Cited by 688Genetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersEpigenetics and DNA MethylationGenomics and Chromatin Dynamics

Neuronal MeCP2 Is Expressed at Near Histone-Octamer Levels and Globally Alters the Chromatin State

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Skene, Peter J., Illingworth, Robert S., Webb, Shaun, Kerr, Alastair R.W., James, Keith D., Turner, Daniel J., Andrews, Rob, Bird, Adrian P.·2010·Molecular Cell

Abstract

MeCP2 is a nuclear protein with an affinity for methylated DNA that can recruit histone deacetylases. Deficiency or excess of MeCP2 causes severe neurological problems, suggesting that the number of molecules per cell must be precisely regulated. We quantified MeCP2 in neuronal nuclei and found that it is nearly as abundant as the histone octamer. Despite this high abundance, MeCP2 associates preferentially with methylated regions, and high-throughput sequencing showed that its genome-wide binding tracks methyl-CpG density. MeCP2 deficiency results in global changes in neuronal chromatin structure, including elevated histone acetylation and a doubling of histone H1. Neither change is detectable in glia, where MeCP2 occurs at lower levels. The mutant brain also shows elevated transcription of repetitive elements. Our data argue that MeCP2 may not act as a gene-specific transcriptional repressor in neurons, but might instead dampen transcriptional noise genome-wide in a DNA methylation-dependent manner.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.molcel.2010.01.030

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  • MeCP2 binds DNA at levels rivalling histone octamers.

    “Biochemistry studies have largely failed to find definitive gene regulatory targets, in part, because MeCP2 binds DNA at levels rivalling histone octamers [190].”
  • MECP2 may have a histone-like role in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression.

    “These findings suggest that MECP2 may have a histone-like role in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression79,80.”

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Authors
Skene, P. J., Illingworth, R. S., Webb, S., Kerr, A. R. W., James, K. D., Turner, D. J., Andrews, R., & Bird, A. P.
Affiliations
  • Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology (GB)
  • Wellcome Sanger Institute (GB)
Corresponding author
Bird, Adrian P.
Venue
Molecular Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-02
Volume
37
Issue
4
Pages
457-468
ISSN
1097-2765 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2001936578
Cited by
688
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 42 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 57 · 2013: 80 · 2012: 65
FWCI
40.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (079643, 077224)
  • European Commission
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
Keywords
MeCP2, DNA methylation, histone acetylation, histone H1, protein abundance, chromatin state, transcriptional noise, histone deacetylase, Rett syndrome
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Cell Nucleus, Chromatin, Histones, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neurons, Nucleosomes, Protein Binding, Transcription, Genetic, Genome, Mice, Knockout, CpG Islands, DNA Methylation, Mice, Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2, Protein Multimerization

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