Enhancer priming by H3K4 methyltransferase MLL4 controls cell fate transition.

ABSTRACT: Transcriptional enhancers control cell-type-specific gene expression. Primed enhancers are marked by histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) mono/di-methylation (H3K4me1/2). Active enhancers are further marked by H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac). Mixed-lineage leukemia 4 (MLL4/KMT2D) is a major enhancer H3K4me1/2 methyltransferase with functional redundancy with MLL3 (KMT2C). However, its role in cell fate maintenance and transition is poorly understood. Here, we show in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that MLL4 associates with, but is surprisingly dispensable for the maintenance of, active enhancers of cell-identity genes. As a result, MLL4 is dispensable for cell-identity gene expression and self-renewal in ESCs. In contrast, MLL4 is required for enhancer-binding of H3K27 acetyltransferase p300, enhance

SUBMITTER: Wang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5081576 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature