An important development in understanding the influence of chromatin on gene regulation has been the finding that DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications lead to the recruitment of protein complexes that regulate transcription. Early interpretations of this phenomenon involved gene regulation reflecting predictive activating or repressing types of modification. However, further exploration reveals that transcription occurs against a backdrop of mixtures of complex modifications, which probably have several roles. Although such modifications were initially thought to be a simple code, a more likely model is of a sophisticated, nuanced chromatin 'language' in which different combinations of basic building blocks yield dynamic functional outcomes.

Recurrent mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and IDH2 have been identified in gliomas, acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) and chondrosarcomas, and share a novel enzymatic property of producing 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG) from α-ketoglutarate1-6. Here we report that 2HG-producing IDH mutants can prevent the histone demethylation that is required for lineage-specific progenitor cells to differentiate into terminally differentiated cells. In tumour samples from glioma patients, IDH mutations were associated with a distinct gene expression profile enriched for genes expressed in neural progenitor cells, and this was associated with increased histone methylation. To test whether the ability of IDH mutants to promote histone methylation contributes to a block in cell differentiation in non-transformed cells, we tested the effect of neomorphic IDH mutants on adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Introduction of either mutant IDH or cell-permeable 2HG was associated with repression of the inducible expression of lineage-specific differentiation genes and a block to differentiation. This correlated with a significant increase in repressive histone methylation marks without observable changes in promoter DNA methylation. Gliomas were found to have elevated levels of similar histone repressive marks. Stable transfection of a 2HG-producing mutant IDH into immortalized astrocytes resulted in progressive accumulation of histone methylation. Of the marks examined, increased H3K9 methylation reproducibly preceded a rise in DNA methylation as cells were passaged in culture. Furthermore, we found that the 2HG-inhibitable H3K9 demethylase KDM4C was induced during adipocyte differentiation, and that RNA-interference suppression of KDM4C was sufficient to block differentiation. Together these data demonstrate that 2HG can inhibit histone demethylation and that inhibition of histone demethylation can be sufficient to block the differentiation of non-transformed cells.

SUMMARY The state of chromatin (the packaging of DNA in eukaryotes) has long been recognized to have major effects on levels of gene expression, and numerous chromatin-altering strategies—including ATP-dependent remodeling and histone modification—are employed in the cell to bring about transcriptional regulation. Of these, histone acetylation is one of the best characterized, as recent years have seen the identification and further study of many histone acetyltransferase (HAT) proteins and their associated complexes. Interestingly, most of these proteins were previously shown to have coactivator or other transcription-related functions. Confirmed and putative HAT proteins have been identified from various organisms from yeast to humans, and they include Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) superfamily members Gcn5, PCAF, Elp3, Hpa2, and Hat1: MYST proteins Sas2, Sas3, Esa1, MOF, Tip60, MOZ, MORF, and HBO1; global coactivators p300 and CREB-binding protein; nuclear receptor coactivators SRC-1, ACTR, and TIF2; TATA-binding protein-associated factor TAFII250 and its homologs; and subunits of RNA polymerase III general factor TFIIIC. The acetylation and transcriptional functions of these HATs and the native complexes containing them (such as yeast SAGA, NuA4, and possibly analogous human complexes) are discussed. In addition, some of these HATs are also known to modify certain nonhistone transcription-related proteins, including high-mobility-group chromatin proteins, activators such as p53, coactivators, and general factors. Thus, we also detail these known factor acetyltransferase (FAT) substrates and the demonstrated or potential roles of their acetylation in transcriptional processes.

Mammalian aging can be delayed with genetic, dietary and pharmacologic approaches. Given that the elderly population is dramatically increasing and that aging is the greatest risk factor for a majority of chronic diseases driving both morbidity and mortality, it is critical to expand Geroscience research directed at extending human healthspan.

The transcriptional adaptor protein Gcn5 has been identified as a nuclear histone acetyltransferase (HAT). Although recombinant yeast Gcn5 efficiently acetylates free histones, it fails to acetylate histones contained in nucleosomes, indicating that additional components are required for acetylation of chromosomal histones. We report here that Gcn5 functions as a catalytic subunit in two high-molecular-mass native HAT complexes, with apparent molecular masses of 0.8 and 1.8 megadalton (MD), respectively, which acetylate nucleosomal histones. Both the 0.8-and 1.8-MD Gcn5-containing complexes cofractionate with Ada2 and are lost in gcn5A, ada2A, or ada3A yeast strains, illustrating that these HAT complexes are bona fide native Ada-transcriptional adaptor complexes. Importantly, the 1.8-MD adaptor/HAT complex also contains Spt gene products that are linked to TATA-binding protein (TBP) function. This complex is lost in spt20/ada5A and spt7A strains and Spt3, Spt7, Spt20/Ada5, Ada2, and Gcn5 all copurify with this nucleosomal HAT complex. Therefore, the 1.8-MD adaptor/HAT complex illustrates an interaction between Ada and Spt gene products and confirms the existence of a complex containing the TBP group of Spt proteins as demonstrated by genetic and biochemical studies. We have named this novel transcription regulatory complex SAGA (_Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyltransferase). The function of Gcn5 as a histone acetyltransferase within the Ada and SAGA adaptor complexes indicates the importance of histone acetylation during steps in transcription activation mediated by interactions with transcription activators and general transcription factors (i.e., TBP).[Key Words." Acetyltransferase; nucleosome; transcription; Spt; Ada; Gcn5] Received March 28, 1997; revised version accepted May 15, 1997.Chromatin structure has an intricate role in the regulation of eukaryotic gene transcription. Nucleosomes suppress basal transcription initiation in vivo and in vitro increasing the dependence of transcription on the function of sequence-specific activator proteins (for review, see Grunstein 1990; Owen-Hughes and Workman 1994). Chromatin structures are remodeled before or during transcription activation generating DNase I hypersensitive regions (DHSs) at transcription control elements (Hager et al. 1995;Steger and Workman 1996;Svaren and Horz 1996). Multiprotein complexes have been impliSCorresponding authors.

Defining the functional relationships between proteins is critical for understanding virtually all aspects of cell biology. Large-scale identification of protein complexes has provided one important step towards this goal; however, even knowledge of the stoichiometry, affinity and lifetime of every protein-protein interaction would not reveal the functional relationships between and within such complexes. Genetic interactions can provide functional information that is largely invisible to protein-protein interaction data sets. Here we present an epistatic miniarray profile (E-MAP) consisting of quantitative pairwise measurements of the genetic interactions between 743 Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes involved in various aspects of chromosome biology (including DNA replication/repair, chromatid segregation and transcriptional regulation). This E-MAP reveals that physical interactions fall into two well-represented classes distinguished by whether or not the individual proteins act coherently to carry out a common function. Thus, genetic interaction data make it possible to dissect functionally multi-protein complexes, including Mediator, and to organize distinct protein complexes into pathways. In one pathway defined here, we show that Rtt109 is the founding member of a novel class of histone acetyltransferases responsible for Asf1-dependent acetylation of histone H3 on lysine 56. This modification, in turn, enables a ubiquitin ligase complex containing the cullin Rtt101 to ensure genomic integrity during DNA replication.

A recent meeting (December 2008) regarding chromatinbased epigenetics was hosted by the Banbury Conference Center and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The intent was to discuss aspects of epigenetic control of genomic function, and to arrive at a consensus definition of ''epigenetics'' to be considered by the broader community. It was evident that multiple mechanistic steps lead to the stable heritance of the epigenetic phenotype. Below we provide our view and interpretation of the proceedings at the meeting.

Blocking Programmed Death–1 (PD-1) can reinvigorate exhausted CD8 Tcells (TEX) and improve control of chronic infections and cancer. However, whether blocking PD-1 can reprogram TEX into durable memory Tcells (TMEM) is unclear. We found that reinvigoration of TEX in mice by PD-L1 blockade caused minimal memory development. After blockade, reinvigorated TEX became reexhausted if antigen concentration remained high and failed to become TMEM upon antigen clearance. TEX acquired an epigenetic profile distinct from that of effector Tcells (TEFF) and TMEM cells that was minimally remodeled after PD-L1 blockade. This finding suggests that TEX are a distinct lineage of CD8 Tcells. Nevertheless, PD-1 pathway blockade resulted in transcriptional rewiring and reengagement of effector circuitry in the TEX epigenetic landscape. These data indicate that epigenetic fate inflexibility may limit current immunotherapies.