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Vol 49(2015) N 3 p. 442-449; DOI 10.1134/S0026893315030048 ![]() K.V. Dolgushin1, E.S. Iudinkova1, N.V. Petrova1, S.V. Razin1,2, O.V. Iarovaia1* Joint locus of a/b-globin genes in Danio rerio is segregated into structural subdomains active at different stages of development 1Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia2Biology Department, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991 Russia *iarovaia@inbox.ru Received - 2014-11-10; Accepted - 2014-11-17 In the domain model of eukaryotic genome organization, the functional unit of the genome, along with the relevant regulatory elements, is considered to be a gene or a gene family. In hot-blooded vertebrate animals, the domains of a- and b-globin genes are positioned at different chromosomes and are organized and regulated in different fashion. In cold-blooded animals, in particular in tropical fish Danio rerio, a- and b globin genes are located in a common gene cluster. However, the joint a/b-globin gene cluster is subdivided into two development stage-specific subdomains, the adult one and the embryonic-larval one. In an attempt to find out whether this functional segregation correlates with structural segregation of the domain we compared the DNase I sensitivity and profiles of histone modifications of adult and embryonic-larval segments of the domain in cultured D. rerio fibroblasts. We have demonstrated that, in these nonerythroid cells, adult and embryonic- larval subdomains possess different DNase I sensitivities and different profiles of H3K27me3, a histone modification introduced by PRC2 complex. These observations suggest that joint a/b globin gene domain of Danio rerio is segregated into two structural subdomain harboring adult and embryonic-larval globin genes. domains and subdomains within eukaryotic genome, a/b-globin genes, chromatin, Danio rerio |