Open AccessDrosophila UTX Is a Histone H3 Lys27 Demethylase That Colocalizes with the Elongating Form of RNA Polymerase II
Author(s) -
Edwin R. Smith,
Min Gyu Lee,
Benjamin Winter,
Nathan M. Droz,
Joel C. Eissenberg,
Ramin Shiekhattar,
Ali Shilatifard
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.01504-07
Subject(s) - biology , histone h3 , demethylase , rna polymerase iii , chromatin , rna polymerase ii , histone methylation , histone code , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , dna demethylation , histone h2a , histone , rna polymerase , dna methylation , gene , rna , gene expression , nucleosome , promoter
Histone H3 methylation at Lys27 (H3K27 methylation) is a hallmark of silent chromatin, while H3K4 methylation is associated with active chromatin regions. Here we report that aDrosophila JmjC family member, dUTX, specifically demethylates di- and trimethylated but not monomethylated H3K27. dUTX localization on chromatin correlates with the elongating form of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), and dUTX can associate with Pol II. Furthermore, heat shock induction results in the recruitment of dUTX to the hsp70 gene, like that of several other Pol II elongation factors. Our data indicate that dUTX is intimately associated with actively transcribed genes and may provide a paradigm for how H3K27 demethylation is required for the activation of preinitiated Pol II on transcriptionally poised genes.
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