The methylation of @entity376 4 of Histone H3 (H3K4me) is an important component of epigenetic regulation. H3K4 methylation is a consequence of transcriptional activity, but also has been shown to contribute to "epigenetic memory"; i.e., it can provide a heritable landmark of previous transcriptional activity that may help promote or maintain such activity in subsequent cell descendants or lineages. A number of multi-protein complexes that control the addition of H3K4me have been described in several organisms. These @entity66028 /MLL or COMPASS complexes often share a common subset of conserved proteins, with other components potentially contributing to tissue-specific or developmental regulation of the methyltransferase activity. Here we show that the normal maintenance of H3K4 di- and tri-methylation in the germ line of @entity2199 is dependent on homologs of the @entity66028 /MLL complex components @entity70149 and @entity70150 . Different methylation states that are each dependent on @entity70149 and @entity70150 require different methyltransferases. In addition, different subsets of conserved @entity66028 /MLL-like complex components appear to be required for H3K4 methylation in germ cells and somatic lineages at different developmental stages. In adult germ cells, mutations in @entity70149 or @entity70150 dramatically affect both germ line stem cell (GSC) population size and proper germ cell development. RNAi knockdown of RNA Polymerase II does not significantly affect the @entity70149 -dependent maintenance of H3K4 methylation in either early embryos or adult GSCs, suggesting that the mechanism is not obligately coupled to transcription in these cells. A separate, @entity70149 -independent mode of H3K4 methylation correlates more directly with transcription in the adult germ line and in embryos. Our results indicate that H3K4 methylation in the germline is regulated by a combination of @entity66028 /MLL component-dependent and -independent modes of epigenetic establishment and maintenance.

A role for @entity66028 /MLL-related components in epigenetic regulation of the XXXX germ line.

@entity2199 :: ('6239', 'Species') :: ['Caenorhabditis elegans'] @entity70150 :: ('174019(Tax:6239)', 'Gene') :: ['rbbp-5', 'RBBP-5'] @entity70149 :: ('175474(Tax:6239)', 'Gene') :: ['wdr-5.1', 'WDR-5.1'] @entity376 :: ('CHEBI:25094', 'Chemical') :: ['lysine'] @entity66028 :: ('175918(Tax:6239)', 'Gene') :: ['Set1']
@entity2199 :: (6239,Species) :: ['Caenorhabditis elegans']
