High-resolution mapping defines the cooperative architecture of Polycomb Response Elements

Polycomb-mediated chromatin repression modulates gene expression during development in metazoans. Binding of multiple sequence-specific factors at discrete Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) is thought to recruit repressive complexes that spread across an extended chromatin domain. To dissect the structure of PREs, we applied high-resolution mapping of non-histone chromatin proteins in native chromatin of Drosophila cells. Analysis of occupied sites reveal cooperative interactions between transcription factors that stabilize Polycomb anchoring to DNA, and implicate the general transcription factor Adf1 as a novel PRE component. By comparing two Drosophila cell lines with differential chromatin states, we provide evidence that repression is accomplished at multiple steps in transcription, including inactivation of distant enhancers, enhanced Polycomb recruitment to PREs and target promoters, and elevated stalling of RNAPII in repressed genes. These results suggest that the stability of complexes bridging promoters, enhancers, and PREs is a crucial aspect of developmentally regulated gene expression. Native chromatin immunoprecipitation of histones, transcription factors and Polycomb protein in Drosophila cell lines.