros complexes at centromeric heterochromatin

作者:Brown KE; Guest SS; Smale ST; Hahm K; Merkenschlager M; Fisher AG
来源:Cell, 1997, 91(6): 845-854.
DOI:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80472-9

摘要

Ikaros proteins are required for normal T, B, and NK cell development and are postulated to activate lymphocyte-specific gene expression. Here we examined Ikaros distribution in the nucleus of B lymphocytes using confocal microscopy and a novel immunofluorescence in situ hybridization (immune-FISH) approach. Unexpectedly, Ikaros localized to discrete heterochromatin-containing foci in interphase nuclei, which comprise clusters of centromeric DNA as defined by gamma-satellite sequences and the abundance of heterochromatin protein-1 (HP-1). Using locus-specific probes for CD2, CD4, CD8 alpha, CD19, CD45, and lambda 5 genes, we show that transcriptionally inactive but not transcriptionally active genes associate with Ikaros-heterochromatin foci. These findings support a model of organization of the nucleus in which repressed genes are selectively recruited into centromeric domains.

  • 出版日期1997-12-12