Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.

Polycomb group proteins mediate transcriptional silencing in diverse developmental processes. Sex chromosomes undergo chromosome-wide transcription silencing during male meiosis. Here we report that mouse SCML2 (Sex comb on midleg-like 2), an X chromosome-encoded polycomb protein, is specifically ex...

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Main Authors: Mengcheng Luo, Jian Zhou, N Adrian Leu, Carla M Abreu, Jianle Wang, Montserrat C Anguera, Dirk G de Rooij, Maria Jasin, P Jeremy Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1004954&type=printable
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author Mengcheng Luo
Jian Zhou
N Adrian Leu
Carla M Abreu
Jianle Wang
Montserrat C Anguera
Dirk G de Rooij
Maria Jasin
P Jeremy Wang
author_facet Mengcheng Luo
Jian Zhou
N Adrian Leu
Carla M Abreu
Jianle Wang
Montserrat C Anguera
Dirk G de Rooij
Maria Jasin
P Jeremy Wang
author_sort Mengcheng Luo
collection DOAJ
description Polycomb group proteins mediate transcriptional silencing in diverse developmental processes. Sex chromosomes undergo chromosome-wide transcription silencing during male meiosis. Here we report that mouse SCML2 (Sex comb on midleg-like 2), an X chromosome-encoded polycomb protein, is specifically expressed in germ cells, including spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids. SCML2 associates with phosphorylated H2AX and localizes to the XY body in spermatocytes. Loss of SCML2 in mice causes defective spermatogenesis, resulting in sharply reduced sperm production. SCML2 interacts with and recruits a deubiquitinase, USP7, to the XY body in spermatocytes. In the absence of SCML2, USP7 fails to accumulate on the XY body, whereas H2A monoubiquitination is dramatically augmented in the XY chromatin. Our results demonstrate that the SCML2/USP7 complex constitutes a novel molecular pathway in modulating the epigenetic state of sex chromosomes during male meiosis.
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institution OA Journals
issn 1553-7390
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language English
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Genetics
spelling doaj-art-621c5b5e66ee41edb4a88fdf68d700cc2025-08-20T02:15:13ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042015-01-01111e100495410.1371/journal.pgen.1004954Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.Mengcheng LuoJian ZhouN Adrian LeuCarla M AbreuJianle WangMontserrat C AngueraDirk G de RooijMaria JasinP Jeremy WangPolycomb group proteins mediate transcriptional silencing in diverse developmental processes. Sex chromosomes undergo chromosome-wide transcription silencing during male meiosis. Here we report that mouse SCML2 (Sex comb on midleg-like 2), an X chromosome-encoded polycomb protein, is specifically expressed in germ cells, including spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids. SCML2 associates with phosphorylated H2AX and localizes to the XY body in spermatocytes. Loss of SCML2 in mice causes defective spermatogenesis, resulting in sharply reduced sperm production. SCML2 interacts with and recruits a deubiquitinase, USP7, to the XY body in spermatocytes. In the absence of SCML2, USP7 fails to accumulate on the XY body, whereas H2A monoubiquitination is dramatically augmented in the XY chromatin. Our results demonstrate that the SCML2/USP7 complex constitutes a novel molecular pathway in modulating the epigenetic state of sex chromosomes during male meiosis.https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1004954&type=printable
spellingShingle Mengcheng Luo
Jian Zhou
N Adrian Leu
Carla M Abreu
Jianle Wang
Montserrat C Anguera
Dirk G de Rooij
Maria Jasin
P Jeremy Wang
Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.
PLoS Genetics
title Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.
title_full Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.
title_fullStr Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.
title_full_unstemmed Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.
title_short Polycomb protein SCML2 associates with USP7 and counteracts histone H2A ubiquitination in the XY chromatin during male meiosis.
title_sort polycomb protein scml2 associates with usp7 and counteracts histone h2a ubiquitination in the xy chromatin during male meiosis
url https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1004954&type=printable
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