同源重組是發生在雌雄配子減數分裂過程中的重要事件,在這一過程中,來自父本和母本的同源染色體之間發生遺傳物質的交換,並穩定遺傳給下一代。近期研究認為,哺乳動物細胞的同源重組與一種叫做PRDM9(PR domain containing 9)的組蛋白H3甲基轉移酶的活性有關。研究人員認為PRDM9能夠通過其高度重複的鋅指結構域結合特定DNA序列,從而使結合該蛋白多的區域成為同源重組熱點區域。本文中,研究者發現敲除了PRDM9基因的小鼠仍然可以發生同源重組。
研究者對缺失了PRDM9基因的小鼠、有不同prdm9等位基因的2個小鼠品系,以及它們雜交的子代進行了比較,發現PRDM9確實是決定除了假常染色體以為基因組所有區域重組熱點的關鍵基因。令人驚訝的是,PRDM9敲除的小鼠不但能夠進行同源重組,而且與野生型小鼠相同,在這些重組的熱點區域也能夠檢測到組蛋白H3K4甲基化的標誌。但是,在缺失了PRDM9基因的小鼠細胞中,同源重組大多發生在啟動子區,以及一些不依賴PRDM9的H3K4甲基化區域。而這些區域在野生型小鼠的細胞中很少發生同源重組。這一結果可能說明,PRDM9在同源重組中起到區分基因組中不同功能元件的作用。(生物谷 Bioon.com )
Genetic recombination is directed away from functional genomic elements in mice
Kevin Brick, Fatima Smagulova, Pavel Khil, R. Daniel Camerini-Otero & Galina V. Petukhova
Genetic recombination occurs during meiosis, the key developmental programme of gametogenesis. Recombination in mammals has been recently linked to the activity of a histone H3 methyltransferase, PR domain containing 9 (PRDM9)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, the product of the only known speciation-associated gene in mammals7. PRDM9 is thought to determine the preferred recombination sites—recombination hotspots—through sequence-specific binding of its highly polymorphic multi-Zn-finger domain8. Nevertheless, Prdm9 knockout mice are proficient at initiating recombination9. Here we map and analyse the genome-wide distribution of recombination initiation sites in Prdm9 knockout mice and in two mouse strains with different Prdm9 alleles and their F1 hybrid. We show that PRDM9 determines the positions of practically all hotspots in the mouse genome, with the exception of the pseudo-autosomal region (PAR)—the only area of the genome that undergoes recombination in 100% of cells10. Surprisingly, hotspots are still observed in Prdm9 knockout mice, and as in wild type, these hotspots are found at H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) trimethylation marks. However, in the absence of PRDM9, most recombination is initiated at promoters and at other sites of PRDM9-independent H3K4 trimethylation. Such sites are rarely targeted in wild-type mice, indicating an unexpected role of the PRDM9 protein in sequestering the recombination machinery away from gene-promoter regions and other functional genomic elements.