Pygo2 expands mammary progenitor cells by facilitating histone H3 K4 methylation

J Cell Biol. 2009 Jun 1;185(5):811-26. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200810133.

Abstract

Recent studies have unequivocally identified multipotent stem/progenitor cells in mammary glands, offering a tractable model system to unravel genetic and epigenetic regulation of epithelial stem/progenitor cell development and homeostasis. In this study, we show that Pygo2, a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of plant homeo domain-containing proteins, is expressed in embryonic and postnatal mammary progenitor cells. Pygo2 deficiency, which is achieved by complete or epithelia-specific gene ablation in mice, results in defective mammary morphogenesis and regeneration accompanied by severely compromised expansive self-renewal of epithelial progenitor cells. Pygo2 converges with Wnt/beta-catenin signaling on progenitor cell regulation and cell cycle gene expression, and loss of epithelial Pygo2 completely rescues beta-catenin-induced mammary outgrowth. We further describe a novel molecular function of Pygo2 that is required for mammary progenitor cell expansion, which is to facilitate K4 trimethylation of histone H3, both globally and at Wnt/beta-catenin target loci, via direct binding to K4-methyl histone H3 and recruiting histone H3 K4 methyltransferase complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Histone Methyltransferases
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Histones / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / physiology*
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / cytology
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / growth & development
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / metabolism
  • Methylation
  • Mice
  • Phenotype
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Wnt Proteins / genetics
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Histones
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • PYGO2 protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin
  • pygopus 2 protein, mouse
  • Histone Methyltransferases
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Lysine