The bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) protein BRD4 binds to acetylated histones at enhancers and promoters via its bromodomains (BDs) to regulate transcriptional elongation. In human colorectal cancer cells, we found that BRD4 was recruited to enhancers that were co-occupied by mutant p53 and supported the synthesis of enhancer-directed transcripts (eRNAs) in response to chronic immune signaling. BRD4 selectively associated with eRNAs that were produced from BRD4-bound enhancers. Using biochemical and biophysical methods, we found that BRD4 BDs function cooperatively as docking sites for eRNAs and that the BDs of BRD2, BRD3, BRDT, BRG1, and BRD7 directly interact with eRNAs. BRD4-eRNA interactions increased BRD4 binding to acetylated histones in vitro and augmented BRD4 enhancer recruitment and transcriptional cofactor activities. Our results suggest a mechanism by which eRNAs are directly involved in gene regulation by modulating enhancer interactions and transcriptional functions of BRD4.

Inflammation influences cancer development, progression, and the efficacy of cancer treatments, yet the mechanisms by which immune signaling drives alterations in the cancer cell transcriptome remain unclear. Using ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, and GRO-seq, here we demonstrate a global overlap in the binding of tumor-promoting p53 mutants and the master proinflammatory regulator NFκB that drives alterations in enhancer and gene activation in response to chronic TNF-α signaling. We show that p53 mutants interact directly with NFκB and that both factors impact the other’s binding at diverse sets of active enhancers. In turn, the simultaneous and cooperative binding of these factors is required to regulate RNAPII recruitment, the synthesis of enhancer RNAs, and the activation of tumor-promoting genes. Collectively, these findings establish a mechanism by which chronic TNF-α signaling orchestrates a functional interplay between mutant p53 and NFκB that underlies altered patterns of cancer-promoting gene expression.

Summary The genome is organized into topologically associated domains (TAD) that enclose smaller subTADs. Here we identify and characterize an enhancer that is located in the middle of the V gene region of the immunoglobulin kappa light chain (Igκ) locus that becomes active preceding the stage at which this locus undergoes V(D)J recombination. This enhancer is a hub of long-range interactions connecting subTADs in the V gene region with the recombination center at the J genes. Deletion of this element results in a highly altered long-range interaction pattern across the locus and, importantly, affects individual V gene utilization locus-wide. These results indicate the existence of an enhancer-dependent framework in the Igκ locus, and further suggest that the composition of the diverse antibody repertoire is regulated in a subTAD-specific manner. This enhancer thus plays a structural role orchestrating the proper folding of the Igκ locus in preparation for V(D)J recombination.

During developmental progression the genomes of immune cells undergo large-scale changes in chromatin folding. However, insights into signaling pathways and epigenetic control of nuclear architecture remain rudimentary. Here, we found that in activated neutrophils calcium influx rapidly recruited the cohesin-loading factor NIPBL to thousands of active enhancers and promoters to dictate widespread changes in compartment segregation. NIPBL recruitment to enhancers and promoters occurred with distinct kinetics. The induction of NIPBL-binding was coordinate with increased P300, BRG1 and RNA polymerase II occupancy. NIPBL-bound enhancers were associated with NFAT, PU.1, and CEBP cis elements, whereas NIPBL-bound promoters were enriched for GC-rich DNA sequences. Using an acute degradation system, we found that the histone acetyltransferases P300 and CBP maintained H3K27ac abundance and facilitated NIPBL occupancy at enhancers and that active transcriptional elongation is essential to maintain H3K27ac abundance. Chromatin remodelers, containing either of the mutually exclusive BRG1 and BRM ATPases, promoted NIPBL recruitment at active enhancers. Conversely, at active promoters, depletion of BRG1 and BRM showed minimal effect on NIPBL occupancy. Finally, we found that calcium signaling in both primary innate and adaptive immune cells swiftly induced NIPBL occupancy. Collectively, these data reveal how transcriptional regulators, histone acetyltransferases, chromatin remodelers, and transcription elongation promote NIPBL occupancy at active enhancers while the induction of NIPLB occupancy at promoters is primarily associated with GC-rich DNA sequences.

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