Methylation specifies distinct estrogen-induced binding site repertoires of CBP to chromatin

Genes Dev. 2011 Jun 1;25(11):1132-46. doi: 10.1101/gad.619211.

Abstract

Multiple signaling pathways ultimately modulate the epigenetic information embedded in the chromatin of gene promoters by recruiting epigenetic enzymes. We found that, in estrogen-regulated gene programming, the acetyltransferase CREB-binding protein (CBP) is specifically and exclusively methylated by the coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase (CARM1) in vivo. CARM1-dependent CBP methylation and p160 coactivators were required for estrogen-induced recruitment to chromatin targets. Notably, methylation increased the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity of CBP and stimulated its autoacetylation. Comparative genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) studies revealed a variety of patterns by which p160, CBP, and methyl-CBP (meCBP) are recruited (or not) by estrogen to chromatin targets. Moreover, significant target gene-specific variation in the recruitment of (1) the p160 RAC3 protein, (2) the fraction of a given meCBP species within the total CBP, and (3) the relative recruitment of different meCBP species suggests the existence of a target gene-specific "fingerprint" for coregulator recruitment. Crossing ChIP-seq and transcriptomics profiles revealed the existence of meCBP "hubs" within the network of estrogen-regulated genes. Together, our data provide evidence for an unprecedented mechanism by which CARM1-dependent CBP methylation results in gene-selective association of estrogen-recruited meCBP species with different HAT activities and specifies distinct target gene hubs, thus diversifying estrogen receptor programming.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Binding Sites
  • CREB-Binding Protein / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromatin / metabolism*
  • Coenzymes / metabolism
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha / metabolism
  • Estrogens / metabolism*
  • Estrogens / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation* / drug effects
  • Genome / genetics
  • Histone Acetyltransferases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Methylation
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / metabolism

Substances

  • Chromatin
  • Coenzymes
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Estrogens
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases
  • coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1
  • CREB-Binding Protein
  • Histone Acetyltransferases