Pair of unusual GCN5 histone acetyltransferases and ADA2 homologues in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii

GCN5 is a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) essential for development in mammals and critical to stress responses in yeast. The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a serious opportunistic pathogen. The study of epigenetics and gene expression in this ancient eukaryote has pharmacological relevance and may facilitate the understanding of these processes in higher eukaryotes. Here we show that the disruption of T. gondii GCN5 yields viable parasites, which were subsequently employed in a proteomics study to identify gene products affected by its loss. Promoter analysis of these TgGCN5-dependent genes, which were mostly parasite specific, reveals a conserved T-rich element. The loss of TgGCN5 does not attenuate virulence in an in vivo mouse model. We also discovered that T. gondii is the only invertebrate reported to date possessing a second GCN5 (TgGCN5-B). TgGCN5-B harbors a strikingly divergent N-terminal domain required for nuclear localization. Despite high homology between the HAT domains, the two TgGCN5s exhibit differing substrate specificities. In contrast to TgGCN5-A, which exclusively targets lysine 18 of H3, TgGCN5-B acetylates multiple lysines in the H3 tail. We also identify two ADA2 homologues that interact differently with the TgGCN5s. TgGCN5-B has the potential to compensate for TgGCN5-A, which probably arose from a gene duplication unique to T. gondii. Our work reveals an unexpected complexity in the GCN5 machinery of this primitive eukaryote.     

Interaction of maize Opaque-2 and the transcriptional co-activators GCN5 and ADA2, in the modulation of transcriptional activity

The FtsH proteases, also called AAA proteases, are membrane-bound ATP-dependent metalloproteases. The Arabidopsis genome contains a total of 12 FtsH-like genes. Two of them, AtFtsH4 and AtFtsH11, encode proteins with a high similarity to Yme1p, a subunit of the i-AAA complex in yeast mitochondria. Phylogenetic analysis groups the AtFtsH4, AtFtsH11 and Yme1 proteins together, with AtFtsH4 being the most similar to Yme1. Using immunological method we demonstrate here that AtFtsH4 is an exclusively mitochondrial protein while AtFtsH11 is found in both chloroplasts and mitochondria. AtFtsH4 and AtFtsH11 proteases are integral parts of the inner mitochondrial membrane and expose their catalytic sites towards the intermembrane space, same as yeast i-AAA. Database searches revealed that orthologs of AtFtsH4 and AtFtsH11 are present in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. The two plant i-AAA proteases differ significantly in their termini: the FtsH4 proteins have a characteristic alanine stretch at the C-terminal end while FtsH11s have long N-terminal extensions. Blue-native gel electrophoresis revealed that AtFtsH4 and AtFtsH11 form at least two complexes with apparent molecular masses of about 1500 kDa. This finding implies that plants, in contrast to fungi and metazoa, have more than one complex with a topology similar to that of yeast i-AAA.     

Site-specific acetylation of ISWI by GCN5

Background  

The tight organisation of eukaryotic genomes as chromatin hinders the interaction of many DNA-binding regulators. The local accessibility of DNA is regulated by many chromatin modifying enzymes, among them the nucleosome remodelling factors. These enzymes couple the hydrolysis of ATP to disruption of histone-DNA interactions, which may lead to partial or complete disassembly of nucleosomes or their sliding on DNA. The diversity of nucleosome remodelling factors is reflected by a multitude of ATPase complexes with distinct subunit composition.     

Acetylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is mediated by GCN5

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), a member of atypical serine/threonine cyclin-dependent kinase family, plays a crucial role in pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders. Its kinase activity and substrate specificity are regulated by several independent pathways including binding with its activator, phosphorylation and S-nitrosylation. In the present study, we report that acetylation of CDK5 comprises an additional posttranslational modification within the cells. Among many candidates, we confirmed that its acetylation is enhanced by GCN5, a member of the GCN5-related N-acetyl-transferase family of histone acetyltransferase. Co-immunoprecipitation assay and fluorescent localization study indicated that GCN5 physically interacts with CDK5 and they are co-localized at the specific nuclear foci. Furthermore, liquid chromatography in conjunction with a mass spectrometry indicated that CDK5 is acetylated at Lys33 residue of ATP binding domain. Considering this lysine site is conserved among a wide range of species and other related cyclin-dependent kinases, therefore, we speculate that acetylation may alter the kinase activity of CDK5 via affecting efficacy of ATP coordination.     

The C-terminal domains of ADA2 proteins determine selective incorporation into GCN5-containing complexes that target histone H3 or H4 for acetylation

ADA2 adaptor proteins are essential subunits of GCN5-containing histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes. In metazoa ADA2a is present in the histone H4-specific ATAC, and ADA2b in the histone H3-specific SAGA complex. Using domain-swapped ADA2 chimeras, we determined that the in vivo function of Drosophila melanogaster SAGA and ATAC HAT complexes depend on the C-terminal region of the ADA2 subunit they contain. Our findings demonstrate that the ADA2 C-terminal regions play an important role in the specific incorporation of ADA2 into SAGA- or ATAC-type complexes, which in turn determines H3- or H4-specific histone targeting.