Distribution of acetylated histones resulting from Gal4-VP16 recruitment of SAGA and NuA4 complexes

Structure of the human TIP60-C histone exchange and acetyltransferase complex

Chromatin structure is a key regulator of DNA transcription, replication and repair1. In humans, the TIP60-EP400 complex (TIP60-C) is a 20-subunit assembly that affects chromatin structure through two enzymatic activities: ATP-dependent exchange of histone H2A-H2B for H2A.Z-H2B, and histone acetylation. In yeast, however, these activities are performed by two independent complexes-SWR1 and NuA4, respectively2,3. How the activities of the two complexes are merged into one supercomplex in humans, and what this association entails for the structure and mechanism of the proteins and their recruitment to chromatin, are unknown. Here we describe the structure of the endogenous human TIP60-C. We find a three-lobed architecture composed of SWR1-like (SWR1L) and NuA4-like (NuA4L) parts, which associate with a TRRAP activator-binding module. The huge EP400 subunit contains the ATPase motor, traverses the junction between SWR1L and NuA4L twice and constitutes the scaffold of the three-lobed architecture. NuA4L is completely rearranged compared with its yeast counterpart. TRRAP is flexibly tethered to NuA4L-in stark contrast to its robust connection to the completely opposite side of NuA4 in yeast4-7. A modelled nucleosome bound to SWR1L, supported by tests of TIP60-C activity, suggests that some aspects of the histone exchange mechanism diverge from what is seen in yeast8,9. Furthermore, a fixed actin module (as opposed to the mobile actin subcomplex in SWR1; ref. 8), the flexibility of TRRAP and the weak effect of extranucleosomal DNA on exchange activity lead to a different, activator-based mode of enlisting TIP60-C to chromatin.

The structure of the NuA4-Tip60 complex reveals the mechanism and importance of long-range chromatin modification

Histone acetylation regulates most DNA transactions and is dynamically controlled by highly conserved enzymes. The only essential histone acetyltransferase (HAT) in yeast, Esa1, is part of the 1-MDa NuA4 complex, which plays pivotal roles in both transcription and DNA-damage repair. NuA4 has the unique capacity to acetylate histone targets located several nucleosomes away from its recruitment site. Neither the molecular mechanism of this activity nor its physiological importance are known. Here we report the structure of the Pichia pastoris NuA4 complex, with its core resolved at 3.4-Å resolution. Three subunits, Epl1, Eaf1 and Swc4, intertwine to form a stable platform that coordinates all other modules. The HAT module is firmly anchored into the core while retaining the ability to stretch out over a long distance. We provide structural, biochemical and genetic evidence that an unfolded linker region of the Epl1 subunit is critical for this long-range activity. Specifically, shortening the Epl1 linker causes severe growth defects and reduced H4 acetylation levels over broad chromatin regions in fission yeast. Our work lays the foundations for a mechanistic understanding of NuA4's regulatory role and elucidates how its essential long-range activity is attained.

Single-molecule analysis of transcription activation: dynamics of SAGA co-activator recruitment

Transcription activators are said to stimulate gene expression by "recruiting" coactivators to promoters, yet this term fits several different kinetic models. To directly analyze dynamics of activator-coactivator interactions, single-molecule microscopy was used to image promoter DNA, a transcription activator, and the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex within nuclear extract. SAGA readily, but transiently, binds nucleosome-free DNA without activator, while chromatin template association occurs nearly exclusively when activator is present. On both templates, activator increases SAGA association rates by up to an order of magnitude, and dramatically extends its dwell times. These effects reflect direct interactions with the transactivation domain, as VP16 or Rap1 activation domains produce different SAGA dynamics. Despite multiple bromodomains, acetyl-CoA or histone H3/H4 tail acetylation only modestly improves SAGA binding. Unexpectedly, histone acetylation more strongly affects activator residence. Our studies thus reveal two modes of SAGA interaction with the genome: a short-lived activator-independent interaction with nucleosome-free DNA, and a state tethered to promoter-bound transcription activators that can last up to several minutes.

Non-cooperative mechanism for bounded and ultrasensitive chromatin remodeling

Chromatin remodeling is an essential form of gene regulation that is involved in a variety of biological processes. We develop a theoretical model that takes advantage of percolation effects at the level of nucleosome interactions, which allows for ultrasensitive chromatin expansion. This model is non-cooperative and readily provides spatial bounds to the expansion region, preventing uncontrolled remodeling events. We explore different chromatin architectures and the ultrasensitivity of the chromatin density as a function of transcription factor concentration. We also compare our model with experimental data involving an inhibitor of nucleosome acetylation. These results suggest a novel mechanism for spatially-bounded chromatin remodeling and they provide means for quantitative comparisons between proposed models of chromatin architecture.

Beyond HAT Adaptor: TRRAP Liaisons with Sp1-Mediated Transcription

The members of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family play vital roles in multiple biological processes, including DNA damage response, metabolism, cell growth, mRNA decay, and transcription. TRRAP, as the only member lacking the enzymatic activity in this family, is an adaptor protein for several histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes and a scaffold protein for multiple transcription factors. TRRAP has been demonstrated to regulate various cellular functions in cell cycle progression, cell stemness maintenance and differentiation, as well as neural homeostasis. TRRAP is known to be an important orchestrator of many molecular machineries in gene transcription by modulating the activity of some key transcription factors, including E2F1, c-Myc, p53, and recently, Sp1. This review summarizes the biological and biochemical studies on the action mode of TRRAP together with the transcription factors, focusing on how TRRAP-HAT mediates the transactivation of Sp1-governing biological processes, including neurodegeneration.

SAGA and SAGA-like SLIK transcriptional coactivators are structurally and biochemically equivalent

The SAGA-like complex SLIK is a modified version of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex. SLIK is formed through C-terminal truncation of the Spt7 SAGA subunit, causing loss of Spt8, one of the subunits that interacts with the TATA-binding protein (TBP). SLIK and SAGA are both coactivators of RNA polymerase II transcription in yeast, and both SAGA and SLIK perform chromatin modifications. The two complexes have been speculated to uniquely contribute to transcriptional regulation, but their respective contributions are not clear. To investigate, we assayed the chromatin modifying functions of SAGA and SLIK, revealing identical kinetics on minimal substrates in vitro. We also examined the binding of SAGA and SLIK to TBP and concluded that interestingly, both protein complexes have similar affinity for TBP. Additionally, despite the loss of Spt8 and C-terminus of Spt7 in SLIK, TBP prebound to SLIK is not released in the presence of TATA-box DNA, just like TBP prebound to SAGA. Furthermore, we determined a low-resolution cryo-EM structure of SLIK, revealing a modular architecture identical to SAGA. Finally, we performed a comprehensive study of DNA-binding properties of both coactivators. Purified SAGA and SLIK both associate with ssDNA and dsDNA with high affinity (K_D = 10–17 nM), and the binding is sequence-independent. In conclusion, our study shows that the cleavage of Spt7 and the absence of the Spt8 subunit in SLIK neither drive any major conformational differences in its structure compared with SAGA, nor significantly affect HAT, DUB, or DNA-binding activities in vitro.

