Michael J. Carrozza

Histone H3 methylation by Set2 directs deacetylation of coding regions by Rpd3S to suppress spurious intragenic transcription

Yeast Rpd3 histone deacetylase plays an important role at actively transcribed genes. We characterized two distinct Rpd3 complexes, Rpd3L and Rpd3S, by MudPIT analysis. Both complexes shared a three subunit core and Rpd3L contains unique subunits consistent with being a promoter targeted corepressor. Rco1 and Eaf3 were subunits specific to Rpd3S. Mutants of RCO1 and EAF3 exhibited increased acetylation in the FLO8 and STE11 open reading frames (ORFs) and the appearance of aberrant transcripts initiating within the body of these ORFs. Mutants in the RNA polymerase II-associated SET2 histone methyltransferase also displayed these defects. Set2 functioned upstream of Rpd3S and the Eaf3 methyl-histone binding chromodomain was important for recruitment of Rpd3S and for deacetylation within the STE11 ORF. These data indicate that Pol II-associated Set2 methylates H3 providing a transcriptional memory which signals for deacetylation of ORFs by Rpd3S. This erases transcription elongation-associated acetylation to suppress intragenic transcription initiation.

The diverse functions of histone acetyltransferase complexes

Although histone acetylation has historically been linked to transcription activation, recent studies indicate that this modification and the enzymes that catalyze it have much broader and diverse functions. Histone acetyltransferase complexes are involved in such diverse processes as transcription activation, gene silencing, DNA repair and cell-cycle progression. The high conservation of the acetyltransferase complexes and their functions illustrates their central role in cell growth and development.

Interaction of the Viral Activator Protein ICP4 with TFIID through TAF250

ICP4 of herpes simplex virus is responsible for the activation of viral transcription during infection. It also efficiently activates and represses transcription in vitro depending on the promoter context. The contacts made between ICP4 and the cellular proteins that result in activated transcription have not been identified. The inability of ICP4 to activate transcription with TATA-binding protein in place of TFIID and the requirement for an initiator element for efficient ICP-4-activated transcription suggest that coactivators, such as TBP-associated factors, are involved (B. Gu and N. DeLuca, J. Virol. 68:7953-7965, 1994). In this study we showed that ICP4 activates transcription in vitro using an immunopurified TFIID, indicating that TBP-associated factors may be a sufficient subset of coactivators for ICP4-activated transcription. Similar to results seen in vivo, the presence of the ICP4 C-terminal region (amino acids 774 to 1298) was important for activation in vitro. With epitope-tagged ICP4 molecules in immunoaffinity experiments, it was shown that the C-terminal region was also required for ICP4 to interact with TFIID present in a crude transcription factor fraction. In the same assay, ICP4 was unable to interact with the basal transcription factors, TFIIB, TFIIE, TFIIF, and TFIIH and RNA polymerase II. ICP4 could also interact with TBP, independent of the C-terminal region. However, reflective of the interaction between ICP4 and TFIID, the ICP4 C-terminal region was required for an interaction with FAF250-TBP complexes and with TAF250 alone. Therefore, the interfaces or conformation of TBP mediating the interaction between ICP4 and TBP in solution is probably masked when TBP is bound to TAF250. With a series of mutant ICP4 molecules purified from herpes simplex virus-infected cells, it was shown that ICP4 molecules that can bind DNA and interact with TAF250 could activate transcription. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ICP4 interaction with TFIID involves the TAF250 molecule and the C-terminal region of ICP4 and that this interaction is part of the mechanism by which ICP4 activates transcription.

Activation domains drive nucleosome eviction by SWI/SNF

ATP‐dependent chromatin remodeling complexes play a critical role in chromatin dynamics. A large number of in vitro studies have pointed towards nucleosome sliding as the principal remodeling outcome of SWI/SNF action, whereas few have described histone octamer transfer as the principal outcome. In contrast, recent in vivo studies have linked the activity of SWI/SNF to histone eviction in trans from gene promoters. In this study, we have found that the chimeric transcription factor Gal4‐VP16 can enhance SWI/SNF histone octamer transfer activity, resulting in targeted histone eviction from a nucleosome probe. This effect is dependent on the presence of the activation domain. We observed that under conditions mimicking the in vivo relative abundance of SWI/SNF with respect to the total number of nucleosomes in a cell nucleus, the accessibility of the transcription factor binding site is the first determinant in the sequence of events leading to nucleosome remodeling. We propose a model mechanism for this transcription factor‐mediated enhancement of SWI/SNF octamer transfer activity.

Sds3 (Suppressor of Defective Silencing 3) Is an Integral Component of the Yeast Sin3·Rpd3 Histone Deacetylase Complex and Is Required for Histone Deacetylase Activity

SDS3 (suppressor of defective silencing 3) was originally identified in a screen for mutations that cause increased silencing of a crippled HMR silencer in arap1 mutant background. In addition, sds3mutants have phenotypes very similar to those seen in sin3and rpd3 mutants, suggesting that it functions in the same genetic pathway. In this manuscript we demonstrate that Sds3p is an integral subunit of a previously identified high molecular weight Rpd3p·Sin3p containing yeast histone deacetylase complex. By analyzing an sds3Δ strain we show that, in the absence of Sds3p, Sin3p can be chromatographically separated from Rpd3p, indicating that Sds3p promotes the integrity of the complex. Moreover, the remaining Rpd3p complex in the sds3Δ strain had little or no histone deacetylase activity. Thus, Sds3p plays important roles in the integrity and catalytic activity of the Rpd3p·Sin3p complex.

