The role of H2B ubiquitylation in development

The formation of a multi-cellular organism requires co-ordinated rounds of cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, to generate, specify and shape body tissues. Strict regulation of proliferation and apoptosis are important for preventing uncontrolled cell growth, the hallmark of cancer. Meanwhile, spatial and temporal control of gene expression gives rise to a myriad of specialized cells from a single genome. Such differential expression patterns are initially established through transient signals, but long-lasting, epigenetic changes are required to maintain these patterns throughout the cell lineage. Amongst these changes is the reversible addition of a single ubiquitin moiety to a specific lysine residue of histone H2B. Ubiquitylated H2B (H2Bub1) is a requirement for diand tri-methylation of lysines 4 and 79 of histone H3 (H3K4me2/3 and H3K79me3), but its biological effects extend beyond downstream regulation of these