Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
See comment in PubMed Commons below
Curr Biol. 2012 Jan 10;22(1):56-63. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.042. Epub 2011 Dec 15.

The Rpd3 core complex is a chromatin stabilization module.

Author information

  • 1Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737, USA.

Abstract

The S. cerevisiae Rpd3 large (Rpd3L) and small (Rpd3S) histone deacetylase (HDAC) complexes are prototypes for understanding transcriptional repression in eukaryotes [1]. The current view is that they function by deacetylating chromatin, thereby limiting accessibility of transcriptional factors to the underlying DNA. However, an Rpd3 catalytic mutant retains substantial repression capability when targeted to a promoter as a LexA fusion protein [2]. We investigated the HDAC-independent properties of the Rpd3 complexes biochemically and discovered a chaperone function, which promotes histone deposition onto DNA, and a novel activity, which prevents nucleosome eviction but not remodeling mediated by the ATP-dependent RSC complex. These HDAC-independent activities inhibit Pol II transcription on a nucleosomal template. The functions of the endogenous Rpd3 complexes can be recapitulated with recombinant Rpd3 core complex comprising Sin3, Rpd3, and Ume1. To test the hypothesis that Rpd3 contributes to chromatin stabilization in vivo, we measured histone H3 density genomewide and found that it was reduced at promoters in an Rpd3 deletion mutant but partially restored in a catalytic mutant. Importantly, the effects on H3 density are most apparent on RSC-enriched genes [3]. Our data suggest that the Rpd3 core complex could contribute to repression via a novel nucleosome stabilization function.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PMID:
22177115
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3758238
Free PMC Article
PubMed Commons home

PubMed Commons

0 comments
How to join PubMed Commons

    Supplemental Content

    Full text links

    Icon for Elsevier Science Icon for PubMed Central
    Loading ...
    Write to the Help Desk