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SUMO‐modified Sp3 represses transcription by provoking local heterochromatic gene silencing
Author(s) -
Stielow Bastian,
Sapetschnig Alexandra,
Wink Christina,
Krüger Imme,
Suske Guntram
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/embor.2008.127
Subject(s) - transcription coregulator , sumo protein , chromatin , chromatin immunoprecipitation , biology , heterochromatin , heterochromatin protein 1 , microbiology and biotechnology , histone , histone methyltransferase , histone code , histone modifying enzymes , chromatin remodeling , genetics , gene expression , promoter , dna , gene , nucleosome , ubiquitin
Modification of many transcription factors including Sp3 and steroidogenic factor 1 with the small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO) is associated with transcriptional repression. Here, we show that SUMOylation of transcription factors bound to DNA provokes the establishment of compacted repressive chromatin with characteristics of heterochromatin. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed SUMO‐dependent recruitment of the chromatin remodeller Mi‐2, MBT‐domain proteins, heterochromatic protein 1, and the histone methyltransferases SETDB1 and SUV4‐20H, concomitant with the establishment of histone modifications associated with repressed genes, including H3K9 and H4K20 trimethylation. These results indicate that SUMOylation has a crucial role in regulating gene expression by initiating chromatin structure changes that render DNA inaccessible to the transcription machinery.