Genes expression in case of PEV caused by chromosomal rearrangement

Heterochromatic position effect variegation (PEV) is the epigenetic disruption of genes expression near the new-formed eu-heterochromatic border. We characterized the inversion In(2)A4, demonstrating cis-acting PEV as well as trans-inactivation of the reporter transgenes on the opposite normal chromosome in combination with the inversion. Euchromatic breakpoint of In(2)A4 inversion was localized at 105 bp region (chr2L:21182214-21182318) of the second exon of the Mcm10 gene, the heterochromatic breakpoint is located at the block of dodecasatellite in 2L pericentromeric heterochromatin. In order to check the effects of heterochromatin on neighbor euchromatic genes and estimate the distance of inactivation spreading, we performed RNA-seq analysis of genes expression in larvae and adults females of genotypes A12/A12 (control) and In(2)A4/In(2)A4. Cis-influence of heterochromatin in the inversion causes not only repression, but also activation of genes, and the effects of heterochromatin are different at different developmental stages. Cis-actions affect only a few genes located near the heterochromatin Overall design: Comparison of genes expression in wild type and demonstrating PEV larvae and adults in two repeats each

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Shatskikh AS, Abramov YA, Lavrov SA