title: Dual Role of the Histone Variant H2A.Z in Transcriptional Regulation of Stress-Response Genes.
abstract: The influence of the histone variant H2A.Z on transcription remains a long-standing conundrum. Here, by analyzing theactin-related protein6mutant, which is impaired in H2A.Z deposition, and by H2A.Z profiling in stress conditions, we investigated the impact of this histone variant on gene expression inArabidopsis thalianaWe demonstrate that thearp6mutant exhibits anomalies in response to osmotic stress. Indeed, stress-responsive genes are overrepresented among those hyperactive inarp6.In wild-type plants, these genes exhibit high levels of H2A.Z in the gene body. Furthermore, we observed that in drought-responsive genes, levels of H2A.Z in the gene body correlate with transcript levels. H2A.Z occupancy, but not distribution, changes in parallel with transcriptional changes. In particular, we observed H2A.Z loss upon transcriptional activation and H2A.Z gain upon repression. These data suggest that H2A.Z has a repressive role in transcription and counteracts unwanted expression in noninductive conditions. However, reduced activity of some genes inarp6is associated with distinct behavior of H2A.Z at their +1 nucleosome, which exemplifies the requirement of this histone for transcription. Our data support a model where H2A.Z in gene bodies has a strong repressive effect on transcription, whereas in +1 nucleosomes, it is important for maintaining the activity of some genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Weronika
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0304-3615
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sura
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabza
authors.affiliation: Department of Computational Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Karlowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6154-5213
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bieluszewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kus-Slowinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Pawełoszek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland pzio@amu.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7673-6565
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ziolkowski
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055864:Droughts; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site / Q000502:physiology; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes