Work

Two Saccharomyces cerevisiae JmjC Domain Proteins Demethylate Histone H3 Lys36 in Transcribed Regions to Promote Elongation

Year: 2007

Type: article

Abstract: Histone methylation is a reversible modification regulated by the antagonistic functions of residue-specific histone methyltransferases and demethylases. Although methylation of histone H3 at lysines 4 and 36 is linked to transcription, the roles of histone demethylases in transcription regulation are not understood. Here we show that overexpression of either Jhd1 or Rph1, two JmjC-domain proteins, bypasses the requirement for the positive elongation factor gene BUR1. Biochemical analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Rph1 functions as a specific demethylase for H3 K36me3 and K36me2, directly regulating Lys(36) methylation in transcribed regions. Both Jhd1 and Rph1 are required for normal levels of RNA polymerase II cross-linking to genes. Taken together, these findings indicate that a general function of histone demethylases for H3 Lys(36) is to promote transcription elongation by antagonizing repressive Lys(36) methylation by Set2.

Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry

DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m703034200

Authors: TaeSoo Kim, Stephen Buratowski

Institution: Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,430

Funders: Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences