Cells use special protein complex, like Polycomb Repressive Complex, to turn genes off. PRC2 does this by adding chemical marks to proteins around which DNA is wrapped. Polycomb can form two different complexes that behave differently, but how cells control these forms has been unclear. In our research, we studied how cells switch between these different PRC2 forms using a special mechanism called alternative splicing—a process cells use to make many types of proteins from the same gene. We discovered a new type of PRC2 created by this splicing, which surprisingly affects stem cells differentiation.
This helps us understand how cells precisely control their genes, which is crucial for development and health.
Luciano Di Croce
Coauthors: Manuel Irimia
Centre de Regulació Genòmica
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Reference/s:
– Arecco N, Mocavini I, Blanco E, Ballaré C, Libman E, Bonnal S,Irimia M & Di Croce L 2024, ‘Alternative splicing decouples local from global PRC2 activity‘, Molecular Cell, 84 – 6.
