Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) role in skin epithelium development [ChIP-seq Auts2, Bmi1, Rybp]

Polycomb repressive complexes (PRC) 1 and 2 are essential chromatin regulators of cell identity. PRC1, a dominant executer of Polycomb-mediated control, functions as multiple sub-complexes that possess catalytic-dependent H2AK119 mono-ubiquitination (H2AK119ub) and catalytic-independent activities. Here, we show that despite its well-established repressor functions, PRC1 binds to both silent and active genes. Through in vivo loss-of-function studies, we show that global PRC1 function is essential for skin development and stem cell (SC) specification. Newborn mouse epidermal progenitor cells were FACS purified. Immunoprecipitated chromatin was analyzed by ChIP-seq.