Role of promoters in regulating alternative splicing

Alternative splicing (AS) plays a critical role in enhancing proteome complexity in higher eukaryotes. Almost all the multi intron-containing genes undergo AS in humans. Splicing mainly occurs co-transcriptionally, where RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) plays a crucial role in coordinating transcription and pre-mRNA splicing. Aberrant AS leads to non-functional proteins causative in various pathophysiological conditions such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and muscular dystrophies. Transcription and pre-mRNA splicing are deeply interconnected and can influence each other's functions. Several studies evinced that specific promoters employed by RNA pol II dictate the RNA processing decisions. Promoter-specific recruitment of certain transcriptional factors or transcriptional coactivators influences splicing, and the extent to which these factors affect splicing has not been discussed in detail. Here, in this review, various DNA-binding proteins and their influence on promoter-specific AS are extensively discussed. Besides, this review highlights how the promoter-specific epigenetic changes might regulate AS.

Mechanisms of stimulation of SAGA-mediated nucleosome acetylation by a transcriptional activator

Eukaryotic gene expression requires the coordination of multiple factors to overcome the repressive nature of chromatin. However, the mechanistic details of this coordination are not well understood. The SAGA family of transcriptional coactivators interacts with DNA-binding activators to establish regions of hyperacetylation. We have previously shown that, contrary to the prevailing model in which activator protein increases SAGA affinity for nucleosome substrate, the Gal4-VP16 activator model system augments the rate of acetylation turnover for the SAGA complex from budding yeast. To better understand how this stimulation occurs, we have identified necessary components using both kinetics assays and binding interactions studies. We find that Gal4-VP16-mediated stimulation requires activator binding to DNA flanking the nucleosome, as it cannot be reproduced in trans by activator protein alone or by exogenous DNA containing the activator binding site in combination with the activator protein. Further, activator-mediated stimulation requires subunits outside of the histone acetylation (HAT) module, with the Tra1 subunit being responsible for the majority of the stimulation. Interestingly, for the HAT module alone, nucleosome acetylation is inhibited by activator proteins due to non-specific binding of the activator to the nucleosomes. This inhibition is not observed for the yeast ADA complex, a small complex comprised mostly of the HAT module, suggesting that subunits outside of the HAT module in both it and SAGA can overcome non-specific activator binding to nucleosomes. However, this activity appears distinct from activator-mediated stimulation, as ADA complex acetylation is not stimulated by Gal4-VP16.

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Stimulation of nucleosome acetylation by SAGA requires activator in cis

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Tra1 mediates the majority of activator stimulation

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The core HAT complex of SAGA is inhibited by activator due to non-specific binding

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The related ADA complex is neither stimulated nor inhibited by activator

The biochemical and genetic discovery of the SAGA complex

One of the major advances in our understanding of gene regulation in eukaryotes was the discovery of factors that regulate transcription by controlling chromatin structure. Prominent among these discoveries was the demonstration that Gcn5 is a histone acetyltransferase, establishing a direct connection between transcriptional activation and histone acetylation. This breakthrough was soon followed by the purification of a protein complex that contains Gcn5, the SAGA complex. In this article, we review the early genetic and biochemical experiments that led to the discovery of SAGA and the elucidation of its multiple activities.

The NuRD complex and macrocephaly associated neurodevelopmental disorders

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is a major regulator of gene expression involved in pluripotency, lineage commitment, and corticogenesis. This important complex is composed of seven different proteins, with mutations in CHD3, CHD4, and GATAD2B being associated with neurodevelopmental disorders presenting with macrocephaly and intellectual disability similar to other overgrowth and intellectual disability (OGID) syndromes. Pathogenic variants in CHD3 and CHD4 primarily involve disruption of enzymatic function. GATAD2B variants include loss-of-function mutations that alter protein dosage and missense variants that involve either of two conserved domains (CR1 and CR2) known to interact with other NuRD proteins. In addition to macrocephaly and intellectual disability, CHD3 variants are associated with inguinal hernias and apraxia of speech; whereas CHD4 variants are associated with skeletal anomalies, deafness, and cardiac defects. GATAD2B-associated neurodevelopmental disorder (GAND) has phenotypic overlap with both of these disorders. Of note, structural models of NuRD indicate that CHD3 and CHD4 require direct contact with the GATAD2B-CR2 domain to interact with the rest of the complex. Therefore, the phenotypic overlaps of CHD3- and CHD4-related disorders with GAND are consistent with a loss in the ability of GATAD2B to recruit CHD3 or CHD4 to the complex. The shared features of these neurodevelopmental disorders may represent a new class of OGID syndrome: the NuRDopathies.

Distinct requirements of linker DNA and transcriptional activators in promoting SAGA-mediated nucleosome acetylation

The Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase (SAGA) family of transcriptional coactivators are prototypical nucleosome acetyltransferase complexes that regulate multiple steps in gene transcription. The size and complexity of both the SAGA enzyme and the chromatin substrate provide numerous opportunities for regulating the acetylation process. To better probe this regulation, here we developed a bead-based nucleosome acetylation assay to characterize the binding interactions and kinetics of acetylation with different nucleosomal substrates and the full SAGA complex purified from budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). We found that SAGA-mediated nucleosome acetylation is stimulated up to 9-fold by DNA flanking the nucleosome, both by facilitating the binding of SAGA and by accelerating acetylation turnover. This stimulation required that flanking DNA is present on both sides of the nucleosome and that one side is >15 bp long. The Gal4-VP16 transcriptional activator fusion protein could also augment nucleosome acetylation up to 5-fold. However, contrary to our expectations, this stimulation did not appear to occur by stabilizing the binding of SAGA toward nucleosomes containing an activator-binding site. Instead, increased acetylation turnover by SAGA stimulated nucleosome acetylation. These results suggest that the Gal4-VP16 transcriptional activator directly stimulates acetylation via a dual interaction with both flanking DNA and SAGA. Altogether, these findings uncover several critical mechanisms of SAGA regulation by chromatin substrates.

