Activation of Transcription through Histone H4 Acetylation by MOF, an Acetyltransferase Essential for Dosage Compensation in Drosophila

作者：Asifa Akhtar, Peter B. Becker · 发表于：Molecular Cell · 年份：2000 · DOI：10.1016/s1097-2765(00)80431-1 · 被引用次数：487 · 研究领域：Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics、Chromosomal and Genetic Variations、Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Research

Dosage compensation in Drosophila involves a 2-fold increase in transcription from the single male X relative to the two female X chromosomes. Regulation at the level of the chromosome involves alterations in chromatin organization: male X chromosomes appear decondensed and are marked by acetylation of histone H4 at lysine 16. We demonstrate that MOF, a protein required for dosage compensation with significant sequence similarity to the MYST family of acetyltransferases, is a histone acetyltransferase that acetylates chromatin specifically at histone H4 lysine 16. This acetylation relieves chromatin-mediated repression of transcription in vitro and in vivo if MOF is targeted to a promoter by fusion to a DNA-binding domain. Acetylation of chromatin by MOF, therefore, appears to be causally involved in transcriptional activation during dosage compensation.