Summary Histone H3K4 methylation is associated with active genes and, along with H3K27 methylation, is part of a bivalent chromatin mark that typifies poised developmental genes in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, its functional roles in ESC maintenance and differentiation are not established. Here we show that mammalian Dpy-30, a core subunit of the SET1/MLL histone methyltransferase complexes, modulates H3K4 methylation in vitro, and directly regulates chromosomal H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) throughout the mammalian genome. Depletion of Dpy-30 does not affect ESC self-renewal, but significantly alters the differentiation potential of ESCs, particularly along the neural lineage. The differentiation defect is accompanied by defects in gene induction and in H3K4 methylation at key developmental loci. Our results strongly indicate an essential functional role for Dpy-30 and SET1/MLL complex-mediated H3K4 methylation, as a component of the bivalent mark, at developmental genes during the ESC fate transitions.

SUMMARY Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) regulates pluripotency, differentiation and tumorigenesis through catalysis of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) on chromatin. However, the mechanisms that underlie PRC2 recruitment and spreading on chromatin remain unclear. Here we report that histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3)-binding activity is harbored in the Tudor motifs of PRC2-associated polycomblike (PCL) proteins PHF1/PCL1 and PHF19/PCL3. Ectopically expressed PHF1 induced Tudor-dependent stabilization of PRC2 complexes on bulk chromatin and mediated spreading of PRC2 and H3K27me3 into H3K36me3-containing chromatin regions. In murine pluripotent stem cells, we identified coexistence of H3K36me3, H3K27me3, and PHF19/PCL3 at a subset of ‘poised’ developmental genes, and demonstrated that PHF19/PCL3 Tudor function is required for optimal H3K27me3 and repression of these loci. Collectively, our data suggest that PCL recognition of H3K36me3 promotes intrusion of PRC2 complexes into active chromatin regions to promote gene silencing and modulate the chromatin landscape during development.

Transcription factors are frequently altered in leukaemia through chromosomal translocation, mutation or aberrant expression1. AML1-ETO, a fusion protein generated by the t(8;21) translocation in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), is a transcription factor implicated in both gene repression and activation2. AML1-ETO oligomerization, mediated by the NHR2 domain, is critical for leukaemogenesis3–6, making it important to identify coregulatory factors that “read” the NHR2 oligomerization and contribute to leukaemogenesis4. We now show that, in leukaemic cells, AML1-ETO resides in and functions through a stable protein complex (AETFC) that contains several haematopoietic transcription (co)factors. These AETFC components stabilize the complex through multivalent interactions, provide multiple DNA-binding domains for diverse target genes, colocalize genome-wide, cooperatively regulate gene expression, and contribute to leukaemogenesis. Within the AETFC complex, AML1-ETO oligomerization is required for a specific interaction between the oligomerized NHR2 domain and a novel NHR2-binding (N2B) motif in E proteins. Crystallographic analysis of the NHR2-N2B complex reveals a unique interaction pattern in which an N2B peptide makes direct contact with side chains of two NHR2 domains as a dimer, providing a novel model of how dimeric/oligomeric transcription factors create a new protein-binding interface through dimerization/oligomerization. Intriguingly, disruption of this interaction by point mutations abrogates AML1-ETO–induced haematopoietic stem/progenitor cell self-renewal and leukaemogenesis. These results reveal new mechanisms of action of AML1-ETO and a potential therapeutic target in t(8;21)+ AML.

SUMMARY Studying 830 pre-B ALL cases from four clinical trials, we found that human ALL can be divided into two fundamentally distinct subtypes based on pre-BCR function. While absent in the majority of ALL cases, tonic pre-BCR signaling was found in 112 cases (13.5%). In these cases, tonic pre-BCR signaling induced activation of BCL6, which in turn increased pre-BCR signaling output at the transcriptional level. Interestingly, inhibition of pre-BCR-related tyrosine kinases reduced constitutive BCL6 expression and selectively killed patient-derived pre-BCR+ ALL cells. These findings identify a genetically and phenotypically distinct subset of human ALL that critically depends on tonic pre-BCR signaling. In vivo treatment studies suggested that pre-BCR tyrosine kinase inhibitors are useful for the treatment of patients with pre-BCR+ ALL.

SUMMARY The H3K4me3 mark in chromatin is closely correlated with actively transcribed genes, although the mechanisms involved in its generation and function are not fully understood. In vitro studies with recombinant chromatin and purified human factors demonstrate a robust SET1 complex (SET1C)-mediated H3K4 trimethylation that is dependent upon p53- and p300-mediated H3 acetylation, a corresponding SET1C-mediated enhancement of p53- and p300-dependent transcription that reflects a primary effect of SET1C through H3K4 trimethylation, and direct SET1C-p53 and SET1C-p300 interactions indicative of a targeted recruitment mechanism. Complementary cell-based assays demonstrate a DNA-damage-induced p53-SET1C interaction, a corresponding enrichment of SET1C and H3K4me3 on a p53 target gene (p21/WAF1), and a corresponding codependency of H3K4 trimethylation and transcription upon p300 and SET1C. These results establish a mechanism in which SET1C and p300 act cooperatively, through direct interactions and coupled histone modifications, to facilitate the function of p53.

SUMMARY DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) is frequently mutated in hematological cancers; however, the underlying oncogenic mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that DNMT3A mutational hotspot at Arg882 (DNMT3AR882H) cooperates with NRAS mutation to transform hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and induce acute leukemia development. Mechanistically, DNMT3AR882H directly binds to and potentiates transactivation of stemness genes critical for leukemogenicity including Meis1, Mn1 and Hoxa gene cluster. DNMT3AR882H induces focal epigenetic alterations, including CpG hypomethylation and concurrent gain of active histone modifications, at cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers to facilitate gene transcription. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ablation of a putative Meis1 enhancer carrying DNMT3AR882H-induced DNA hypomethylation impairs Meis1 expression. Importantly, DNMT3AR882H-induced gene expression programs can be repressed through Dot1l inhibition, providing an attractive therapeutic strategy for DNMT3A-mutated leukemias.

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Genetic lesions such as BCR-ABL1, E2A-PBX1 and MLL rearrangements (MLLr) are associated with unfavorable outcomes in adult B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Leukemia oncoproteins may directly or indirectly disrupt cytosine methylation patterning to mediate the malignant phenotype. We postulated that DNA methylation signatures in these aggressive B-ALLs would point towards disease mechanisms and useful biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We therefore performed DNA methylation and gene expression profiling on a cohort of 215 adult B-ALL patients enrolled in a single phase III clinical trial (ECOG E2993) and normal control B-cells. In BCR-ABL1-positive B-ALL, aberrant cytosine methylation patterning centered around a cytokine network defined by hypomethylation and overexpression of IL2RA(CD25). The E2993 trial clinical data showed that CD25 expression was strongly associated with a poor outcome in ALL patients regardless of BCR-ABL1 status, suggesting CD25 as a novel prognostic biomarker for risk stratification in B-ALL. In E2A-PBX1-positive B-ALL, aberrant DNA methylation patterning was strongly associated with direct fusion protein binding as shown by the E2A-PBX1 ChIP sequencing (ChIP-seq), suggesting that E2A-PBX1 fusion protein directly remodels the epigenome to impose an aggressive B-ALL phenotype. MLLr B-ALL featured prominent cytosine hypomethylation, which was linked with MLL fusion protein binding, H3K79 dimethylation and transcriptional upregulation, affecting a set of known and newly identified MLL fusion direct targets with oncogenic activity such as FLT3 and BCL6. Notably, BCL6 blockade or loss of function suppressed proliferation and survival of MLLr leukemia cells, suggesting BCL6 targeted therapy as a new therapeutic strategy for MLLr B-ALL.