Beyond Transcription: Roles of Transcription Factors in Pre-mRNA Splicing

Whereas individual steps of protein-coding gene expression in eukaryotes can be studied in isolation in vitro, it has become clear that these steps are intimately connected within cells. Connections not only ensure quality control but also fine-tune the gene expression process, which must adapt to environmental changes while remaining robust. In this review, we systematically present proven and potential mechanisms by which sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factors can alter gene expression beyond transcription initiation and regulate pre-mRNA splicing, and thereby mRNA isoform production, by (i) influencing transcription elongation rates, (ii) binding to pre-mRNA to recruit splicing factors, and/or (iii) blocking the association of splicing factors with pre-mRNA. We propose various mechanistic models throughout the review, in some cases without explicit supportive evidence, in hopes of providing fertile ground for future studies.

Cryo-EM structure of the SAGA and NuA4 coactivator subunit Tra1 at 3.7 angstrom resolution

Coactivator complexes SAGA and NuA4 stimulate transcription by post-translationally modifying chromatin. Both complexes contain the Tra1 subunit, a highly conserved 3744-residue protein from the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family and a direct target for multiple sequence-specific activators. We present the Cryo-EM structure of Saccharomyces cerevsisae Tra1 to 3.7 Å resolution, revealing an extensive network of alpha-helical solenoids organized into a diamond ring conformation and is strikingly reminiscent of DNA-PKcs, suggesting a direct role for Tra1 in DNA repair. The structure was fitted into an existing SAGA EM reconstruction and reveals limited contact surfaces to Tra1, hence it does not act as a molecular scaffold within SAGA. Mutations that affect activator targeting are distributed across the Tra1 structure, but also cluster within the N-terminal Finger region, indicating the presence of an activator interaction site. The structure of Tra1 is a key milestone in deciphering the mechanism of multiple coactivator complexes.

Inside our cells, histone proteins package and condense DNA so that it can fit into the cell nucleus. However, this also switches off the genes, since the machines that read and interpret them can no longer access the underlying DNA. Turning genes on requires specific enzymes that chemically modify the histone proteins to regain access to the DNA. This must be carefully controlled, otherwise the ‘wrong’ genes can be activated, causing undesired effects and endangering the cell.

Histone modifying enzymes often reside in large protein complexes. Two well-known examples are the SAGA and NuA4 complexes. Both have different roles during gene activation, but share a protein called Tra1. This protein enables SAGA and NuA4 to act on specific genes by binding to ‘activator proteins’ that are found on the DNA. Tra1 is one of the biggest proteins in the cell, but its size makes it difficult to study and until now, its structure was unknown.

To determine the structure of Tra1, Díaz-Santín et al. extracted the protein from baker’s yeast, and examined it using electron microscopy. The structure of Tra1 resembled a diamond ring with multiple protein domains that correspond to a band, setting and a centre stone. The structure was detailed enough so that Díaz-Santín et al. could locate various mutations that affect the role of Tra1. These locations are likely to be direct interfaces to the ‘activator proteins’. Moreover, the study showed that Tra1 was similar to another protein that repairs damaged DNA.

These results suggest that Tra1 not only works as an activator target, but may also have a role in repairing damaged DNA, and might even connect these two processes. Yeast Tra1 is also very similar to its human counterpart, which has been shown to stimulate cells to become cancerous. Further studies based on these results may help us understand how cancer begins.

Enhancer of polycomb coordinates multiple signaling pathways to promote both cyst and germline stem cell differentiation in the Drosophila adult testis

Stem cells reside in a particular microenvironment known as a niche. The interaction between extrinsic cues originating from the niche and intrinsic factors in stem cells determines their identity and activity. Maintenance of stem cell identity and stem cell self-renewal are known to be controlled by chromatin factors. Herein, we use the Drosophila adult testis which has two adult stem cell lineages, the germline stem cell (GSC) lineage and the cyst stem cell (CySC) lineage, to study how chromatin factors regulate stem cell differentiation. We find that the chromatin factor Enhancer of Polycomb [E(Pc)] acts in the CySC lineage to negatively control transcription of genes associated with multiple signaling pathways, including JAK-STAT and EGF, to promote cellular differentiation in the CySC lineage. E(Pc) also has a non-cell-autonomous role in regulating GSC lineage differentiation. When E(Pc) is specifically inactivated in the CySC lineage, defects occur in both germ cell differentiation and maintenance of germline identity. Furthermore, compromising Tip60 histone acetyltransferase activity in the CySC lineage recapitulates loss-of-function phenotypes of E(Pc), suggesting that Tip60 and E(Pc) act together, consistent with published biochemical data. In summary, our results demonstrate that E(Pc) plays a central role in coordinating differentiation between the two adult stem cell lineages in Drosophila testes.

High mobility group protein 1: A collaborator in nucleosome dynamics and estrogen-responsive gene expression

High mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) is a multifunctional protein that interacts with DNA and chromatin to influence the regulation of transcription, DNA replication and repair and recombination. We show that HMGB1 alters the structure and stability of the canonical nucleosome (N) in a nonenzymatic, adenosine triphosphate-independent manner. As a result, the canonical nucleosome is converted to two stable, physically distinct nucleosome conformers. Although estrogen receptor (ER) does not bind to its consensus estrogen response element within a nucleosome, HMGB1 restructures the nucleosome to facilitate strong ER binding. The isolated HMGB1-restructured nucleosomes (N’ and N’’) remain stable and exhibit a number of characteristics that are distinctly different from the canonical nucleosome. These findings complement previous studies that showed (1) HMGB1 stimulates in vivo transcriptional activation at estrogen response elements and (2) knock down of HMGB1 expression by siRNA precipitously reduced transcriptional activation. The findings indicate that a major facet of the mechanism of HMGB1 action involves a restructuring of aspects of the nucleosome that appear to relax structural constraints within the nucleosome. The findings are extended to reveal the differences between ER and the other steroid hormone receptors. A working proposal outlines mechanisms that highlight the multiple facets that HMGB1 may utilize in restructuring the nucleosome.

Nucleosome dynamics: HMGB1 relaxes canonical nucleosome structure to facilitate estrogen receptor binding

High mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) interacts with DNA and chromatin to influence the regulation of transcription, DNA repair and recombination. We show that HMGB1 alters the structure and stability of the canonical nucleosome (N) in a nonenzymatic, ATP-independent manner. Although estrogen receptor (ER) does not bind to its consensus estrogen response element within a nucleosome, HMGB1 restructures the nucleosome to facilitate strong ER binding. The isolated HMGB1-restructured nucleosomes (N′ and N″) remain stable and exhibit characteristics distinctly different from the canonical nucleosome. These findings complement previous studies that showed (i) HMGB1 stimulates in vivo transcriptional activation at estrogen response elements and (ii) knock down of HMGB1 expression by siRNA precipitously reduced transcriptional activation. The findings indicate that one aspect of the mechanism of HMGB1 action involves a restructuring of the nucleosome that appears to relax structural constraints within the nucleosome.

In vitro transcription and immobilized template analysis of preinitiation complexes

In the study of gene regulation, it is often necessary to employ functional assays that investigate the action or mechanism of specific promoters or enhancer-binding factors and their role in transcription by RNA polymerase II. Although many assays measure the transcription of a gene under the control of an endogenous or model activator in vivo, it is often useful to recreate transcription in vitro in order to study specific regulatory mechanisms. In this unit, protocols are presented that will allow the investigator to perform in vitro transcription using preinitiation complexes assembled from cellular extracts on either naked DNA or chromatin templates.

Pioneer transcription factors: establishing competence for gene expression

Transcription factors are adaptor molecules that detect regulatory sequences in the DNA and target the assembly of protein complexes that control gene expression. Yet much of the DNA in the eukaryotic cell is in nucleosomes and thereby occluded by histones, and can be further occluded by higher-order chromatin structures and repressor complexes. Indeed, genome-wide location analyses have revealed that, for all transcription factors tested, the vast majority of potential DNA-binding sites are unoccupied, demonstrating the inaccessibility of most of the nuclear DNA. This raises the question of how target sites at silent genes become bound de novo by transcription factors, thereby initiating regulatory events in chromatin. Binding cooperativity can be sufficient for many kinds of factors to simultaneously engage a target site in chromatin and activate gene expression. However, in cases in which the binding of a series of factors is sequential in time and thus not initially cooperative, special "pioneer transcription factors" can be the first to engage target sites in chromatin. Such initial binding can passively enhance transcription by reducing the number of additional factors that are needed to bind the DNA, culminating in activation. In addition, pioneer factor binding can actively open up the local chromatin and directly make it competent for other factors to bind. Passive and active roles for the pioneer factor FoxA occur in embryonic development, steroid hormone induction, and human cancers. Herein we review the field and describe how pioneer factors may enable cellular reprogramming.

Structure and functions of powerful transactivators: VP16, MyoD and FoxA

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology is a promising approach for converting one type of a differentiated cell into another type of differentiated cell through a pluripotent state as an intermediate step. Recent studies, however, indicate the possibility of directly converting one cell type to another without going through a pluripotent state. This direct reprogramming approach is dependent on a combination of highly potent transcription factors for cell-type conversion, presumably skipping more physiological and multi-step differentiation processes. A trial-and-error strategy is commonly used to screen many candidate transcription factors to identify the correct combination of factors. We speculate, however, that a better understanding of the functional mechanisms of exemplary transcriptional activators will facilitate the identification of novel factor combinations capable of direct reprogramming. The purpose of this review is to critically examine the literature on three highly potent transcriptional activators: the herpes virus protein, VP16; the master regulator of skeletal muscle differentiation, MyoD and the "pioneer" factor for hepatogenesis, FoxA. We discuss the roles of their functional protein domains, interacting partners and chromatin remodeling mechanisms during gene activation to understand how these factors open the chromatin of inactive genes and reset the transcriptional pattern during cell type conversion.

An auxiliary silencer and a boundary element maintain high levels of silencing proteins at HMR in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heterochromatin is notable for its capacity to propagate along a chromosome. The prevailing model for this spreading process postulates that silencing proteins are first recruited to silencer sequences and then spread from these sites independently of the silencers. However, we found that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae silencers also influence the extent of silenced chromatin domains. We compared the abilities of two different silencers, HMR-E and a telomeric repeat, to promote silencing and found that the HMR-E silencer contributed to an increased steady-state association of Sir proteins over a region of several kilobase pairs compared to the telomeric repeat, even though both silencers recruited similar levels of Sir proteins. We also discovered that, although the HMR-E silencer alone was sufficient to block transcription of the HMR locus, a secondary silencer, HMR-I, boosted the level of Sir proteins at HMR, apparently beyond the level necessary to repress transcription. Finally, we discovered that a tRNA(Thr) gene near HMR-I helped maintain silenced chromatin and transcriptional repression under conditions of reduced deacetylase activity. This study highlights the importance of auxiliary elements, such as HMR-I and the tRNA(Thr) gene, in enhancing the association of Sir silencing proteins with appropriate genomic locations, thereby buffering the capacity of silenced chromatin to assemble under suboptimal conditions.

Untargeted tail acetylation of histones in chromatin: lessons from yeast

Dynamic acetylation of lysine residues in the amino-terminal tails of the core histones is functionally important for the regulation of diverse DNA-dependent processes in the nucleus, including replication, transcription, and DNA repair. The targeted and untargeted activities of histone lysine acetylases (KATs) and deacetylases (HDACs) both contribute to the dynamics of chromatin acetylation. While the mechanisms and functional consequences of targeted on histone acetylation are well understood, relatively little is known about untargeted histone acetylation. Here, we review the current understanding of the mechanisms by which untargeted KAT and HDAC activities modulate the acetylation state of nucleosomal histones, focusing on results obtained for H3 and H4 in budding yeast. We also highlight unresolved problems in this area, including the question of how a particular steady-state level of untargeted acetylation is set in the absence of cis-dependent mechanisms that instruct the activity of KATs and HDACs.

Expression of Pit-1 in nonsomatotrope cell lines induces human growth hormone locus control region histone modification and hGH-N transcription

The POU domain transcription factor Pit-1 is expressed in somatotropes, lactotropes, and thyrotropes of the anterior pituitary. Pit-1 is essential for the establishment of these lineages during development and regulates the expression of genes encoding the peptide hormones secreted by each cell type, including the growth hormone gene expressed in somatotropes. In contrast to rodent growth hormone loci, the human growth hormone (hGH) locus is regulated by a distal locus control region (LCR), which is required in cis for the proper expression of the hGH gene cluster in transgenic mice. The hGH LCR mediates a domain of histone acetylation targeted to the hGH locus that is associated with distal hGH-N activation, and the discrete determinants of this activity coincide with DNaseI hypersensitive site (HS) I of the LCR. The identification of three in vitro Pit-1 binding sites within the HS-I region suggested a model in which Pit-1 binding at HS-I initiates the chromatin modification mechanism associated with hGH LCR activity. To test this hypothesis directly and to determine whether Pit-1 expression is sufficient to confer hGH locus histone acetylation and activate hGH-N transcription from an inactive locus, we expressed Pit-1 in nonpituitary cell types. We show that Pit-1 expression established a domain of histone hyperacetylation at the LCR and hGH-N promoter in these cells similar to that observed in pituitary chromatin. This was accompanied by the activation of hGH-N transcription and an increase in intergenic and CD79b transcripts proximal to HS-I. These effects were coincident with Pit-1 occupancy at HS-I and the hGH-N promoter and were observed irrespective of the basal histone modification status of HS-I in the heterologous cell line. These findings are consistent with a role for Pit-1 as an initiating factor in hGH locus activation during somatotrope ontogeny, acting through binding sites at HS-I of the hGH LCR.

The Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain is important for the full binding and remodeling activity of the SWI/SNF complex on H3- and H4-acetylated nucleosomes

The SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex contains a bromodomain in its Swi2/Snf2 subunit that helps tether it to acetylated promoter nucleosomes. To study the importance of this bromodomain in the SWI/SNF complex, we have compared the nucleosome-binding and the chromatin-remodeling activities of the SWI/SNF to a mutant complex that lacks the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain. Here we show that the SWI/SNF complex deleted of the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain cannot bind to SAGA- or NuA4-acetylated nucleosomes as well as the wild-type complex. Moreover, we show that this reduced binding leads to partial remodeling of these acetylated nucleosome templates by the Deltabromodomain SWI/SNF complex. These results demonstrate that the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain is required for the full binding and functional activity of the SWI/SNF complex on H3- and H4-acetylated nucleosomes.

Activation of 12/23-RSS-dependent RAG cleavage by hSWI/SNF complex in the absence of transcription

Maintenance of genomic integrity during antigen receptor gene rearrangements requires (1) regulated access of the V(D)J recombinase to specific loci and (2) generation of double-strand DNA breaks only after recognition of a pair of matched recombination signal sequences (RSSs). Here we recapitulate both key aspects of regulated recombinase accessibility in a cell-free system using plasmid substrates assembled into chromatin. We show that recruitment of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex to both RSSs increases coupled cleavage by RAG1 and RAG2 proteins. SWI/SNF functions by altering local chromatin structure in the absence of RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription or histone modifications. These observations demonstrate a direct role for cis-sequence-regulated local chromatin remodeling in RAG1/2-dependent initiation of V(D)J recombination.

Ultrasensitive gene regulation by positive feedback loops in nucleosome modification

Eukaryotic transcription involves the synergistic interaction of many different proteins. However, the question remains how eukaryotic promoters achieve ultrasensitive or threshold responses to changes in the concentration or activity of a single transcription factor (TF). We show theoretically that by recruiting a histone-modifying enzyme, a TF binding non-cooperatively to a single site can change the balance between opposing positive feedback loops in histone modification to produce a large change in gene expression in response to a small change in concentration of the TF. This mechanism can also generate bistable promoter responses, allowing a gene to be on in some cells and off in others, despite the cells being in identical conditions. In addition, the system provides a simple means by which the activities of many TFs could be integrated at a promoter.

Orchestration of chromatin-based processes: mind the TRRAP

Chromatin modifications at core histones including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination play an important role in diverse biological processes. Acetylation of specific lysine residues within the N terminus tails of core histones is arguably the most studied histone modification; however, its precise roles in different cellular processes and how it is disrupted in human diseases remain poorly understood. In the last decade, a number of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) enzymes responsible for histone acetylation, has been identified and functional studies have begun to unravel their biological functions. The activity of many HATs is dependent on HAT complexes, the multiprotein assemblies that contain one HAT catalytic subunit, adapter proteins, several other molecules of unknown function and a large protein called TRansformation/tRanscription domain-Associated Protein (TRRAP). As a common component of many HAT complexes, TRRAP appears to be responsible for the recruitment of these complexes to chromatin during transcription, replication and DNA repair. Recent studies have shed new light on the role of TRRAP in HAT complexes as well as mechanisms by which it mediates diverse cellular processes. Thus, TRRAP appears to be responsible for a concerted and context-dependent recruitment of HATs and coordination of distinct chromatin-based processes, suggesting that its deregulation may contribute to diseases. In this review, we summarize recent developments in our understanding of the function of TRRAP and TRRAP-containing HAT complexes in normal cellular processes and speculate on the mechanism underlying abnormal events that may lead to human diseases such as cancer.

Structure/function analysis of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase domain of yeast tra1

Tra1 is an essential component of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SAGA and NuA4 complexes. Using targeted mutagenesis, we identified residues within its C-terminal phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) domain that are required for function. The phenotypes of tra1-P3408A, S3463A, and SRR3413-3415AAA included temperature sensitivity and reduced growth in media containing 6% ethanol or calcofluor white or depleted of phosphate. These alleles resulted in a twofold or greater change in expression of approximately 7% of yeast genes in rich media and reduced activation of PHO5 and ADH2 promoters. Tra1-SRR3413 associated with components of both the NuA4 and SAGA complexes and with the Gal4 transcriptional activation domain similar to wild-type protein. Tra1-SRR3413 was recruited to the PHO5 promoter in vivo but gave rise to decreased relative amounts of acetylated histone H3 and histone H4 at SAGA and NuA4 regulated promoters. Distinct from other components of these complexes, tra1-SRR3413 resulted in generation-dependent telomere shortening and synthetic slow growth in combination with deletions of a number of genes with roles in membrane-related processes. While the tra1 alleles have some phenotypic similarities with deletions of SAGA and NuA4 components, their distinct nature may arise from the simultaneous alteration of SAGA and NuA4 functions.

Selective recognition of acetylated histones by bromodomains in transcriptional co-activators

Bromodomains are present in many chromatin-associated proteins such as the SWI/SNF and RSC chromatin remodelling and the SAGA HAT (histone acetyltransferase) complexes, and can bind to acetylated lysine residues in the N-terminal tails of the histones. Lysine acetylation is a histone modification that forms a stable epigenetic mark on chromatin for bromodomain-containing proteins to dock and in turn regulate gene expression. In order to better understand how bromodomains read the 'histone code' and interact with acetylated histones, we have tested the interactions of several bromodomains within transcriptional co-activators with differentially acetylated histone tail peptides and HAT-acetylated histones. Using GST (glutathione S-transferase) pull-down assays, we show specificity of binding of some bromodomains to differentially acetylated H3 and H4 peptides as well as HAT-acetylated histones. Our results reveal that the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain interacts with various acetylated H3 and H4 peptides, whereas the Gcn5 bromodomain interacts only with acetylated H3 peptides and tetra-acetylated H4 peptides. Additionally we show that the Spt7 bromodomain interacts with acetylated H3 peptides weakly, but not with acetylated H4 peptides. Some bromodomains such as the Bdf1-2 do not interact with most of the acetylated peptides tested. Results of the peptide experiments are confirmed with tests of interactions between these bromodomains and HAT-acetylated histones. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain is important for the binding and the remodelling activity of the SWI/SNF complex on hyperacetylated nucleosomes. The selective recognition of the bromodomains observed in the present study accounts for the broad effects of bromodomain-containing proteins observed on binding to histones.

