title: Histone chaperone ASF1 is involved in gene transcription activation in response to heat stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: ANTI-SILENCING FUNCTION 1 (ASF1) is an evolutionarily conserved histone chaperone involved in diverse chromatin-based processes in eukaryotes. Yet, its role in transcription and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely elusive, particularly in plants. Here, we show that the A rabidopsis thaliana ASF1 homologous genes, AtASF1A and AtASF1B, are involved in gene transcription activation in response to heat stress. The A tasf1ab mutant displays defective basal as well as acquired thermotolerance phenotypes. Heat-induced expression of several key genes, including the HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN (HSP) genes Hsp101, Hsp70, Hsa32, Hsp17.6A and Hsp17.6B-CI, and the HEAT SHOCK FACTOR (HSF) gene HsfA2 but not HsfB1 is drastically impaired in Atasf1ab as compared with that in wild type. We found that AtASF1A/B proteins are recruited onto chromatin, and their enrichment is correlated with nucleosome removal and RNA polymerase II accumulation at the promoter and coding regions of HsfA2 and Hsa32 but not HsfB1. Moreover, AtASF1A/B facilitate H3K56 acetylation (H3K56ac), which is associated with HsfA2 and Hsa32 activation. Taken together, our study unravels an important function of AtASF1A/B in plant heat stress response and suggests that AtASF1A/B participate in transcription activation of some but not all HSF and HSP genes via nucleosome removal and H3K56ac stimulation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, International Associated Laboratory of CNRS-Fudan-HUNAU on Plant Epigenome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 20043, China.
authors.forename: Minjie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Haiyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Zongde
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Aiwu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D000076249:Heat Shock Transcription Factors; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000235:genetics*; D056488:Histone Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011485:Protein Binding; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C000596154:ASF1A protein, Arabidopsis; C000596155:ASF1B protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000620134:HSFA2 protein, Arabidopsis; C000620135:HSFB1 protein, Arabidopsis; D000076249:Heat Shock Transcription Factors; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D056488:Histone Chaperones; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D010940:Plant Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D008239:Lysine
keywords: ANTI-SILENCING FUNCTION 1; transcription regulation