Transcription factor interaction with COMPASS-like complex regulates histone H3K4 trimethylation for specific gene expression in plants.
Accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which activates a set of ER membrane-associated transcription factors for protein homeostasis regulation. Previous genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis shows a strong correlation between histone H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and active gene expression. However, how the histone modification complex is specifically and timely recruited to the active promoters remains unknown. Using ER stress responsive gene expression as a model system, we demonstrate that sequence-specific transcription factors interact with COMPASS-like components and affect H3K4me3 formation at specific target sites in Arabidopsis. Gene profiling analysis reveals that membrane-associated basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors bZIP28 and bZIP60 regulate most of the ER stress responsive genes. Loss-of-functions of bZIP28 and bZIP60 impair the occupancy of H3K4me3 on promoter regions of ER stress responsive genes. Further, in vitro pull-down assays and in vivo bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments show that bZIP28 and bZIP60 interact with Ash2 and WDR5a, both of which are core COMPASS-like components. Knockdown expression of either Ash2 or WDR5a decreased the expression of several ER stress responsive genes. The COMPASS-like complex is known to interact with histone methyltransferase to facilitate preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly and generate H3K4me3 during transcription elongation. Thus, our data shows that the ER stress stimulus causes the formation of PIC and deposition of H3K4me3 mark at specific promoters through the interaction between transcription factor and COMPASS-like components.
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; and.
Ze-Ting
ZT
Song
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; and.
Le
L
Sun
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; and.
Sun-Jie
SJ
Lu
College of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
Yongke
Y
Tian
College of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
Yong
Y
Ding
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; and jianxiangliu@fudan.edu.cn.
Jian-Xiang
JX
Liu
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000502:physiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology*; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D061785:Transcription Initiation, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006657:Histones; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; C544385:WDR5a protein, Arabidopsis; C530495:bZIP28 protein, Arabidopsis; C533092:bZIP60 protein, Arabidopsis
COMPASS-like; ER stress; H3K4 trimethylation; transcription factor; unfolded protein response