H4 acetylation does not replace H3 acetylation in chromatin remodelling and transcription activation of Adr1-dependent genes

Histone acetylation regulates gene expression. Whether this is caused by a general increase in nucleosome fluidity due to charge neutralization or by a more specific code is still matter of debate. By using a set of glucose-repressed Adr1-dependent genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whose transcription was previously shown to require both Gcn5 and Esa1, we asked how changes of histone acetylation patterns at the promoter nucleosomes regulate chromatin remodelling and activation. When the signal of glucose reduction reaches the cells, H4 acetylation is kept constant while an increase of H3 acetylation occurs, in an Adr1- and Gcn5-dependent manner. In cells lacking Gcn5 activity, the H3 acetylation increase does not occur and an unexpected increase of histone H4 acetylation is observed. Nevertheless, chromatin remodelling and transcription activation are impaired, suggesting that acetylation of H3 and H4 histones plays different roles.

SWI/SNF displaces SAGA-acetylated nucleosomes

SWI/SNF is a well-characterized chromatin remodeling complex that remodels chromatin by sliding nucleosomes in cis and/or displacing nucleosomes in trans. The latter mechanism has the potential to remove promoter nucleosomes, allowing access to transcription factors and RNA polymerase. In vivo, histone acetylation often precedes apparent nucleosome loss; therefore, we sought to determine whether nucleosomes containing acetylated histones could be displaced by the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. We found that SAGA-acetylated histones were lost from an immobilized nucleosome array when treated with the SWI/SNF complex. When the nucleosome array was acetylated by SAGA in the presence of bound transcription activators, it generated a peak of acetylation surrounding the activator binding sites. Subsequent SWI/SNF treatment suppressed this acetylation peak. Immunoblots indicated that SWI/SNF preferentially displaced acetylated histones from the array relative to total histones. Moreover, the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain, an acetyl-lysine binding domain, played a role in the displacement of acetylated histones. These data indicate that targeted histone acetylation by the SAGA complex predisposes promoter nucleosomes for displacement by the SWI/SNF complex.

A versatile and reliable two-component system for tissue-specific gene induction in Arabidopsis

Developmental progression and differentiation of distinct cell types depend on the regulation of gene expression in space and time. Tools that allow spatial and temporal control of gene expression are crucial for the accurate elucidation of gene function. Most systems to manipulate gene expression allow control of only one factor, space or time, and currently available systems that control both temporal and spatial expression of genes have their limitations. We have developed a versatile two-component system that overcomes these limitations, providing reliable, conditional gene activation in restricted tissues or cell types. This system allows conditional tissue-specific ectopic gene expression and provides a tool for conditional cell type- or tissue-specific complementation of mutants. The chimeric transcription factor XVE, in conjunction with Gateway recombination cloning technology, was used to generate a tractable system that can efficiently and faithfully activate target genes in a variety of cell types. Six promoters/enhancers, each with different tissue specificities (including vascular tissue, trichomes, root, and reproductive cell types), were used in activation constructs to generate different expression patterns of XVE. Conditional transactivation of reporter genes was achieved in a predictable, tissue-specific pattern of expression, following the insertion of the activator or the responder T-DNA in a wide variety of positions in the genome. Expression patterns were faithfully replicated in independent transgenic plant lines. Results demonstrate that we can also induce mutant phenotypes using conditional ectopic gene expression. One of these mutant phenotypes could not have been identified using noninducible ectopic gene expression approaches.

Long-range histone acetylation: biological significance, structural implications, and mechanismsThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 27th International West Coast Chromatin and Chromosome Conference, and has undergone the Journal's usual peer review process

Genomic characterization of various euchromatic regions in higher eukaryotes has revealed that domain-wide hyperacetylation (over several kb) occurs at a range of loci, including individual genes, gene family clusters, compound clusters, and more general clusters of unrelated genes. Patterns of long-range histone hyperacetylation are strictly conserved within each unique cellular system studied and they reflect biological variability in gene regulation. Domain-wide histone acetylation consists generally of nonuniform peaks of enriched hyperacetylation of specific core histones, histone isoforms, and (or) histone variants against a backdrop of nonspecific acetylation across the domain in question. Here we review the characteristics of long-range histone acetylation in some higher eukaryotes and draw special attention to recent literature on the multiple effects that histone hyperacetylation has on chromatin’s structural integrity and how they affect transcription. These include the thermal, ionic, cumulative, and isoform-specific (H4 K16) consequences of acetylation that result in a more dynamic core complex and chromatin fiber.

The Swi2/Snf2 Bromodomain Is Required for the Displacement of SAGA and the Octamer Transfer of SAGA-acetylated Nucleosomes

The SWI/SNF and SAGA chromatin-modifying complexes contain bromodomains that help anchor these complexes to acetylated promoter nucleosomes. To study the importance of bromodomains in these complexes, we have compared the chromatin-remodeling and octamer-transfer activity of the SWI/SNF complex to a mutant complex that lacks the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain. Here we show that the SWI/SNF complex can remodel or transfer SAGA-acetylated nucleosomes more efficiently than the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain-deleted complex. These results demonstrate that the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain is important for the remodeling as well as for the octamer-transfer activity of the complex on H3-acetylated nucleosomes. Moreover, we show that, although the wild-type SWI/SNF complex displaces SAGA that is bound to acetylated nucleosomes, the bromodomain mutant SWI/SNF complex is less efficient in SAGA displacement. Thus, the Swi2/Snf2 bromodomain is required for the full functional activity of SWI/SNF on acetylated nucleosomes and is important for the displacement of SAGA from acetylated promoter nucleosomes.

Methylation of histone H3 mediates the association of the NuA3 histone acetyltransferase with chromatin

The SAS3-dependent NuA3 histone acetyltransferase complex was originally identified on the basis of its ability to acetylate histone H3 in vitro. Whether NuA3 is capable of acetylating histones in vivo, or how the complex is targeted to the nucleosomes that it modifies, was unknown. To address this question, we asked whether NuA3 is associated with chromatin in vivo and how this association is regulated. With a chromatin pulldown assay, we found that NuA3 interacts with the histone H3 amino-terminal tail, and loss of the H3 tail recapitulates phenotypes associated with loss of SAS3. Moreover, mutation of histone H3 lysine 14, the preferred site of acetylation by NuA3 in vitro, phenocopies a unique sas3Delta phenotype, suggesting that modification of this residue is important for NuA3 function. The interaction of NuA3 with chromatin is dependent on the Set1p and Set2p histone methyltransferases, as well as their substrates, histone H3 lysines 4 and 36, respectively. These results confirm that NuA3 is functioning as a histone acetyltransferase in vivo and that histone H3 methylation provides a mark for the recruitment of NuA3 to nucleosomes.

