Abstract
The molecular mechanisms by which central nervous system-specific genes are expressed only in the nervous system and repressed in other tissues remain a central issue in developmental and regulatory biology. Here, we report that the zinc-finger gene-specific repressor element RE-1 silencing transcription factor/neuronal restricted silencing factor (REST/NRSF) can mediate extraneuronal restriction by imposing either active repression via histone deacetylase recruitment or long-term gene silencing using a distinct functional complex. Silencing of neuronal-specific genes requires the recruitment of an associated corepressor, CoREST, that serves as a functional molecular beacon for the recruitment of molecular machinery that imposes silencing across a chromosomal interval, including transcriptional units that do not themselves contain REST/NRSF response elements.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1747-1752 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Science |
Volume | 298 |
Issue number | 5599 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 29 2002 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General