Cbx2 targets PRC1 to constitutive heterochromatin in mouse zygotes in a parent-of-origin-dependent manner.

Polycomb repressive complexes PRC1 and PRC2 regulate expression of genes involved in proliferation and development. In mouse early embryos, however, canonical PRC1 localizes to paternal pericentric heterochromatin (pat-PCH), where it represses transcription of major satellite repeats. In contrast, maternal PCH (mat-PCH) is enriched for H3 lysine 9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) and Hp1β. How PRC1 is targeted to pat-PCH, yet excluded from mat-PCH, has remained elusive. Here, we identify a PRC1 targeting mechanism that relies on Cbx2 and Hp1β. Cbx2 directs catalytically active PRC1 to PCH via its chromodomain (CD(Cbx2)) and neighboring AT-hook (AT(Cbx2)) binding to H3K27me3 and AT-rich major satellites, respectively. CD(Cbx2) prevents AT(Cbx2) from interacting with DNA at PCH marked by H3K9me3 and Hp1β. Loss-of-function studies show that Hp1β and not H3K9me3 prevents PRC1 targeting to mat-PCH. Our findings indicate that CD(Cbx2) and AT(Cbx2) separated by a short linker function together to integrate H3K9me3/HP1 and H3K27me3 states.

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