Histone crosstalk directed by H2B ubiquitination is required for chromatin boundary integrity

Genomic maps of chromatin modifications have provided evidence for the partitioning of genomes into domains of distinct chromatin states, which assist coordinated gene regulation. The maintenance of chromatin domain integrity can require the setting of boundaries. The HS4 insulator element marks the 3' boundary of a heterochromatin region located upstream of the chicken β-globin gene cluster. Here we show that HS4 recruits the E3 ligase RNF20/BRE1A to mediate H2B mono-ubiquitination (H2Bub1) at this insulator. Knockdown experiments show that RNF20 is required for H2Bub1 and processive H3K4 methylation. Depletion of RNF20 results in a collapse of the active histone modification signature at the HS4 chromatin boundary, where H2Bub1, H3K4 methylation, and hyperacetylation of H3, H4, and H2A.Z are rapidly lost. A remarkably similar set of events occurs at the HSA/HSB regulatory elements of the FOLR1 gene, which mark the 5' boundary of the same heterochromatin region. We find that persistent H2Bub1 at the HSA/HSB and HS4 elements is required for chromatin boundary integrity. The loss of boundary function leads to the sequential spreading of H3K9me2, H3K9me3, and H4K20me3 over the entire 50 kb FOLR1 and β-globin region and silencing of FOLR1 expression. These findings show that the HSA/HSB and HS4 boundary elements direct a cascade of active histone modifications that defend the FOLR1 and β-globin gene loci from the pervasive encroachment of an adjacent heterochromatin domain. We propose that many gene loci employ H2Bub1-dependent boundaries to prevent heterochromatin spreading.     

多巴胺通过促进RNF20降解抑制神经细胞中组蛋白H2B泛素化

表观遗传修饰参与了药物成瘾的形成过程,而在药物成瘾过程中组蛋白泛素化水平的变化仍未可知。药物成瘾过程中常表现为多巴胺(dopamine, DA)表达量的升高,因此本研究欲探讨多巴胺升高对神经细胞组蛋白泛素化的影响及其机制。Western印迹结果显示,在终浓度0.8 mmol/L的多巴胺作用8 h后,人神经母细胞瘤细胞系SH-SY5Y细胞中环指蛋白20(ring finger protein 20, RNF20)表达量降低(0.29±0.032 vs. 1.0±0.025,P<0.0001),泛素化组蛋白H2B(H2Bub1)表达量下降(0.28±0.032 vs. 1.0±0.017,P<0.0001)。但是RT-PCR结果显示,多巴胺处理SH-SY5Y细胞后,RNF20在mRNA水平的表达无明显变化。在SH-SY5Y细胞中沉默RNF20的表达,H2Bub1在蛋白质水平的表达明显降低(0.20±0.069 vs. 1.0±0.060,P=0.001)。在加入多巴胺的基础上,分别加入蛋白酶体抑制剂MG132、自噬体形成抑制剂3-MA以及空泡型H^+-ATP酶特异性抑制剂Baf-A1等药物来检测RNF20的降解途径,结果发现,加入MG132、3-MA以及Baf-A1后,RNF20表达量均比DA处理组显著上升(1.51±0.095,P=0.0003; 0.89±0.075,P=0.0021; 2.74±0.099,P<0.0001;vs. 0.27±0.044)。上述结果表明,在SH-SY5Y细胞中,RNF20对H2Bub1具有调控作用,多巴胺可通过泛素化及自噬两种途径促进RNF20降解,从而抑制组蛋白H2B泛素化。     

Mitotic Accumulation of Dimethylated Lysine 79 of Histone H3 Is Important for Maintaining Genome Integrity During Mitosis in Human Cells

The loss of genome stability is an early event that drives the development and progression of virtually all tumor types. Recent studies have revealed that certain histone post-translational modifications exhibit dynamic and global increases in abundance that coincide with mitosis and exhibit essential roles in maintaining genomic stability. Histone H2B ubiquitination at lysine 120 (H2Bub1) is regulated by RNF20, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is altered in many tumor types. Through an evolutionarily conserved trans-histone pathway, H2Bub1 is an essential prerequisite for subsequent downstream dimethylation events at lysines 4 (H3K4me2) and 79 (H3K79me2) of histone H3. Although the role that RNF20 plays in tumorigenesis has garnered much attention, the downstream components of the trans-histone pathway, H3K4me2 and H3K79me2, and their potential contributions to genome stability remain largely overlooked. In this study, we employ single-cell imaging and biochemical approaches to investigate the spatial and temporal patterning of RNF20, H2Bub1, H3K4me2, and H3K79me2 throughout the cell cycle, with a particular focus on mitosis. We show that H2Bub1, H3K4me2, and H3K79me2 exhibit distinct temporal progression patterns throughout the cell cycle. Most notably, we demonstrate that H3K79me2 is a highly dynamic histone post-translational modification that reaches maximal abundance during mitosis in an H2Bub1-independent manner. Using RNAi and chemical genetic approaches, we identify DOT1L as a histone methyltransferase required for the mitotic-associated increases in H3K79me2. We also demonstrate that the loss of mitotic H3K79me2 levels correlates with increases in chromosome numbers and increases in mitotic defects. Collectively, these data suggest that H3K79me2 dynamics during mitosis are normally required to maintain genome stability and further implicate the loss of H3K79me2 during mitosis as a pathogenic event that contributes to the development and progression of tumors.     

Nucleosome Acidic Patch Promotes RNF168- and RING1B/BMI1-Dependent H2AX and H2A Ubiquitination and DNA Damage Signaling

Histone ubiquitinations are critical for the activation of the DNA damage response (DDR). In particular, RNF168 and RING1B/BMI1 function in the DDR by ubiquitinating H2A/H2AX on Lys-13/15 and Lys-118/119, respectively. However, it remains to be defined how the ubiquitin pathway engages chromatin to provide regulation of ubiquitin targeting of specific histone residues. Here we identify the nucleosome acid patch as a critical chromatin mediator of H2A/H2AX ubiquitination (ub). The acidic patch is required for RNF168- and RING1B/BMI1-dependent H2A/H2AXub in vivo. The acidic patch functions within the nucleosome as nucleosomes containing a mutated acidic patch exhibit defective H2A/H2AXub by RNF168 and RING1B/BMI1 in vitro. Furthermore, direct perturbation of the nucleosome acidic patch in vivo by the expression of an engineered acidic patch interacting viral peptide, LANA, results in defective H2AXub and RNF168-dependent DNA damage responses including 53BP1 and BRCA1 recruitment to DNA damage. The acidic patch therefore is a critical nucleosome feature that may serve as a scaffold to integrate multiple ubiquitin signals on chromatin to compose selective ubiquitinations on histones for DNA damage signaling.