Chromatin regulation and sumoylation in the inhibition of Ras-induced vulval development in Caenorhabditis elegans

In Caenorhabditis elegans, numerous 'synMuv' (synthetic multivulval) genes encode for chromatin-associated proteins involved in transcriptional repression, including an orthologue of Rb and components of the NuRD histone deacetylase complex. These genes antagonize Ras signalling to prevent erroneous adoption of vulval fate. To identify new components of this mechanism, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen. After RNAi of 16 757 genes, we found nine new synMuv genes. Based on predicted functions and genetic epistasis experiments, we propose that at least four post-translational modifications converge to inhibit Ras-stimulated vulval development: sumoylation, histone tail deacetylation, methylation, and acetylation. In addition, we demonstrate a novel role for sumoylation in inhibiting LIN-12/Notch signalling in the vulva. We further show that many of the synMuv genes are involved in gene regulation outside the vulva, negatively regulating the expression of the Delta homologue lag-2. As most of the genes identified in this screen are conserved in humans, we suggest that similar interactions may be relevant in mammals for control of Ras and Notch signalling, crosstalk between these pathways, and cell proliferation.

Polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-7 inhibits STAGA histone acetyltransferase activity to produce retinal degeneration

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is characterized by cone-rod dystrophy retinal degeneration and is caused by a polyglutamine [poly(Q)] expansion within ataxin-7, a protein of previously unknown function. Here, we report that ataxin-7 is an integral component of the mammalian STAGA (SPT3-TAF9-ADA-GCN5 acetyltransferase) transcription coactivator complex, interacts directly with the GCN5 histone acetyltransferase component of STAGA, and mediates a direct interaction of STAGA with the CRX (cone-rod homeobox) transactivator of photoreceptor genes. Consistent with these results, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays document retinal-specific association of CRX, GCN5, and acetylated histone H3 with CRX target genes. RNA interference studies also implicate ataxin-7 and GCN5 in CRX-dependent gene activation, and histone deacetylase inhibitors restore the compromised expression of a CRX target gene in an ataxin-7-deficient background. Significantly, in relation to SCA7, poly(Q)-expanded ataxin-7 gets incorporated into STAGA and, in a dominant-negative manner, inhibits the nucleosomal histone acetylation function of STAGA GCN5 both in vitro and, based on chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, in SCA7 transgenic mice. These results suggest that the normal function of a poly(Q) disease protein may intersect with its pathogenic mechanism, an observation with significant implications for the molecular basis of all poly(Q) disorders and ultimately for their treatment.

Global position and recruitment of HATs and HDACs in the yeast genome

Chromatin regulators play fundamental roles in the regulation of gene expression and chromosome maintenance, but the regions of the genome where most of these regulators function has not been established. We explored the genome-wide occupancy of four different chromatin regulators encoded in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results reveal that the histone acetyltransferases Gcn5 and Esa1 are both generally recruited to the promoters of active protein-coding genes. In contrast, the histone deacetylases Hst1 and Rpd3 are recruited to specific sets of genes associated with distinct cellular functions. Our results provide new insights into the association of histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases with the yeast genome, and together with previous studies, suggest how these chromatin regulators are recruited to specific regions of the genome.

The highly conserved and multifunctional NuA4 HAT complex

Histone acetyltransferase complexes have been shown to be key regulators of gene expression. Among these, the NuA4 complex, first characterized in yeast, stands out as it controls multiple key nuclear functions in eukaryotic cells. Many subunits of this protein assembly have been directly linked to global and targeted acetylation of histone H4 tails in vivo, regulation of transcription, cell-cycle progression as well as to the process of DNA repair. Recent studies presented here have established its remarkable structural conservation from yeast to human cells and contributed to the understanding of its diverse functions.

Chromatin dynamics at DNA replication, transcription and repair

During DNA replication, transcription and DNA repair in eukaryotes, the cellular machineries performing these tasks need to gain access to the DNA that is packaged into chromatin in the nucleus. Chromatin is a dynamic structure that modulates the access of regulatory factors to the genetic material. A precise coordination and organization of events in opening and closing of the chromatin is crucial to ensure that the correct spatial and temporal epigenetic code is maintained within the eukaryotic genome. This review will summarize the current knowledge of how chromatin remodeling and histone modifying complexes cooperate to break and remake chromatin during nuclear processes on the DNA template.

E2F-dependent histone acetylation and recruitment of the Tip60 acetyltransferase complex to chromatin in late G1

E2F proteins can either activate or repress transcription. Following mitogenic stimulation, repressive E2F4-p130-histone deacetylase complexes dissociate from, while activating species (E2F1, -2, and -3) associate with, target promoters. Histones H3 and H4 simultaneously become hyperacetylated, but it remains unclear whether this is a prerequisite or a consequence of E2F binding. Here, we show that activating E2F species are required for hyperacetylation of target chromatin in human cells. Overexpression of a dominant-negative (DN) E2F1 mutant in serum-stimulated T98G cells blocked all E2F binding, H4 acetylation, and, albeit partially, H3 acetylation. Target gene activation and S-phase entry were also blocked by DN E2F1. Conversely, ectopic activation of E2F1 rapidly induced H3 and H4 acetylation, demonstrating a direct role for E2F in these events. E2F1 was previously shown to bind the histone acetyltransferases (HATs) p300/CBP and PCAF/GCN5. In our hands, ectopically expressed E2F1 also bound the unrelated HAT Tip60 and induced recruitment of five subunits of the Tip60 complex (Tip60, TRRAP, p400, Tip48, and Tip49) to target promoters in vivo. Moreover, E2F-dependent recruitment of Tip60 to chromatin occurred in late G(1) following serum stimulation. We speculate that the activities of multiple HAT complexes account for E2F-dependent acetylation, transcription, and S-phase entry.

Partition of distinct chromosomal regions: negotiable border and fixed border

Chromosomes are partitioned into distinct functional regions. For example, heterochromatin regions consist of condensed chromatin and contain few transcriptionally active genes, whereas euchromatin regions are less condensed and majority of active genes reside in the euchromatin regions. Because distinct regions reside in each chromosome, borders are accordingly established between these regions. A prevailing view of the borders is that they are 'walls' that actively inhibit communication between distinct regions on chromosomes. Although little is known about the molecular bases of these walls, specific DNA elements are considered to recruit these walls to define the positions of the borders. We call the borders established with this mechanism as 'fixed borders'. Past studies have identified various insulators (boundary DNA elements) that have been suggested to recruit fixed borders to them. Another mechanism, which we introduce and focus on in this review, does not require walls recruited by specific DNA elements at the chromosomal borders. Instead, the borders are defined by a balance of opposing enzymatic activities located at the opposite sides of the resultant borders. We name these borders 'negotiable borders'. Here we review some of the recent progress in the field that offer valuable insight into mechanisms of establishing structural and functional borders on chromosomes.