Structure and nucleosome interaction of the yeast NuA4 and Piccolo-NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complexes.

We have used EM and biochemistry to characterize the structure of NuA4, an essential yeast histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex conserved throughout eukaryotes, and we have determined the interaction of NuA4 with the nucleosome core particle (NCP). The ATM-related Tra1 subunit, which is shared with the SAGA coactivator complex, forms a large domain joined to a second region that accommodates the catalytic subcomplex Piccolo and other NuA4 subunits. EM analysis of a NuA4–NCP complex shows the NCP bound at the periphery of NuA4. EM characterization of Piccolo and Piccolo–NCP provided further information about subunit organization and confirmed that histone acetylation requires minimal contact with the NCP. A small conserved region at the N terminus of Piccolo subunit enhancer of Polycomb-like 1 (Epl1) is essential for NCP interaction, whereas the subunit yeast homolog of mammalian Ing1 2 (Yng2) apparently positions Piccolo for efficient acetylation of histone H4 or histone H2A tails. Taken together, these results provide an understanding of the NuA4 subunit organization and the NuA4–NCP interactions.

In vitro targeting reveals intrinsic histone tail specificity of the Sin3/histone deacetylase and N-CoR/SMRT corepressor complexes.

ABSTRACT The histone code is among others established via differential acetylation catalyzed by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). To unambiguously determine the histone tail specificity of HDAC-containing complexes, we have established an in vitro system consisting of nucleosomal templates reconstituted with hyperacetylated histones or recombinant histones followed by acetylation with native SAGA or NuA4. Selective targeting of the mammalian Sin3/HDAC and N-CoR/SMRT corepressor complexes by using specific chimeric repressors created a near physiological setting to assess their histone tail specificity. Recruitment of the Sin3/HDAC complex to nucleosomal templates preacetylated with SAGA or NuA4 resulted in deacetylation of histones H3 and H4, whereas recruitment of N-CoR/SMRT resulted in deacetylation of histone H3 only. These results provide solid evidence that HDAC-containing complexes display distinct, intrinsic histone tail specificities and hence may function differently to regulate chromatin structure and transcription.

Base excision repair and design of small molecule inhibitors of human DNA polymerase β.

Base excision repair (BER) can protect a cell after endogenous or exogenous genotoxic stress, and a deficiency in BER can render a cell hypersensitive to stress-induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death, mutagenesis, and chromosomal rearrangements. However, understanding of the mammalian BER system is not yet complete as it is extraordinarily complex and has many back-up processes that complement a deficiency in any one step. Due of this lack of information, we are unable to make accurate predictions on therapeutic approaches targeting BER. A deeper understanding of BER will eventually allow us to conduct more meaningful clinical interventions. In this review, we will cover historical and recent information on mammalian BER and DNA polymerase β and discuss approaches toward development and use of small molecule inhibitors to manipulate BER. With apologies to others, we will emphasize results obtained in our laboratory and those of our collaborators.

Determining Protein Complex Connectivity Using a Probabilistic Deletion Network Derived from Quantitative Proteomics

Protein complexes are key molecular machines executing a variety of essential cellular processes. Despite the availability of genome-wide protein-protein interaction studies, determining the connectivity between proteins within a complex remains a major challenge. Here we demonstrate a method that is able to predict the relationship of proteins within a stable protein complex. We employed a combination of computational approaches and a systematic collection of quantitative proteomics data from wild-type and deletion strain purifications to build a quantitative deletion-interaction network map and subsequently convert the resulting data into an interdependency-interaction model of a complex. We applied this approach to a data set generated from components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rpd3 histone deacetylase complexes, which consists of two distinct small and large complexes that are held together by a module consisting of Rpd3, Sin3 and Ume1. The resulting representation reveals new protein-protein interactions and new submodule relationships, providing novel information for mapping the functional organization of a complex.

PARP inhibition during alkylation-induced genotoxic stress signals a cell cycle checkpoint response mediated by ATM.

By limiting cell cycle progression following detection of DNA damage, checkpoints are critical for cell survival and genome stability. Methylated DNA damage, when combined with inhibition of PARP activity, results in an ATR-dependent S phase delay of the cell cycle. Here, we demonstrate that another checkpoint kinase, ATM, also is involved in the DNA damage response following treatment with a sub-lethal concentration of MMS combined with the PARP inhibitor 4-AN. Both ATM and PARP activities are important for moderating cellular sensitivity to MMS. Loss of ATM activity, or that of its downstream effector Chk2, limited the duration of the S phase delay. The combination of MMS and 4-AN resulted in ATM and Chk2 phosphorylation and the time course of phosphorylation for both kinases correlated with the S phase delay. Chk2 phosphorylation was reduced in the absence of ATM activity. The Chk2 phosphorylation that remained in the absence of ATM appeared to be dependent on ATR and DNA-PK. The results demonstrate that, following initiation of base excision repair and inhibition of PARP activity, ATM activation is critical for preventing the cell from progressing through S phase, and for protection against MMS-induced cytotoxicity.