H3.3K27M mutant proteins reprogram epigenome by sequestering the PRC2 complex to poised enhancers
- Columbia University, United States
- Mayo Clinic, United States
Abstract
Expression of histone H3.3K27M mutant proteins in human diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) results in a global reduction of tri-methylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3), and paradoxically, H3K27me3 peaks remain at hundreds of genomic loci, a dichotomous change that lacks mechanistic insights. Here we show that the PRC2 complex is sequestered at poised enhancers, but not at active promoters with high levels of H3.3K27M proteins, thereby contributing to the global reduction of H3K27me3. Moreover, the levels of H3.3K27M proteins are low at the retained H3K27me3 peaks and consequently having minimal effects on the PRC2 activity at these loci. H3K27me3-mediated silencing at specific tumor suppressor genes, including Wilms Tumor 1, promotes proliferation of DIPG cells. These results support a model in which the PRC2 complex is redistributed to poised enhancers in H3.3K27M mutant cells and contributes to tumorigenesis in part by locally enhancing H3K27 trimethylation, and hence silencing of tumor suppressor genes.
Data availability
Sequencing data have been deposited in GEO under accession codes GSE94834
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
National Institutes of Health (CA204297)
- Zhiguo Zhang
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Jerry L Workman, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, United States
Version history
- Received: March 15, 2018
- Accepted: June 21, 2018
- Accepted Manuscript published: June 22, 2018 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: July 5, 2018 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2018, Fang et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
Metrics
-
- 4,722
- views
-
- 791
- downloads
-
- 73
- citations
Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife.
Download links
A two-part list of links to download the article, or parts of the article, in various formats.
Downloads (link to download the article as PDF)
Open citations (links to open the citations from this article in various online reference manager services)
Cite this article (links to download the citations from this article in formats compatible with various reference manager tools)
H3.3K27M mutant proteins reprogram epigenome by sequestering the PRC2 complex to poised enhancers
eLife 7:e36696.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.36696
Further reading
-
- Chromosomes and Gene Expression
RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription initiates bidirectionally at many human protein-coding genes. Sense transcription usually dominates and leads to messenger RNA production, whereas antisense transcription rapidly terminates. The basis for this directionality is not fully understood. Here, we show that sense transcriptional initiation is more efficient than in the antisense direction, which establishes initial promoter directionality. After transcription begins, the opposing functions of the endonucleolytic subunit of Integrator, INTS11, and cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) maintain directionality. Specifically, INTS11 terminates antisense transcription, whereas sense transcription is protected from INTS11-dependent attenuation by CDK9 activity. Strikingly, INTS11 attenuates transcription in both directions upon CDK9 inhibition, and the engineered recruitment of CDK9 desensitises transcription to INTS11. Therefore, the preferential initiation of sense transcription and the opposing activities of CDK9 and INTS11 explain mammalian promoter directionality.
-
- Chromosomes and Gene Expression
Tiny animals known as tardigrades use a combination of DNA repair machinery and a novel protein to mend their genome after intense ionizing radiation.