Structural and functional conservation of the NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complex from yeast to humans

The NuA4 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) multisubunit complex is responsible for acetylation of histone H4 and H2A N-terminal tails in yeast. Its catalytic component, Esa1, is essential for cell cycle progression, gene-specific regulation and has been implicated in DNA repair. Almost all NuA4 subunits have clear homologues in higher eukaryotes, suggesting that the complex is conserved throughout evolution to metazoans. We demonstrate here that NuA4 complexes are indeed present in human cells. Tip60 and its splice variant Tip60b/PLIP were purified as stable HAT complexes associated with identical polypeptides, with 11 of the 12 proteins being homologs of yeast NuA4 subunits. This indicates a highly conserved subunit composition and the identified human proteins underline the role of NuA4 in the control of mammalian cell proliferation. ING3, a member of the ING family of growth regulators, links NuA4 to p53 function which we confirmed in vivo. Proteins specific to the human NuA4 complexes include ruvB-like helicases and a bromodomain-containing subunit linked to ligand-dependent transcription activation by the thyroid hormone receptor. We also demonstrate that subunits MRG15 and DMAP1 are present in distinct protein complexes harboring histone deacetylase and SWI2-related ATPase activities, respectively. Finally, analogous to yeast, a recombinant trimeric complex formed by Tip60, EPC1, and ING3 is sufficient to reconstitute robust nucleosomal HAT activity in vitro. In conclusion, the NuA4 HAT complex is highly conserved in eukaryotes, in which it plays primary roles in transcription, cellular response to DNA damage, and cell cycle control.

Phosphorylation of histone H2A inhibits transcription on chromatin templates

The regulation of gene expression via the histone code has, for the most part, revealed that histone modifications cause the recruitment of adaptor proteins that indirectly regulate the synthesis of RNA. Using purified factors to assemble and modify the chromatin and to transcribe the DNA, we investigated whether modifications of histones may directly impact the RNA polymerase II transcription process. We screened proteins known to modify histones for effects on transcription, and we found that the mitogen- and stress-induced kinase, MSK1, inhibited RNA synthesis. Inhibition of transcription by MSK1 was most sensitive when the template was in chromatin, as naked DNA templates were resistant to the effects of MSK1. We found that MSK1 phosphorylated histone H2A on serine 1, and mutation of serine 1 to alanine blocked the inhibition of transcription by MSK1. Furthermore, we found that acetylation of histone H3 by the p300 and CREB-binding protein associated factor, PCAF, suppressed the kinase-dependent inhibition of transcription. These results suggest that acetylation of histones may stimulate transcription by suppressing an inhibitory phosphorylation by a kinase as MSK1.

Eaf3 regulates the global pattern of histone acetylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a global pattern of histone acetylation in which histone H3 and H4 acetylation levels are lower at protein-coding sequences than at promoter regions. The loss of Eaf3, a subunit of the NuA4 histone acetylase and Rpd3 histone deacetylase complexes, greatly alters the genomic profile of histone acetylation, with the effects on H4 appearing to be more pronounced than those on H3. Specifically, the loss of Eaf3 causes increases in H3 and H4 acetylation at coding sequences and decreases at promoters, such that histone acetylation levels become evenly distributed across the genome. Eaf3 does not affect the overall level of H4 acetylation, the recruitment of the NuA4 catalytic subunit Esa1 to target promoters, or the level of transcription of the genes analyzed for histone acetylation. Whole-genome transcriptional profiling indicates that Eaf3 plays a positive, but quantitatively modest, role in the transcription of a small subset of genes, whereas it has a negative effect on very few genes. We suggest that Eaf3 regulates the genomic profile of histone H3 and H4 acetylation in a manner that does not involve targeted recruitment and is independent of transcriptional activity.

Coregulator-dependent facilitation of chromatin occupancy by GATA-1

Coregulator recruitment by DNA-bound factors results in chromatin modification and protein-protein interactions, which regulate transcription. However, the mechanism by which the Friend of GATA (FOG) coregulator mediates GATA factor-dependent transcription is unknown. We showed previously that GATA-1 replaces GATA-2 at an upstream region of the GATA-2 locus, and that this GATA switch represses GATA-2. Genetic complementation analysis in FOG-1-null hematopoietic precursors revealed that FOG-1 is not required for establishment or maintenance of the active GATA-2 domain, but is critical for the GATA switch. Analysis of GATA factor binding to additional loci also revealed FOG-1-dependent GATA switches. Thus, FOG-1 facilitates chromatin occupancy by GATA-1 at sites bound by GATA-2. We propose that FOG-1 is a prototype of a new class of coregulators termed chromatin occupancy facilitators, which confer coregulation in certain contexts via enhancing trans-acting factor binding to chromatin in vivo.

A human globin enhancer causes both discrete and widespread alterations in chromatin structure

Gene activation requires alteration of chromatin structure to facilitate active transcription complex formation at a gene promoter. Nucleosome remodeling complexes and histone modifying complexes each play unique and interdependent roles in bringing about these changes. The role of distant enhancers in these structural alterations is not well understood. We studied nucleosome remodeling and covalent histone modification mediated by the beta-globin locus control region HS2 enhancer at nucleosome-level resolution throughout a 5.5-kb globin gene model locus in vivo in K562 cells. We compared the transcriptionally active locus to one in which HS2 was inactivated by mutations in the core NF-E2 sites. In contrast to inactive templates, nucleosomes were mobilized in discrete areas of the active locus, including the HS2 core and the proximal promoter. Large differences in restriction enzyme accessibility between the active and inactive templates were limited to the regions of nucleosome mobilization, which subsumed the DNase I hypersensitive sites. In contrast to this discrete pattern, histone H3 and H4 acetylation and H3 K4 methylation were elevated across the entire active locus, accompanied by depletion of linker histone H1. The coding region of the gene differed from the regulatory regions, demonstrating both nucleosome mobilization and histone hyperacetylation, but lacked differences in restriction enzyme accessibility between transcriptionally active and inactive genes. Thus, although the histone modification pattern we observe is consistent with the spreading of histone modifying activity from the distant enhancer, the pattern of nucleosome mobilization is more compatible with direct contact between an enhancer and promoter.