title: Crosstalk between C/EBPbeta phosphorylation, arginine methylation, and SWI/SNF/Mediator implies an indexing transcription factor code.
abstract: Cellular signalling cascades regulate the activity of transcription factors that convert extracellular information into gene regulation. C/EBPbeta is a ras/MAPkinase signal-sensitive transcription factor that regulates genes involved in metabolism, proliferation, differentiation, immunity, senescence, and tumourigenesis. The protein arginine methyltransferase 4 PRMT4/CARM1 interacts with C/EBPbeta and dimethylates a conserved arginine residue (R3) in the C/EBPbeta N-terminal transactivation domain, as identified by mass spectrometry of cell-derived C/EBPbeta. Phosphorylation of the C/EBPbeta regulatory domain by ras/MAPkinase signalling abrogates the interaction between C/EBPbeta and PRMT4/CARM1. Differential proteomic screening, protein interaction studies, and mutational analysis revealed that methylation of R3 constraines interaction with SWI/SNF and Mediator complexes. Mutation of the R3 methylation site alters endogenous myeloid gene expression and adipogenic differentiation. Thus, phosphorylation of the transcription factor C/EBPbeta couples ras signalling to arginine methylation and regulates the interaction of C/EBPbeta with epigenetic gene regulatory protein complexes during cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kowenz-Leutz
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pless
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dittmar
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knoblich
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leutz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011484:Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; C445179:SWI-SNF-B chromatin-remodeling complex; D014157:Transcription Factors; D001120:Arginine; D011484:Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases; C119966:coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1