scholarly journals Not just a writer: PRC2 as a chromatin reader

Author(s):  
Michael Uckelmann ◽  
Chen Davidovich

PRC2 deposits the H3K27me3 repressive mark, which facilitates transcription repression of developmental genes. The decision of whether a particular gene is silenced at a given point during development is heavily dependent on the chromatin context. More than just a simple epigenetic writer, PRC2 employs several distinct chromatin reading capabilities to sense the local chromatin environment and modulate the H3K27me3 writer activity in a context-dependent manner. Here we discuss the complex interplay of PRC2 with the hallmarks of active and repressive chromatin, how it affects H3K27me3 deposition and how it guides transcriptional activity.

2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 79-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin F. Majdalawieh ◽  
Hyo-Sung Ro

Background: Foam cell formation resulting from disrupted macrophage cholesterol efflux, which is triggered by PPARγ1 and LXRα, is a hallmark of atherosclerosis. Sesamin and sesame oil exert anti-atherogenic effects in vivo. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying such effects are not fully understood. Aim: This study examines the potential effects of sesamin (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 μM) on PPARγ1 and LXRα expression and transcriptional activity as well as macrophage cholesterol efflux. Methods: PPARγ1 and LXRα expression and transcriptional activity are assessed by luciferase reporter assays. Macrophage cholesterol efflux is evaluated by ApoAI-specific cholesterol efflux assays. Results: The 50 μM, 75 μM, and 100 μM concentrations of sesamin up-regulated the expression of PPARγ1 (p< 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively) and LXRα (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively) in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, 75 μM and 100 μM concentrations of sesamin led to 5.2-fold (p < 0.001) and 6.0-fold (p<0.001) increases in PPAR transcriptional activity and 3.9-fold (p< 0.001) and 4.2-fold (p < 0.001) increases in LXR transcriptional activity, respectively, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner via MAPK signaling. Consistently, 50 μM, 75 μM, and 100 μM concentrations of sesamin improved macrophage cholesterol efflux by 2.7-fold (p < 0.001), 4.2-fold (p < 0.001), and 4.2-fold (p < 0.001), respectively, via MAPK signaling. Conclusion: Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanism(s) underlying sesamin’s anti-atherogenic effects, which seem to be due, at least in part, to its ability to up-regulate PPARγ1 and LXRα expression and transcriptional activity, improving macrophage cholesterol efflux. We anticipate that sesamin may be used as a therapeutic agent for treating atherosclerosis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (27) ◽  
pp. 12345-12350 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Taubenfeld ◽  
E. V. Muravieva ◽  
A. Garcia-Osta ◽  
C. M. Alberini

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Schneikert ◽  
Annette Grohmann ◽  
Jürgen Behrens

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Rony Chidiac ◽  
Chantal Delisle ◽  
Jean-Philippe Gratton

ABSTRACT Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) modulates many functions in endothelial cells. S-nitrosylation (SNO) of cysteine residues on β-catenin by eNOS-derived NO has been shown to influence intercellular contacts between endothelial cells. However, the implication of SNO in the regulation of β-catenin transcriptional activity is ill defined. Here, we report that NO inhibits the transcriptional activity of β-catenin and endothelial cell proliferation induced by activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Interestingly, induction by Wnt3a of β-catenin target genes, such as the axin2 gene, is repressed in an eNOS-dependent manner by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We identified Cys466 of β-catenin as a target for SNO by eNOS-derived NO and as the critical residue for the repressive effects of NO on β-catenin transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we observed that Cys466 of β-catenin, located at the binding interface of the β-catenin–TCF4 transcriptional complex, is essential for disruption of this complex by NO. Importantly, Cys466 of β-catenin is necessary for the inhibitory effects of NO on Wnt3a-stimulated proliferation of endothelial cells. Thus, our data define the mechanism responsible for the repressive effects of NO on the transcriptional activity of β-catenin and link eNOS-derived NO to the modulation by VEGF of Wnt/β-catenin-induced endothelial cell proliferation.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 5099-5107 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Koyano-Nakagawa ◽  
J Nishida ◽  
D Baldwin ◽  
K Arai ◽  
T Yokota

The CT/GC-rich region (-76 to -47) is one transcriptional regulatory region of the interleukin-3 (IL-3) gene which confers basic transcriptional activity and responds to trans-activation by human T-cell leukemia virus type I-encoded Tax. We isolated three types of cDNAs encoding Cys2/His2-type zinc finger proteins that bind to this region. Two were identical to known transcription factors, EGR1 and EGR2, and the other clone, named DB1, encoded a novel protein of 516 amino acids with six zinc finger motifs. DB1 mRNA was present in human tissues, ubiquitously. Two constitutive transcripts of 4.0 and 4.8 kb in length were present in Jurkat cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, with specific antibodies, showed that DB1 constitutively binds to this region whereas EGR1 binds in a T-cell activation-dependent manner. Overexpression of DB1 in Jurkat cells had no detectable effect on the transcription activity of the IL-3 promoter, in a transient-transfection assay. EGR1 and EGR2 increased IL-3 promoter activity when the transfected cells were stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and A23187. When DB1 was cotransfected with a Tax expression vector, transcription activity of the IL-3 promoter induced by Tax was significantly increased, while EGR1 and EGR2 were without effect. These results suggest that EGR1 has a role in inducible transcription of the IL-3 gene, while DB1 sustains basal transcriptional activity and also cooperates with Tax to activate the IL-3 promoter.


2007 ◽  
Vol 104 (48) ◽  
pp. 19011-19016 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Andrabi ◽  
O. V. Gjoerup ◽  
J. A. Kean ◽  
T. M. Roberts ◽  
B. Schaffhausen

2008 ◽  
Vol 317 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Ching Wong ◽  
Irinka Castanon ◽  
Mary K. Baylies

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document