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Epigenetic memory for signal-dependent transcription has remained elusive. So far, the concept of epigenetic memory has been largely limited to cell-autonomous, preprogrammed processes such as development and metabolism. Here we show that IFNβ stimulation creates transcriptional memory in fibroblasts, conferring faster and greater transcription upon restimulation. The memory was inherited through multiple cell divisions and led to improved antiviral protection. Of ∼2,000 IFNβ-stimulated genes (ISGs), about half exhibited memory, which we define as memory ISGs. The rest, designated nonmemory ISGs, did not show memory. Surprisingly, mechanistic analysis showed that IFN memory was not due to enhanced IFN signaling or retention of transcription factors on the ISGs. We demonstrated that this memory was attributed to accelerated recruitment of RNA polymerase II and transcription/chromatin factors, which coincided with acquisition of the histone H3.3 and H3K36me3 chromatin marks on memory ISGs. Similar memory was observed in bone marrow macrophages after IFNγ stimulation, suggesting that IFN stimulation modifies the shape of the innate immune response. Together, external signals can establish epigenetic memory in mammalian cells that imparts lasting adaptive performance upon various somatic cells.

The histone variant H3.3 is implicated in the formation and maintenance of specialized chromatin structure in metazoan cells. H3.3-containing nucleosomes are assembled in a replication-independent manner by means of dedicated chaperone proteins. We previously identified the death domain associated protein (Daxx) and the α-thalassemia X-linked mental retardation protein (ATRX) as H3.3-associated proteins. Here, we report that the highly conserved N terminus of Daxx interacts directly with variant-specific residues in the H3.3 core. Recombinant Daxx assembles H3.3/H4 tetramers on DNA templates, and the ATRX–Daxx complex catalyzes the deposition and remodeling of H3.3-containing nucleosomes. We find that the ATRX–Daxx complex is bound to telomeric chromatin, and that both components of this complex are required for H3.3 deposition at telomeres in murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These data demonstrate that Daxx functions as an H3.3-specific chaperone and facilitates the deposition of H3.3 at heterochromatin loci in the context of the ATRX–Daxx complex.

In this review, we describe the attributes of histone H3 mutants identified in cancer. H3 mutants were first identified in genes encoding H3.3, in pediatric high-grade glioma, and subsequently in chondrosarcomas and giant cell tumors of bone (GCTB) in adolescents. The most heavily studied are the lysine to methionine mutants K27M and K36M, which perturb the target site for specific lysine methyltransferases and dominantly perturb methylation of corresponding lysines in other histone H3 proteins. We discuss recent progress in defining the consequences of these mutations on chromatin, including a newly emerging view of the central importance of the disruption of H3K36 modification in many distinct K to M histone mutant cancers. We also review new work exploring the role of H3.3 G34 mutants identified in pediatric glioma and GCTB. G34 is not itself post-translationally modified, but G34 mutation impinges on the modification of H3K36. Here, we ask if G34R mutation generates a new site for methylation on the histone tail. Finally, we consider evidence indicating that histone mutations might be more widespread in cancer than previously thought, and if the perceived bias towards mutation of H3.3 is real or reflects the biology of tumors in which the histone mutants were first identified.

Cellular senescence defines an irreversible cell growth arrest state linked to loss of tissue function and aging in mammals. This transition from proliferation to senescence is typically characterized by increased expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p16INK4a and formation of senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF). SAHF formation depends on HIRA-mediated nucleosome assembly of histone H3.3, which is regulated by the serine/threonine protein kinase Pak2. However, it is unknown if Pak2 contributes to cellular senescence. Here, we show that depletion of Pak2 delayed oncogene-induced senescence in IMR90 human fibroblasts and oxidative stress–induced senescence of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), whereas overexpression of Pak2 accelerated senescence of IMR90 cells. Importantly, depletion of Pak2 in BubR1 progeroid mice attenuated the onset of aging-associated phenotypes and extended life span. Pak2 is required for expression of genes involved in cellular senescence and regulated the deposition of newly synthesized H3.3 onto chromatin in senescent cells. Together, our results demonstrate that Pak2 is an important regulator of cellular senescence and organismal aging, in part through the regulation of gene expression and H3.3 nucleosome assembly.

All the cells of an organism contain the same genome. However, each cell expresses only a minor fraction of its potential and, in particular, the genes encoding the proteins necessary for basal metabolism and the proteins responsible for its specific phenotype. The ability to use only the right and necessary genes involved in specific functions depends on the structural organization of the nuclear chromatin, which in turn depends on the epigenetic history of each cell, which is stored in the form of a collection of DNA and protein modifications. Among these modifications, DNA methylation and many kinds of post-translational modifications of histones play a key role in organizing the complex indexing of usable genes. In addition, non-canonical histone proteins (also known as histone variants), the synthesis of which is not directly linked with DNA replication, are used to mark specific regions of the genome. Here, we will discuss the role of the H3.3 histone variant, with particular attention to its loading into chromatin in the mammalian nervous system, both in physiological and pathological conditions. Indeed, chromatin modifications that mark cell memory seem to be of special importance for the cells involved in the complex processes of learning and memory.

The organization of DNA into chromatin is dynamic; nucleosomes are frequently displaced to facilitate the ability of regulatory proteins to access specific DNA elements. To gain insight into nucleosome dynamics, and to follow how dynamics change during differentiation, we used a technique called time-ChIP to quantitatively assess histone H3.3 turnover genome-wide during differentiation of mouse ESCs. We found that, without prior assumptions, high turnover could be used to identify regions involved in gene regulation. High turnover was seen at enhancers, as observed previously, with particularly high turnover at super-enhancers. In contrast, regions associated with the repressive Polycomb-Group showed low turnover in ESCs. Turnover correlated with DNA accessibility. Upon differentiation, numerous changes in H3.3 turnover rates were observed, the majority of which occurred at enhancers. Thus, time-ChIP measurement of histone turnover shows that active enhancers are unusually dynamic in ESCs and changes in highly dynamic nucleosomes predominate at enhancers during differentiation. In animal, plant and other eukaryotic cells, DNA wraps around histone proteins to form structures called nucleosomes. This compacts long strands of DNA to fit them inside a cell. However, nucleosomes also act as barriers that can prevent access to the DNA. This affects the activity, or “expression”, of genes because gene expression requires proteins called transcription factors to bind to specific DNA regions. Therefore, nucleosomes must be disrupted or removed in order to access their DNA and allow their genes to be expressed. Transcription factors can bind to DNA sequences called enhancers to activate nearby genes. Groups of enhancers, called super-enhancers, also exist to further bolster the activity of certain genes, particularly those involved in determining cell identity. Recent work has shown that nucleosomes are frequently lost and then replaced by new ones (in a process referred to as turnover) in DNA regions that include enhancers. Measuring the rate of turnover of nucleosomes can thus provide information about which DNA regions regulate gene expression. Embryonic stem cells can transform or “differentiate” into any type of cell in the body. During this transformation process, different genes are switched on or off in the cell in order to give it a new identity. It is not known how nucleosome turnover changes when this happens. Deaton et al. have now developed a new method called time-ChIP that can measure the rate of nucleosome turnover across the entire DNA of a cell. Using this technique to analyze mouse embryonic stem cells revealed that nucleosome turnover occurs rapidly at enhancers. Furthermore, nucleosomes at super-enhancers are particularly dynamic and turn over more quickly than in any other DNA region. Deaton et al. next analyzed how turnover changes after the mouse embryonic stem cells have developed into neural stem cells. This revealed that the regions of DNA where high turnover occurs change as the cells differentiate, in part because this transformation activates a different set of enhancers. However, the most rapid turnover still takes place at enhancers. Overall, these observations suggest that the high rate of nucleosome turnover at enhancers makes DNA accessible to transcription factors. The next step is to use the new time-ChIP method to study how nucleosome turnover changes during the processes that pattern gene expression as an animal develops from an embryo.

Brain tumors are one of the most common childhood malignancies. Diffuse high-grade gliomas represent approximately 10% of pediatric brain tumors. Exon sequencing has identified a mutation in K27M of the histone H3.3 gene (H3F3A K27M and G34R/V) in about 20% of pediatric glioblastomas, but it remains to be seen whether these mutations can be considered specific for pediatric diffuse high-grade astrocytomas or also occur in other pediatric brain tumors. We performed a pyrosequencing-based analysis for the identification of H3F3A codon 27 and codon 34 mutations in 338 pediatric brain tumors. The K27M mutation occurred in 35 of 129 glioblastomas (27.1%) and in 5 of 28 (17.9%) anaplastic astrocytomas. None of the other tumor entities showed H3F3A K27M mutation. Because H3F3A K27M mutations occur exclusively in pediatric diffuse high-grade astrocytomas, analysis of codon 27 mutational status could be useful in the differential diagnosis of these neoplasms.

Actively transcribed genes are enriched with the histone variant H3.3. Although H3.3 deposition has been linked to transcription, mechanisms controlling this process remain elusive. We investigated the role of the histone methyltransferase Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 (WHSC1) (NSD2/MMSET) in H3.3 deposition into interferon (IFN) response genes. IFN treatment triggered robust H3.3 incorporation into activated genes, which continued even after cessation of transcription. Likewise, UV radiation caused H3.3 deposition in UV‐activated genes. However, in Whsc1 −/− cells IFN‐ or UV‐triggered H3.3 deposition was absent, along with a marked reduction in IFN‐ or UV‐induced transcription. We found that WHSC1 interacted with the bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) and the positive transcription elongation factor b (P‐TEFb) and facilitated transcriptional elongation. WHSC1 also associated with HIRA, the H3.3‐specific histone chaperone, independent of BRD4 and P‐TEFb. WHSC1 and HIRA co‐occupied IFN‐stimulated genes and supported prolonged H3.3 incorporation, leaving a lasting transcriptional mark. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized role of WHSC1, which links transcriptional elongation and H3.3 deposition into activated genes through two molecularly distinct pathways. The methyltransferase WHSC1 contributes to P‐TEFb‐dependent transcriptional elongation and drives prolonged incorporation of the histone variant H3.3 into inducible genes.

Background Cellular differentiation is marked by temporally and spatially coordinated gene expression regulated at multiple levels. DNA methylation represents a universal mechanism to control chromatin organization and its accessibility. Cytosine methylation of CpG dinucleotides regulates binding of methylation-sensitive DNA-binding transcription factors within regulatory regions of transcription, including promoters and distal enhancers. Ocular lens differentiation represents an advantageous model system to examine these processes as lens comprises only two cell types, the proliferating lens epithelium and postmitotic lens fiber cells all originating from the epithelium. Results Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and microdissected lenses, we investigated dynamics of DNA methylation and chromatin changes during mouse lens fiber and epithelium differentiation between embryos (E14.5) and newborns (P0.5). Histone H3.3 variant chromatin landscapes were also generated for both P0.5 lens epithelium and fibers by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Tissue-specific features of DNA methylation patterns are demonstrated via comparative studies with embryonic stem (ES) cells and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) at Nanog , Pou5f1 , Sox2 , Pax6 and Six3 loci. Comparisons with ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data demonstrate that reduced methylation is associated with increased expression of fiber cell abundant genes, including crystallins, intermediate filament (Bfsp1 and Bfsp2) and gap junction proteins (Gja3 and Gja8), marked by high levels of histone H3.3 within their transcribed regions. Interestingly, Pax6-binding sites exhibited predominantly DNA hypomethylation in lens chromatin. In vitro binding of Pax6 proteins showed Pax6’s ability to interact with sites containing one or two methylated CpG dinucleotides. Conclusions Our study has generated the first data on methylation changes between two different stages of mammalian lens development and linked these data with chromatin accessibility maps, presence of histone H3.3 and gene expression. Reduced DNA methylation correlates with expression of important genes involved in lens morphogenesis and lens fiber cell differentiation.

The histone chaperone HIRA complex, consisting of histone cell cycle regulator (HIRA), Ubinuclein1 (UBN1), and calcineurin binding protein 1 (CABIN1), deposits histone variant H3.3 to genic regions and regulates gene expression in various cellular processes, including cellular senescence. How HIRA-mediated nucleosome assembly of H3.3–H4 is regulated remains not well understood. Here, we show that O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) transferase (OGT), an enzyme that catalyzes O-GlcNAcylation of serine or threonine residues, interacts with UBN1, modifies HIRA, and promotes nucleosome assembly of H3.3. Depletion of OGT or expression of the HIRA S231A O-GlcNAcylation–deficient mutant compromises formation of the HIRA–H3.3 complex and H3.3 nucleosome assembly. Importantly, OGT depletion or expression of the HIRA S231A mutant delays premature cellular senescence in primary human fibroblasts, whereas overexpression of OGT accelerates senescence. Taken together, these results support a model in which OGT modifies HIRA to regulate HIRA–H3.3 complex formation and H3.3 nucleosome assembly and reveal the mechanism by which OGT functions in cellular senescence.