HAT activity is essential for CBP-1-dependent transcription and differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
The p300/CBP family of transcriptional coactivators possesses multiple functional domains, including a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and several activation domains. A number of models have been proposed to account for their roles in transcriptional activation, including interactions with basal transcription machinery and chromatin remodeling. However, individual contributions of these domains to transcriptional activation and their significance in living organisms remain unclear. We addressed the importance of the HAT activity of CBP-1, the worm ortholog of p300/CBP, in Caenorhabditis elegans with three different and complementary approaches. These include allele-specific RNA-mediated interference (RNAi), genetic rescue and the use of a specific chemical inhibitor of the p300/CBP HAT. Our findings demonstrate that HAT activity is of primary importance for CBP-1 to regulate transcription and to promote differentiation during C. elegans embryogenesis.
Victor
Martin
M
Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Bei
Yanxia
Y
Gay
Frederique
F
Calvo
Dominica
D
Mello
Craig
C
Shi
Yang
Y
D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000502:physiology*; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D009154:Mutation; D017354:Point Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000123:Acetyltransferases; C111709:CBP-1 protein, C elegans; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases