Phosphorylation of histone H3.3 at serine 31 promotes p300 activity and enhancer acetylation.

ABSTRACT: The histone variant H3.3 is enriched at enhancers and active genes, as well as repeat regions such as telomeres and retroelements, in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs)^1-3. Although recent studies demonstrate a role for H3.3 and its chaperones in establishing heterochromatin at repeat regions^4-8, the function of H3.3 in transcription regulation has been less clear^9-16. Here, we find that H3.3-specific phosphorylation^17-19 stimulates activity of the acetyltransferase p300 in trans, suggesting that H3.3 acts as a nucleosomal cofactor for p300. Depletion of H3.3 from mESCs reduces acetylation on histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27ac) at enhancers. Compared with wild-type cells, those lacking H3.3 demonstrate reduced capacity to acetylate enhancers that a

SUBMITTER: Martire S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6598431 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature