ChIP-seq experiment of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in HH30 chicken neural tubes

In this context, they maintain the balance between self-renewal and differentiation. While the role of the Polycomb factor EZH2 has been well described in different developmental contexts, the in vivo activity of EZH1 has long been a puzzle.

Here, we show that knocking down EZH1 in chick embryo neural tubes reduces neuronal differentiation without affecting progenitor proliferation or neuronal specification. Transcriptional profiling and functional assays demonstrate that EZH1 mainly acts as a transcriptional activator during neuronal differentiation. Importantly, genes involved in the actin cytoskeleton and cell dynamics that become activated during this process are directly regulated by EZH1.