Scmh1 has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity for geminin and histone H2A and regulates geminin stability directly or indirectly via transcriptional repression of Hoxa9 and Hoxb4

Mol Cell Biol. 2013 Feb;33(4):644-60. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00974-12. Epub 2012 Dec 3.

Abstract

Polycomb-group (PcG) complex 1 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase both for histone H2A to silence transcription and for geminin to regulate its stability. Scmh1 is a substoichiometric component of PcG complex 1 that provides the complex with an interaction domain for geminin. Scmh1 is unstable and regulated through the ubiquitin-proteasome system, but its molecular roles are unknown, so we generated Scmh1-deficient mice to elucidate its function. Loss of Scmh1 caused derepression of Hoxb4 and Hoxa9, direct targets of PcG complex 1-mediated transcriptional silencing in hematopoietic cells. Double knockdown of Hoxb4 and Hoxa9 or transduction of a dominant-negative Hoxb4N→A mutant caused geminin accumulation. Age-related transcriptional downregulation of derepressed Hoxa9 also leads to geminin accumulation. Transduction of Scmh1 lacking a geminin-binding domain restored derepressed expression of Hoxb4 and Hoxa9 but did not downregulate geminin like full-length Scmh1. Each of Hoxb4 and Hoxa9 can form a complex with Roc1-Ddb1-Cul4a to act as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for geminin. We suggest that geminin dysregulation may be restored by derepressed Hoxb4 and Hoxa9 in Scmh1-deficient mice. These findings suggest that PcG and a subset of Hox genes compose a homeostatic regulatory system for determining expression level of geminin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Down-Regulation
  • Geminin
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Genes, Homeobox
  • Genetic Loci
  • Hematopoiesis
  • Histones / metabolism*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Phenotype
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins / chemistry
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins / genetics
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Geminin
  • Gmnn protein, mouse
  • Histones
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Hoxb4 protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • Scmh1 protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factors
  • Ubiquitin
  • homeobox protein HOXA9
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex