A library of yeast transcription factor motifs reveals a widespread function for Rsc3 in targeting nucleosome exclusion at promoters

Environment-responsive transcription factors bind subtelomeric elements and regulate gene silencing

Chromosome position analysis of ChIP-chip data revealed that several carbon source and stress-responsive yeast transcription factors conditionally bind subtelomeric X elements.

Integration of several microarray gene expression data sets showed that, in this context, the factors conditionally control the boundaries and strength of subtelomeric silencing.

Regulation of silencing by a fatty acid-responsive factor was found to be dependent on Sir2p and independent of Hda1p.

These findings provide a critical link for establishing the mechanisms by which telomere biology is coordinated with other cellular processes including responses to environmental stimuli, aging and adaptation.

It is well established that environmental conditions modulate gene expression through local binding of a variety of conditionally active transcription factors, each responsive to specific environmental cues. However, another prevalent mechanism of gene regulation in eukaryotic cells is the long-range control of groups of genes by chromatin modifications or other position-dependent mechanisms. One such phenomenon, gene silencing, is an important and evolutionarily conserved mode of regulation that controls expression of subtelomeric genes. These genes are enriched for stress response and metabolic genes and their regulation is controlled by the spreading of silencing molecules from chromosome ends (telomeres) into subtelomeric regions. Levels of subtelomeric silencing have been linked to cellular lifespan, and study of the regulation of silencing is fundamental to our understanding of human aging. The spread of silencing in subtelomeric regions is discontinuous, and is controlled by various genomic elements that can either relay and enhance silencing from telomeres (proto-silencing) or create boundaries that protect some genomic regions from silencing. In yeast, every subtelomeric region contains an X element that proto-silences centromere-proximal genes, and also insulates telomere-proximal genes from silencing.

In this paper, we identify a regulatory mechanism to control X element-mediated proto-silencing and insulating activities in response to environmental cues. The mechanism was identified using chromosome position analysis of microarray-based chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-chip) data for environment-responsive TFs and genome-wide gene expression data under the same conditions. The mechanism involves the conditional association of environment-responsive transcription factors to X elements. The binding at X elements results in regulation of proto-silencing of centromere-proximal genes, or insulation of telomere-proximal genes (depending on the factor) in response to environmental stimuli related to stress response and metabolism. One example is shown below (Figure 4B). Transcription factor, Oaf1p, conditionally binds X elements in the presence of fatty acids and enhances proto-silencing specifically under this condition. Oaf1p and several other factors implicated here are known to control adjacent genes at intrachromosomal positions, suggesting their dual functionality in both gene-specific transcriptional regulation, and long-range position-dependent mechanism. Investigation of this mechanism during the response to fatty acid exposure showed that conditional proto-silencing activity is dependent on Sir2p, a molecule known to be involved in subtelomeric silencing related to aging. This study reveals a path cells can use to coordinate subtelomeric silencing related to aging with cellular environment, and with the activities of other cellular processes.

Subtelomeric chromatin is subject to evolutionarily conserved complex epigenetic regulation and is implicated in numerous aspects of cellular function including formation of heterochromatin, regulation of stress response pathways and control of lifespan. Subtelomeric DNA is characterized by the presence of specific repeated segments that serve to propagate silencing or to protect chromosomal regions from spreading epigenetic control. In this study, analysis of genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression data, suggests that several yeast transcription factors regulate subtelomeric silencing in response to various environmental stimuli through conditional association with proto-silencing regions called X elements. In this context, Oaf1p, Rox1p, Gzf1p and Phd1p control the propagation of silencing toward centromeres in response to stimuli affecting stress responses and metabolism, whereas others, including Adr1p, Yap5p and Msn4p, appear to influence boundaries of silencing, regulating telomere-proximal genes in Y′ elements. The factors implicated here are known to control adjacent genes at intrachromosomal positions, suggesting their dual functionality. This study reveals a path for the coordination of subtelomeric silencing with cellular environment, and with activities of other cellular processes.

Calling Cards enable multiplexed identification of the genomic targets of DNA-binding proteins

Transcription factors direct gene expression, so there is much interest in mapping their genome-wide binding locations. Current methods do not allow for the multiplexed analysis of TF binding, and this limits their throughput. We describe a novel method for determining the genomic target genes of multiple transcription factors simultaneously. DNA-binding proteins are endowed with the ability to direct transposon insertions into the genome near to where they bind. The transposon becomes a "Calling Card" marking the visit of the DNA-binding protein to that location. A unique sequence "barcode" in the transposon matches it to the DNA-binding protein that directed its insertion. The sequences of the DNA flanking the transposon (which reveal where in the genome the transposon landed) and the barcode within the transposon (which identifies the TF that put it there) are determined by massively parallel DNA sequencing. To demonstrate the method's feasibility, we determined the genomic targets of eight transcription factors in a single experiment. The Calling Card method promises to significantly reduce the cost and labor needed to determine the genomic targets of many transcription factors in different environmental conditions and genetic backgrounds.

A hierarchical combination of factors shapes the genome-wide topography of yeast meiotic recombination initiation

The nonrandom distribution of meiotic recombination influences patterns of inheritance and genome evolution, but chromosomal features governing this distribution are poorly understood. Formation of the DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate recombination results in the accumulation of Spo11 protein covalently bound to small DNA fragments. By sequencing these fragments, we uncover a genome-wide DSB map of unprecedented resolution and sensitivity. We use this map to explore how DSB distribution is influenced by large-scale chromosome structures, chromatin, transcription factors, and local sequence composition. Our analysis offers mechanistic insight into DSB formation and early processing steps, supporting the view that the recombination terrain is molded by combinatorial and hierarchical interaction of factors that work on widely different size scales. This map illuminates the occurrence of DSBs in repetitive DNA elements, repair of which can lead to chromosomal rearrangements. We also discuss implications for evolutionary dynamics of recombination hot spots.

The RSC chromatin remodelling enzyme has a unique role in directing the accurate positioning of nucleosomes

Nucleosomes impede access to DNA. Therefore, nucleosome positioning is fundamental to genome regulation. Nevertheless, the molecular nucleosome positioning mechanisms are poorly understood. This is partly because in vitro reconstitution of in vivo-like nucleosome positions from purified components is mostly lacking, barring biochemical studies. Using a yeast extract in vitro reconstitution system that generates in vivo-like nucleosome patterns at S. cerevisiae loci, we find that the RSC chromatin remodelling enzyme is necessary for nucleosome positioning. This was previously suggested by genome-wide in vivo studies and is confirmed here in vivo for individual loci. Beyond the limitations of conditional mutants, we show biochemically that RSC functions directly, can be sufficient, but mostly relies on other factors to properly position nucleosomes. Strikingly, RSC could not be replaced by either the closely related SWI/SNF or the Isw2 remodelling enzyme. Thus, we pinpoint that nucleosome positioning specifically depends on the unique properties of the RSC complex.

Genome-wide transcription factor binding: beyond direct target regulation

The binding of transcription factors to specific DNA target sequences is the fundamental basis of gene regulatory networks. Chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with DNA tiling arrays or high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-chip and ChIP-seq, respectively) has been used in many recent studies that detail the binding sites of various transcription factors. Surprisingly, data from a variety of model organisms and tissues have demonstrated that transcription factors vary greatly in their number of genomic binding sites, and that binding events can significantly exceed the number of known or possible direct gene targets. Thus, current understanding of transcription factor function must expand to encompass what role, if any, binding might have outside of direct transcriptional target regulation. In this review, we discuss the biological significance of genome-wide binding of transcription factors and present models that can account for this phenomenon.

Epistatic relationships reveal the functional organization of yeast transcription factors

The regulation of gene expression is, in large part, mediated by interplay between the general transcription factors (GTFs) that function to bring about the expression of many genes and site-specific DNA-binding transcription factors (STFs). Here, quantitative genetic profiling using the epistatic miniarray profile (E-MAP) approach allowed us to measure 48 391 pairwise genetic interactions, both negative (aggravating) and positive (alleviating), between and among genes encoding STFs and GTFs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This allowed us to both reconstruct regulatory models for specific subsets of transcription factors and identify global epistatic patterns. Overall, there was a much stronger preference for negative relative to positive genetic interactions among STFs than there was among GTFs. Negative genetic interactions, which often identify factors working in non-essential, redundant pathways, were also enriched for pairs of STFs that co-regulate similar sets of genes. Microarray analysis demonstrated that pairs of STFs that display negative genetic interactions regulate gene expression in an independent rather than coordinated manner. Collectively, these data suggest that parallel/compensating relationships between regulators, rather than linear pathways, often characterize transcriptional circuits.

Differential effects of chromatin regulators and transcription factors on gene regulation: a nucleosomal perspective

MOTIVATION

Chromatin regulators (CR) and transcription factors (TF) are important trans-acting factors regulating transcription process, and many efforts have been devoted to understand their underlying mechanisms in gene regulation. However, the influences of CR and TF regulation effects on nucleosomes during transcription are still minimally understood, and it remains to be determined the extent to which CR and TF regulatory effect shape the organization of nucleosomes in the genome. In this article we attempted to address this problem and examine the patterns of CR and TF regulation effects from the nucleosome perspective.

RESULTS

Our results show that the CR and TF regulatory effects exhibit different paradigms of transcriptional control in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We grouped yeast genes into two categories, 'CR-sensitive' genes and 'TF-sensitive' genes, based on how their expression profiles change upon deletion of CRs or TFs. We found that genes in these two groups have very different patterns of nucleosome organization. The promoters of CR-sensitive genes tend to have higher nucleosome occupancy, whereas the promoters of TF-sensitive genes are depleted of nucleosomes. Furthermore, the nucleosome profiles of CR-sensitive genes tend to show more dynamic characteristics than TF-sensitive genes. These results reveal that the nucleosome organizations of yeast genes have a strong impact on their mode of regulation, and there are differential regulation effects on nucleosomes between CRs and TFs.

AVAILABILITY

http://www.utoronto.ca/zhanglab/papers/bioinfo_2010/.

Interactions of transcription factors with chromatin

Sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) play a central role in regulating transcription initiation by directing the recruitment and activity of the general transcription machinery and accessory factors. It is now well established that many of the effects exerted by TFs in eukaryotes are mediated through interactions with a host of coregulators that modify the chromatin state, resulting in a more open (in case of activation) or closed conformation (in case of repression). The relationship between TFs and chromatin is a two-way street, however, as chromatin can in turn influence the recognition and binding of target sequences by TFs. The aim of this chapter is to highlight how this dynamic interplay between TF-directed remodelling of chromatin and chromatin-adjusted targeting of TF binding determines where and how transcription is initiated, and to what degree it is productive.

Important characteristics of sequence-specific recombination hotspots in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

In many organisms, meiotic recombination occurs preferentially at a limited number of sites in the genome known as hotspots. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, simple sequence motifs determine the location of at least some, and possibly most or all, hotspots. Recently, we showed that a large number of different sequences can create hotspots. Among those sequences we identified some recurring motifs that fell into at least five distinct families, including the well-characterized CRE family of hotspots. Here we report the essential sequence for activity of two of the novel hotspots, the oligo-C and CCAAT hotspots, and identify associated trans-acting factors required for hotspot activity. The oligo-C hotspot requires a unique 8-bp sequence, CCCCGCAC, though hotspot activity is also significantly affected by adjacent nucleotides. The CCAAT hotspot requires a more complex and degenerate sequence, including the originally identified seven nucleotide CCAATCA sequence at its core. We identified transcription factors, the CCAAT-binding factor (CBF) and Rst2, which are required specifically for activity of the CCAAT hotspots and oligo-C hotspots, respectively. Each of these factors binds to its respective motifs in vitro. However, unlike CRE, the sequence required for hotspot activity is larger than the sequence required for binding, suggesting the involvement of additional factors.

Extensive role of the general regulatory factors, Abf1 and Rap1, in determining genome-wide chromatin structure in budding yeast

The packaging of eukaryotic DNA into chromatin has profound consequences for gene regulation, as well as for other DNA transactions such as recombination, replication and repair. Understanding how this packaging is determined is consequently a pressing problem in molecular genetics. DNA sequence, chromatin remodelers and transcription factors affect chromatin structure, but the scope of these influences on genome-wide nucleosome occupancy patterns remains uncertain. Here, we use high resolution tiling arrays to examine the contributions of two general regulatory factors, Abf1 and Rap1, to nucleosome occupancy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These factors have each been shown to bind to a few hundred promoters, but we find here that thousands of loci show localized regions of altered nucleosome occupancy within 1 h of loss of Abf1 or Rap1 binding, and that altered chromatin structure can occur via binding sites having a wide range of affinities. These results indicate that DNA-binding transcription factors affect chromatin structure, and probably dynamics, throughout the genome to a much greater extent than previously appreciated.

Chromatin-dependent binding of the S. cerevisiae HMGB protein Nhp6A affects nucleosome dynamics and transcription

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Nhp6A is a model for the abundant and multifunctional high-mobility group B (HMGB) family of chromatin-associated proteins. Nhp6A binds DNA in vitro without sequence specificity and bends DNA sharply, but its role in chromosome biology is poorly understood. We show by whole-genome chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and high-resolution whole-genome tiling arrays (ChIP-chip) that Nhp6A is localized to specific regions of chromosomes that include ∼23% of RNA polymerase II promoters. Nhp6A binding functions to stabilize nucleosomes, particularly at the transcription start site of these genes. Both genomic binding and transcript expression studies point to functionally related groups of genes that are bound specifically by Nhp6A and whose transcription is altered by the absence of Nhp6. Genomic analyses of Nhp6A mutants specifically defective in DNA bending reveal a critical role of DNA bending for stabilizing chromatin and coregulation of transcription but not for targeted binding by Nhp6A. We conclude that the chromatin environment, not DNA sequence recognition, localizes Nhp6A binding, and that Nhp6A stabilizes chromatin structure and coregulates transcription.

The spatial distribution of cis regulatory elements in yeast promoters and its implications for transcriptional regulation

BACKGROUND

How the transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) are distributed in the promoter region have implications for gene regulation. Previous studies used the translation start codon as the reference point to infer the TFBS distribution. However, it is biologically more relevant to use the transcription start site (TSS) as the reference point. In this study, we reexamined the spatial distribution of TFBSs, investigated various promoter features that may affect the distribution, and studied the effect of TFBS distribution on transcriptional regulation.

RESULTS

We found a sharp peak for the distribution of TFBSs at ~115 bp upstream of the TSS, but no clear peak when the translation start codon was used as the reference point. Our analysis of sequence variation data among 63 yeast strains revealed very low deletion polymorphisms in the region between the distribution peak and the TSS, suggesting that the distances between TFBSs and the TSS have been selectively constrained in evolution. As in previous studies, we found that the nucleosome occupancy and the presence/absence of TATA-box in the promoter region affect the TFBS distribution pattern. In addition, we found that there exists a correlation between the 5'UTR length and the TFBS distribution pattern and we showed that the TFBS distribution pattern affects gene transcription level and plasticity.

CONCLUSIONS

The spatial distribution of TFBSs obtained using the TSS as the reference point shows a much sharper peak than does the distribution obtained using the translation start codon as the reference point. The TFBS distribution pattern is affected by nucleosome occupancy and presence of TATA-box and it affects the transcription level and transcription plasticity of the gene.

The JmjC domain of Gis1 is dispensable for transcriptional activation

Yeast Gis1 protein functions as a transcription factor after nutrient limitation and oxidative stress. In this report, we show that Gis1 also regulates the induction of several genes involved in spore wall synthesis during sporulation. Gis1 contains a JmjC domain near its N-terminus. In many proteins, JmjC domains provide histone demethylase activity. Whether the JmjC domain of Gis1 contributes to its transcriptional activation is still unknown. Here, we show that gis1 point mutations that abolish Fe (II) and α-ketoglutarate binding, known cofactors in other JmjC proteins, are still able to induce transcription normally during glucose starvation and sporulation. Even the deletion of the entire JmjC domain does not affect transcriptional activation by Gis1. Moreover, the JmjC domain is not required for the toxicity associated with Gis1 overexpression. The data demonstrate that the JmjC domain is dispensable for transcriptional activation by Gis1 during nutrient stress and sporulation.

Experimental strategies for studying transcription factor-DNA binding specificities

Specific binding of transcription factors (TFs) determines in a large part the connectivity of gene regulatory networks as well as the quantitative level of gene expression. A multiplicity of both experimental and computational methods is currently used to discover and characterize the underlying TF-DNA interactions. Experimental methods can be further subdivided into in vitro- and in vivo-based approaches, each accenting different aspects of TF-binding events. In this review we summarize the flexibility and performance of a selection of both types of experimental methods. In conclusion, we argue that a serial combination of methods with different throughput and data type constitutes an optimal experimental strategy.

Nucleosome dynamics and epigenetic stability

Nucleosome remodelling is an essential principle to assure that the packaging of eukaryotic genomes in chromatin remains flexible and adaptable to regulatory needs. Nucleosome remodelling enzymes spend the energy of ATP to alter histone–DNA interactions, to catalyse nucleosome displacement and reassembly, on histone exchange and on the relocation of histone octamers on DNA. Despite these dynamics, chromatin structures encode ‘epigenetic’ information that governs the expression of the underlying genes. These information-bearing structures must be maintained over extended periods of time in resting cells and may be sufficiently stable to resist the turmoil of the cell cycle to be passed on to the next cell generation. Intuitively, nucleosome remodelling should antagonize the maintenance of stable structures. However, upon closer inspection it becomes evident that nucleosome remodelling is intimately involved in the assembly of stable chromatin structures that correspond to functional states. Remodellers may even contribute structural information themselves. Their involvement can be seen at several structural levels: at the levels of positioning individual nucleosomes, homoeostasis of linker histones, histone variants and non-histone proteins, as well as the differential folding of the nucleosome fibre. All of them may contribute to the assembly of heritable epigenetic structures.

Divergence of nucleosome positioning between two closely related yeast species: genetic basis and functional consequences

Inter-species hybrids can be used to dissect the relative contribution of cis and trans effects to the evolution of nucleosome positioning. Most (∼70%) differences in nucleosome positioning between two closely related yeast species are due to cis effects.

Cis effects are primarily due to divergence of AT-rich nucleosome-disfavoring sequences, but are not associated with divergence of nucleosome-favoring sequences.

Differences in nucleosome positioning propagate to multiple adjacent nucleosomes, supporting the statistical positioning hypothesis.

Divergence of nucleosome positioning is excluded from regulatory elements and is not correlated with gene expression divergence, suggesting a neutral mode of evolution.

Phenotypic diversity is often due to changes in gene regulation, and recent studies have characterized extensive differences between the gene expression programs of closely related species (Khaitovich et al, 2006; Tirosh et al, 2009). However, very little is known about the mechanisms that drive this divergence. Here, we analyze the evolution of nucleosome positioning, by comparing the patterns of nucleosomes between two yeast species, as well as generating the allele-specific nucleosome profile in their hybrid. We ask two main questions: (1) what is the genetic basis of inter-species differences in nucleosome positioning? and (2) what is the regulatory function of these differences?

Generally speaking, we can classify the genetic basis of the divergence in nucleosome positioning into two mechanisms. First, mutations in the local DNA sequence may influence the ability to bind nucleosomes at this region; we refer to these as cis effects. Second, mutations may affect the activity of various proteins that alter nucleosome positioning either actively (e.g. chromatin-remodeling enzymes) or by simply competing with nucleosomes for binding to the same DNA sequence (e.g. transcription factors); we refer to these as trans effects.

To classify the observed inter-species differences into cis versus trans effects, we measured allele-specific nucleosome positions within the inter-specific hybrid of the two species (Wittkopp et al, 2004; Tirosh et al, 2009). The hybrid contains the alleles of both species; hence, cis effects, which involve mutations that discriminate between the two alleles, will be maintained in the hybrid so that nucleosome positioning will be different between the alleles coming from the different species. Trans effects, in contrast, will not discriminate between the two hybrid alleles from the different species, as these two alleles reside together at the same trans environment (hybrid nucleus) and are thus regulated by the same set of proteins—the combination of proteins from the two species. Using this approach, we found that ∼70% of the inter-species differences in nucleosome positioning are due to cis effects, whereas the rest is due to trans effects.

The local DNA sequence is indeed known to affect nucleosome positions, and many features of DNA sequences were proposed to influence nucleosome binding, either by rejecting nucleosomes, or by being favorable for nucleosome binding (Segal et al, 2006; Lee et al, 2007; Kaplan et al, 2009). We find, however, that nucleosome positions diverged primarily through changes in AT-rich sequences, which exclude nucleosomes, whereas mutations in sequences that correlate with high-nucleosome occupancy do not influence inter-species divergence.

Nucleosomes restrict the access of proteins to the DNA and may thus affect DNA-related processes such as transcription, recombination or replication. Indeed, promoters and regulatory sequences are often depleted of nucleosomes, and highly transcribed genes are associated with low occupancy of nucleosomes at their promoters (Lee et al, 2007). Several earlier studies also suggested that evolutionary divergence of gene expression is driven by changes in chromatin structure (Lee et al, 2006; Choi and Kim, 2008; Tirosh et al, 2008; Field et al, 2009). However, we find that nucleosome positions (or occupancy) at regulatory elements are largely conserved, and furthermore, that the inter-species differences in nucleosome positions do not correlate with gene expression differences. These results suggest that nucleosome positioning is not a central mechanism for evolutionary changes in gene regulation and that most of the observed changes may be due to neutral drift.

Does the apparent low influence of nucleosome positioning on gene expression divergence implies that nucleosome positions do not have a function in gene regulation? To address this, we examined two additional modes of gene regulation: transcriptional response to changes in growth conditions (glucose versus glycerol media), and the expression differences between different cell types (haploid versus diploid cells). Consistent with earlier studies, we found that the response to growth conditions is significantly, albeit weakly, associated with changes in nucleosome positioning. Interestingly, we also found a strikingly strong association between gene expression and nucleosomal changes in the two cell types. Taken together, these results suggest that nucleosome positioning is used preferentially for biological processes in which genes are turned on and off (e.g. different cell type), but less so during divergence of closely related species in which gradual changes accumulate over time.

Gene regulation differs greatly between related species, constituting a major source of phenotypic diversity. Recent studies characterized extensive differences in the gene expression programs of closely related species. In contrast, virtually nothing is known about the evolution of chromatin structure and how it influences the divergence of gene expression. Here, we compare the genome-wide nucleosome positioning of two closely related yeast species and, by profiling their inter-specific hybrid, trace the genetic basis of the observed differences into mutations affecting the local DNA sequences (cis effects) or the upstream regulators (trans effects). The majority (∼70%) of inter-species differences is due to cis effects, leaving a significant contribution (30%) for trans factors. We show that cis effects are well explained by mutations in nucleosome-disfavoring AT-rich sequences, but are not associated with divergence of nucleosome-favoring sequences. Differences in nucleosome positioning propagate to multiple adjacent nucleosomes, supporting the statistical positioning hypothesis, and we provide evidence that nucleosome-free regions, but not the +1 nucleosome, serve as stable border elements. Surprisingly, although we find that differential nucleosome positioning among cell types is strongly correlated with differential expression, this does not seem to be the case for evolutionary changes: divergence of nucleosome positioning is excluded from regulatory elements and is not correlated with gene expression divergence, suggesting a primarily neutral mode of evolution. Our results provide evolutionary insights to the genetic determinants and regulatory function of nucleosome positioning.

Gene regulation by nucleosome positioning

To achieve high compaction, most genomic DNA in eukaryotes is incorporated into nucleosomes; however, regulatory factors and transcriptional machinery must gain access to chromatin to extract genetic information. This conflict is partially resolved by a particular arrangement of nucleosome locations on the genome. Across all eukaryotic species, promoters and other regulatory sequences are more nucleosome-depleted, whereas transcribed regions tend to be occupied with well-positioned, high-density nucleosomal arrays. This nucleosome positioning pattern, as well as its dynamic regulation, facilitates the access of transcription factors to their target sites and plays a crucial role in determining the transcription level, cell-to-cell variation and activation or repression dynamics.

High resolution models of transcription factor-DNA affinities improve in vitro and in vivo binding predictions

Accurately modeling the DNA sequence preferences of transcription factors (TFs), and using these models to predict in vivo genomic binding sites for TFs, are key pieces in deciphering the regulatory code. These efforts have been frustrated by the limited availability and accuracy of TF binding site motifs, usually represented as position-specific scoring matrices (PSSMs), which may match large numbers of sites and produce an unreliable list of target genes. Recently, protein binding microarray (PBM) experiments have emerged as a new source of high resolution data on in vitro TF binding specificities. PBM data has been analyzed either by estimating PSSMs or via rank statistics on probe intensities, so that individual sequence patterns are assigned enrichment scores (E-scores). This representation is informative but unwieldy because every TF is assigned a list of thousands of scored sequence patterns. Meanwhile, high-resolution in vivo TF occupancy data from ChIP-seq experiments is also increasingly available. We have developed a flexible discriminative framework for learning TF binding preferences from high resolution in vitro and in vivo data. We first trained support vector regression (SVR) models on PBM data to learn the mapping from probe sequences to binding intensities. We used a novel -mer based string kernel called the di-mismatch kernel to represent probe sequence similarities. The SVR models are more compact than E-scores, more expressive than PSSMs, and can be readily used to scan genomics regions to predict in vivo occupancy. Using a large data set of yeast and mouse TFs, we found that our SVR models can better predict probe intensity than the E-score method or PBM-derived PSSMs. Moreover, by using SVRs to score yeast, mouse, and human genomic regions, we were better able to predict genomic occupancy as measured by ChIP-chip and ChIP-seq experiments. Finally, we found that by training kernel-based models directly on ChIP-seq data, we greatly improved in vivo occupancy prediction, and by comparing a TF's in vitro and in vivo models, we could identify cofactors and disambiguate direct and indirect binding.

Correlating gene expression variation with cis-regulatory polymorphism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Identifying the nucleotides that cause gene expression variation is a critical step in dissecting the genetic basis of complex traits. Here, we focus on polymorphisms that are predicted to alter transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We assembled a confident set of transcription factor motifs using recent protein binding microarray and ChIP-chip data and used our collection of motifs to predict a comprehensive set of TFBSs across the S. cerevisiae genome. We used a population genomics analysis to show that our predictions are accurate and significantly improve on our previous annotation. Although predicting gene expression from sequence is thought to be difficult in general, we identified a subset of genes for which changes in predicted TFBSs correlate well with expression divergence between yeast strains. Our analysis thus demonstrates both the accuracy of our new TFBS predictions and the feasibility of using simple models of gene regulation to causally link differences in gene expression to variation at individual nucleotides.

Genome-wide analysis of the cis-regulatory modules of divergent gene pairs in yeast

In budding yeast, approximately a quarter of adjacent genes are divergently transcribed (divergent gene pairs). Whether genes in a divergent pair share the same regulatory system is still unknown. By examining transcription factor (TF) knockout experiments, we found that most TF knockout only altered the expression of one gene in a divergent pair. This prompted us to conduct a comprehensive analysis in silico to estimate how many divergent pairs are regulated by common sets of TFs (cis-regulatory modules, CRMs) using TF binding sites and expression data. Analyses of ten expression datasets show that only a limited number of divergent gene pairs share CRMs in any single dataset. However, around half of divergent pairs do share a regulatory system in at least one dataset. Our analysis suggests that genes in a divergent pair tend to be co-regulated in at least one condition; however, in most conditions, they may not be co-regulated.

Chromatin remodeling around nucleosome-free regions leads to repression of noncoding RNA transcription

Nucleosome-free regions (NFRs) at the 5' and 3' ends of genes are general sites of transcription initiation for mRNA and noncoding RNA (ncRNA). The presence of NFRs within transcriptional regulatory regions and the conserved location of transcription start sites at NFRs strongly suggest that the regulation of NFRs profoundly affects transcription initiation. To date, multiple factors are known to facilitate transcription initiation by positively regulating the formation and/or size of NFRs in vivo. However, mechanisms to repress transcription by negatively regulating the size of NFRs have not been identified. We identified four distinct classes of NFRs located at the 5' and 3' ends of genes, within open reading frames (ORFs), and far from ORFs. The ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling enzyme Isw2 was found enriched at all classes of NFRs. Analysis of RNA levels also demonstrated Isw2 is required to repress ncRNA transcription from many of these NFRs. Thus, by the systematic annotation of NFRs across the yeast genome and analysis of ncRNA transcription, we established, for the first time, a mechanism by which NFR size is negatively regulated to repress ncRNA transcription from NFRs. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting that one biological consequence of repression of ncRNA, by Isw2 or by the exosome, is prevention of transcriptional interference of mRNA.

De novo identification and biophysical characterization of transcription-factor binding sites with microfluidic affinity analysis

Gene expression is regulated in part by protein transcription factors (TFs) that bind target regulatory DNA sequences. Predicting DNA binding sites and affinities from transcription factor sequence or structure is difficult; therefore, experimental data are required to link TFs to target sequences. We present a microfluidics-based approach for de novo discovery and quantitative biophysical characterization of DNA target sequences. We validated our technique by measuring sequence preferences for 28 S. cerevisiae TFs with a variety of DNA binding domains, including several that have proven difficult to study via other techniques. For each TF, we measured relative binding affinities to oligonucleotides covering all possible 8-bp DNA sequences to create a comprehensive map of sequence preferences; for 4 TFs, we also determined absolute affinities. We anticipate that these data and future use of this technique will provide information essential for understanding TF specificity, improving identification of regulatory sites, and reconstructing regulatory interactions.

Functional dissection of IME1 transcription using quantitative promoter-reporter screening

Transcriptional regulation is a key mechanism that controls the fate and response of cells to diverse signals. Therefore, the identification of the DNA-binding proteins, which mediate these signals, is a crucial step in elucidating how cell fate is regulated. In this report, we applied both bioinformatics and functional genomic approaches to scrutinize the unusually large promoter of the IME1 gene in budding yeast. Using a recently described fluorescent protein-based reporter screen, reporter-synthetic genetic array (R-SGA), we assessed the effect of viable deletion mutants on transcription of various IME1 promoter-reporter genes. We discovered potential transcription factors, many of which have no perfect consensus site within the IME1 promoter. Moreover, most of the cis-regulatory sequences with perfect homology to known transcription factor (TF) consensus were found to be nonfunctional in the R-SGA analysis. In addition, our results suggest that lack of conservation may not discriminate against a TF regulatory role at a specific promoter. We demonstrate that Sum1 and Sok2, which regulate IME1, bind to nonperfect consensuses within nonconserved regions in the sensu stricto Saccharomyces strains. Our analysis supports the view that although comparative analysis can provide a useful guide, functional assays are required for accurate identification of TF-binding site interactions in complex promoters.

Redundancy and the evolution of cis-regulatory element multiplicity

The promoter regions of many genes contain multiple binding sites for the same transcription factor (TF). One possibility is that this multiplicity evolved through transitional forms showing redundant cis-regulation. To evaluate this hypothesis, we must disentangle the relative contributions of different evolutionary mechanisms to the evolution of binding site multiplicity. Here, we attempt to do this using a model of binding site evolution. Our model considers binding sequences and their interactions with TFs explicitly, and allows us to cast the evolution of gene networks into a neutral network framework. We then test some of the model's predictions using data from yeast. Analysis of the model suggested three candidate nonadaptive processes favoring the evolution of cis-regulatory element redundancy and multiplicity: neutral evolution in long promoters, recombination and TF promiscuity. We find that recombination rate is positively associated with binding site multiplicity in yeast. Our model also indicated that weak direct selection for multiplicity (partial redundancy) can play a major role in organisms with large populations. Our data suggest that selection for changes in gene expression level may have contributed to the evolution of multiple binding sites in yeast. We conclude that the evolution of cis-regulatory element redundancy and multiplicity is impacted by many aspects of the biology of an organism: both adaptive and nonadaptive processes, both changes in cis to binding sites and in trans to the TFs that interact with them, both the functional setting of the promoter and the population genetic context of the individuals carrying them.

TFs regulate gene expression by binding to specific sequences in the promoter regions of their target genes. Promoters often contain multiple copies of the same TF binding sites. How does this multiplicity evolve? One possibility is that individuals with multiple, redundant binding sites have higher fitness. However, nonadaptive processes are also likely to be important. Here, we develop a mathematical model of the evolution of TF binding sites to help us disentangle how different evolutionary mechanisms contribute to the evolution of binding site redundancy and multiplicity. We show that recombination is expected to promote the evolution of multiple binding sites. This prediction is corroborated by genome-wide data from yeast. Another important factor in the evolution of multiplicity predicted in our analysis is TF promiscuity, that is, the ability of a TF to bind to multiple sequences. In addition, our analysis indicated that direct selection can have large effects on the evolution of redundancy and multiplicity. Data from yeast identified selection for changes in expression level as a candidate mechanism for the evolution of multiple binding sites. We conclude that, although selection may play a major role in the evolution of multiplicity in regulatory regions, nonadaptive forces can also lead to high levels of multiplicity.

The role of nucleosome positioning in the evolution of gene regulation

Chromatin organization plays a major role in gene regulation and can affect the function and evolution of new transcriptional programs. However, it can be difficult to decipher the basis of changes in chromatin organization and their functional effect on gene expression. Here, we present a large-scale comparative genomic analysis of the relationship between chromatin organization and gene expression, by measuring mRNA abundance and nucleosome positions genome-wide in 12 Hemiascomycota yeast species. We found substantial conservation of global and functional chromatin organization in all species, including prominent nucleosome-free regions (NFRs) at gene promoters, and distinct chromatin architecture in growth and stress genes. Chromatin organization has also substantially diverged in both global quantitative features, such as spacing between adjacent nucleosomes, and in functional groups of genes. Expression levels, intrinsic anti-nucleosomal sequences, and trans-acting chromatin modifiers all play important, complementary, and evolvable roles in determining NFRs. We identify five mechanisms that couple chromatin organization to evolution of gene regulation and have contributed to the evolution of respiro-fermentation and other key systems, including (1) compensatory evolution of alternative modifiers associated with conserved chromatin organization, (2) a gradual transition from constitutive to trans-regulated NFRs, (3) a loss of intrinsic anti-nucleosomal sequences accompanying changes in chromatin organization and gene expression, (4) re-positioning of motifs from NFRs to nucleosome-occluded regions, and (5) the expanded use of NFRs by paralogous activator-repressor pairs. Our study sheds light on the molecular basis of chromatin organization, and on the role of chromatin organization in the evolution of gene regulation.

Origins of specificity in protein-DNA recognition

Specific interactions between proteins and DNA are fundamental to many biological processes. In this review, we provide a revised view of protein-DNA interactions that emphasizes the importance of the three-dimensional structures of both macromolecules. We divide protein-DNA interactions into two categories: those when the protein recognizes the unique chemical signatures of the DNA bases (base readout) and those when the protein recognizes a sequence-dependent DNA shape (shape readout). We further divide base readout into those interactions that occur in the major groove from those that occur in the minor groove. Analogously, the readout of the DNA shape is subdivided into global shape recognition (for example, when the DNA helix exhibits an overall bend) and local shape recognition (for example, when a base pair step is kinked or a region of the minor groove is narrow). Based on the >1500 structures of protein-DNA complexes now available in the Protein Data Bank, we argue that individual DNA-binding proteins combine multiple readout mechanisms to achieve DNA-binding specificity. Specificity that distinguishes between families frequently involves base readout in the major groove, whereas shape readout is often exploited for higher resolution specificity, to distinguish between members within the same DNA-binding protein family.

The telomere-binding protein Tbf1 demarcates snoRNA gene promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) play a key role in ribosomal RNA biogenesis, yet factors controlling their expression are unknown. We found that the majority of Saccharomyces snoRNA promoters display an aRCCCTaa sequence motif at the upstream border of a TATA-containing nucleosome-free region. Genome-wide ChIP-seq analysis showed that these motifs are bound by Tbf1, a telomere-binding protein known to recognize mammalian-like T(2)AG(3) repeats at subtelomeric regions. Tbf1 has over 100 additional promoter targets, including several other genes involved in ribosome biogenesis and the TBF1 gene itself. Tbf1 is required for full snoRNA expression, yet it does not influence nucleosome positioning at snoRNA promoters. In contrast, Tbf1 contributes to nucleosome exclusion at non-snoRNA promoters, where it selectively colocalizes with the Tbf1-interacting zinc-finger proteins Vid22 and Ygr071c. Our data show that, besides the ribosomal protein gene regulator Rap1, a second telomere-binding protein also functions as a transcriptional regulator linked to yeast ribosome biogenesis.

Multiplexed massively parallel SELEX for characterization of human transcription factor binding specificities

The genetic code-the binding specificity of all transfer-RNAs--defines how protein primary structure is determined by DNA sequence. DNA also dictates when and where proteins are expressed, and this information is encoded in a pattern of specific sequence motifs that are recognized by transcription factors. However, the DNA-binding specificity is only known for a small fraction of the approximately 1400 human transcription factors (TFs). We describe here a high-throughput method for analyzing transcription factor binding specificity that is based on systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) and massively parallel sequencing. The method is optimized for analysis of large numbers of TFs in parallel through the use of affinity-tagged proteins, barcoded selection oligonucleotides, and multiplexed sequencing. Data are analyzed by a new bioinformatic platform that uses the hundreds of thousands of sequencing reads obtained to control the quality of the experiments and to generate binding motifs for the TFs. The described technology allows higher throughput and identification of much longer binding profiles than current microarray-based methods. In addition, as our method is based on proteins expressed in mammalian cells, it can also be used to characterize DNA-binding preferences of full-length proteins or proteins requiring post-translational modifications. We validate the method by determining binding specificities of 14 different classes of TFs and by confirming the specificities for NFATC1 and RFX3 using ChIP-seq. Our results reveal unexpected dimeric modes of binding for several factors that were thought to preferentially bind DNA as monomers.

How eukaryotic genes are transcribed

Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression is far more complex than one might have imagined 30 years ago. However, progress towards understanding gene regulatory mechanisms has been rapid and comprehensive, which has made the integration of detailed observations into broadly connected concepts a challenge. This review attempts to integrate the following concepts: (1) a well-defined organization of nucleosomes and modification states at most genes; (2) regulatory networks of sequence-specific transcription factors; (3) chromatin remodeling coupled to promoter assembly of the general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II; and (4) phosphorylation states of RNA polymerase II coupled to chromatin modification states during transcription. The wealth of new insights arising from the tools of biochemistry, genomics, cell biology, and genetics is providing a remarkable view into the mechanics of gene regulation.

The importance of being cis: evolution of orthologous fish and mammalian enhancer activity

Conserved noncoding elements (CNEs) in vertebrate genomes often act as developmental enhancers, but a critical issue is how well orthologous CNE sequences retain the same activity in their respective species, a characteristic important for generalization of model organism studies. To quantify how well CNE enhancer activity has been preserved, we compared the anatomy-specific activities of 41 zebra fish CNEs in zebra fish embryos with the activities of orthologous human CNEs in mouse embryos. We found that 13/41 (∼30%) of the orthologous CNE pairs exhibit conserved positive activity in zebra fish and mouse. Conserved positive activity is only weakly associated with either sequence conservation or the absence of bases undergoing accelerated evolution. A stronger effect is that disparate activity is associated with transcription factor binding site divergence. To distinguish the contributions of cis- versus trans-regulatory changes, we analyzed 13 CNEs in a three-way experimental comparison: human CNE tested in zebra fish, human CNE tested in mouse, and orthologous zebra fish CNE tested in zebra fish. Both cis- and trans-changes affect a significant fraction of CNEs, although human and zebra fish sequences exhibit disparate activity in zebra fish (indicating cis regulatory changes) twice as often as human sequences show disparate activity when tested in mouse and zebra fish (indicating trans regulatory changes). In all four cases where the zebra fish and human CNE display a similar expression pattern in zebra fish, the human CNE also displays a similar expression pattern in mouse. This suggests that the endogenous enhancer activity of ∼30% of human CNEs can be determined from experiments in zebra fish alone, and to identify these CNEs, both the zebra fish and the human sequences should be tested.

Widespread remodeling of mid-coding sequence nucleosomes by Isw1

In yeast, the chromatin remodeler Isw1 shifts nucleosomes from mid-coding, to more 5’ regions of genes and may regulate transcriptional elongation.

Background

The positions of nucleosomes along eukaryotic DNA are defined by the local DNA sequence and are further tuned by the activity of chromatin remodelers. While the genome-wide effect of most remodelers has not been described, recent studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown that Isw2 prevents ectopic expression of anti-sense and suppressed transcripts at gene ends.

Results

We examined the genome-wide function of the Isw2 homologue, Isw1, by mapping nucleosome positioning in S. cerevisiae and Saccharomyces paradoxus strains deleted of ISW1. We found that Isw1 functions primarily within coding regions of genes, consistent with its putative role in transcription elongation. Upon deletion of ISW1, mid-coding nucleosomes were shifted upstream (towards the 5' ends) in about half of the genes. Isw1-dependent shifts were correlated with trimethylation of H3K79 and were enriched at genes with internal cryptic initiation sites.

Conclusions

Our results suggest a division of labor between Isw1 and Isw2, whereby Isw2 maintains repressive chromatin structure at gene ends while Isw1 has a similar function at mid-coding regions. The differential specificity of the two remodelers may be specified through interactions with particular histone marks.

A RSC/nucleosome complex determines chromatin architecture and facilitates activator binding

How is chromatin architecture established and what role does it play in transcription? We show that the yeast regulatory locus UASg bears, in addition to binding sites for the activator Gal4, sites bound by the RSC complex. RSC positions a nucleosome, evidently partially unwound, in a structure that facilitates Gal4 binding to its sites. The complex comprises a barrier that imposes characteristic features of chromatin architecture. In the absence of RSC, ordinary nucleosomes encroach over the UASg and compete with Gal4 for binding. Taken with our previous work, the results show that both prior to and following induction, specific DNA-binding proteins are the predominant determinants of chromatin architecture at the GAL1/10 genes. RSC/nucleosome complexes are also found scattered around the yeast genome. Higher eukaryotic RSC lacks the specific DNA-binding determinants found on yeast RSC, and evidently Gal4 works in those organisms despite whatever obstacle broadly positioned nucleosomes present.

MochiView: versatile software for genome browsing and DNA motif analysis

Background

As high-throughput technologies rapidly generate genome-scale data, it becomes increasingly important to visually integrate these data so that specific hypotheses can be formulated and tested.

Results

We present MochiView, a platform-independent Java software that integrates browsing of genomic sequences, features, and data with DNA motif visualization and analysis in a visually-appealing and user-friendly application.

Conclusions

While highly versatile, the software is particularly useful for organizing, exploring, and analyzing large genomic data sets, such as those from deep RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments (ChIP-Seq and ChIP-Chip), and transcriptional profiling. MochiView provides an extensive suite of utilities to identify and to explore connections between these data sets and short sequence motifs present in DNA or RNA.

Life in the midst of scarcity: adaptations to nutrient availability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cells of all living organisms contain complex signal transduction networks to ensure that a wide range of physiological properties are properly adapted to the environmental conditions. The fundamental concepts and individual building blocks of these signalling networks are generally well-conserved from yeast to man; yet, the central role that growth factors and hormones play in the regulation of signalling cascades in higher eukaryotes is executed by nutrients in yeast. Several nutrient-controlled pathways, which regulate cell growth and proliferation, metabolism and stress resistance, have been defined in yeast. These pathways are integrated into a signalling network, which ensures that yeast cells enter a quiescent, resting phase (G0) to survive periods of nutrient scarceness and that they rapidly resume growth and cell proliferation when nutrient conditions become favourable again. A series of well-conserved nutrient-sensory protein kinases perform key roles in this signalling network: i.e. Snf1, PKA, Tor1 and Tor2, Sch9 and Pho85-Pho80. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the current understanding of the signalling processes mediated via these kinases with a particular focus on how these individual pathways converge to signalling networks that ultimately ensure the dynamic translation of extracellular nutrient signals into appropriate physiological responses.

Finding regulatory DNA motifs using alignment-free evolutionary conservation information

As an increasing number of eukaryotic genomes are being sequenced, comparative studies aimed at detecting regulatory elements in intergenic sequences are becoming more prevalent. Most comparative methods for transcription factor (TF) binding site discovery make use of global or local alignments of orthologous regulatory regions to assess whether a particular DNA site is conserved across related organisms, and thus more likely to be functional. Since binding sites are usually short, sometimes degenerate, and often independent of orientation, alignment algorithms may not align them correctly. Here, we present a novel, alignment-free approach for using conservation information for TF binding site discovery. We relax the definition of conserved sites: we consider a DNA site within a regulatory region to be conserved in an orthologous sequence if it occurs anywhere in that sequence, irrespective of orientation. We use this definition to derive informative priors over DNA sequence positions, and incorporate these priors into a Gibbs sampling algorithm for motif discovery. Our approach is simple and fast. It requires neither sequence alignments nor the phylogenetic relationships between the orthologous sequences, yet it is more effective on real biological data than methods that do.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome-wide nucleosome mapping reveals positioning mechanisms distinct from those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Positioned nucleosomes limit the access of proteins to DNA and implement regulatory features encoded in eukaryotic genomes. Here we have generated the first genome-wide nucleosome positioning map for Schizosaccharomyces pombe and annotated transcription start and termination sites genome wide. Using this resource, we found surprising differences from the previously published nucleosome organization of the distantly related yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DNA sequence guides nucleosome positioning differently: for example, poly(dA-dT) elements are not enriched in S. pombe nucleosome-depleted regions. Regular nucleosomal arrays emanate more asymmetrically-mainly codirectionally with transcription-from promoter nucleosome-depleted regions, but promoters harboring the histone variant H2A.Z also show regular arrays upstream of these regions. Regular nucleosome phasing in S. pombe has a very short repeat length of 154 base pairs and requires a remodeler, Mit1, that is conserved in humans but is not found in S. cerevisiae. Nucleosome positioning mechanisms are evidently not universal but evolutionarily plastic.

Members of the RSC chromatin-remodeling complex are required for maintaining proper nuclear envelope structure and pore complex localization

Genome-wide screening approaches were employed to identify factors required for nuclear pore complex structure and distribution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Roles were found for multiple components of the RSC complex, revealing a functional connection between proper chromatin remodeling and nuclear envelope/nuclear pore complex structure.

The assembly, distribution, and functional integrity of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in the nuclear envelope (NE) are key determinants in the nuclear periphery architecture. However, the mechanisms controlling proper NPC and NE structure are not fully defined. We used two different genetic screening approaches to identify Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with defects in NPC localization. The first approach examined green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Nic96 in 531 strains from the yeast Tet-promoters Hughes Collection with individual essential genes expressed from a doxycycline-regulated promoter (TetO₇-orf). Under repressive conditions, depletion of the protein encoded by 44 TetO₇-orf strains resulted in mislocalized GFP-Nic96. These included STH1, RSC4, RSC8, RSC9, RSC58, ARP7, and ARP9, each encoding components of the RSC chromatin remodeling complex. Second, a temperature-sensitive sth1-F793S (npa18-1) mutant was identified in an independent genetic screen for NPC assembly (npa) mutants. NPC mislocalization in the RSC mutants required new protein synthesis and ongoing transcription, confirming that lack of global transcription did not underlie the phenotypes. Electron microscopy studies showed significantly altered NEs and nuclear morphology, with coincident cytoplasmic membrane sheet accumulation. Strikingly, increasing membrane fluidity with benzyl alcohol treatment prevented the sth1-F793S NE structural defects and NPC mislocalization. We speculate that NE structure is functionally linked to proper chromatin architecture.

Conserved expression without conserved regulatory sequence: the more things change, the more they stay the same

Regulatory regions with similar transcriptional output often have little overt sequence similarity, both within and between genomes. Although cis- and trans-regulatory changes can contribute to sequence divergence without dramatically altering gene expression outputs, heterologous DNA often functions similarly in organisms that share little regulatory sequence similarities (e.g. human DNA in fish), indicating that trans-regulatory mechanisms tend to diverge more slowly and can accommodate a variety of cis-regulatory configurations. This capacity to 'tinker' with regulatory DNA probably relates to the complexity, robustness and evolvability of regulatory systems, but cause-and-effect relationships among evolutionary processes and properties of regulatory systems remain a topic of debate. The challenge of understanding the concrete mechanisms underlying cis-regulatory evolution - including the conservation of function without the conservation of sequence - relates to the challenge of understanding the function of regulatory systems in general. Currently, we are largely unable to recognize functionally similar regulatory DNA.

Many sequence-specific chromatin modifying protein-binding motifs show strong positional preferences for potential regulatory regions in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome

Initiation and regulation of gene expression is critically dependent on the binding of transcriptional regulators, which is often temporal and position specific. Many transcriptional regulators recognize and bind specific DNA motifs. The length and degeneracy of these motifs results in their frequent occurrence within the genome, with only a small subset serving as actual binding sites. By occupying potential binding sites, nucleosome placement can specify which sequence motif is available for DNA-binding regulatory factors. Therefore, the specification of nucleosome placement to allow access to transcriptional regulators whenever and wherever required is critical. We show that many DNA-binding motifs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae show a strong positional preference to occur only in potential regulatory regions. Furthermore, using gene ontology enrichment tools, we demonstrate that proteins with binding motifs that show the strongest positional preference also have a tendency to have chromatin-modifying properties and functions. This suggests that some DNA-binding proteins may depend on the distribution of their binding motifs across the genome to assist in the determination of specificity. Since many of these DNA-binding proteins have chromatin remodeling properties, they can alter the local nucleosome structure to a more permissive and/or restrictive state, thereby assisting in determining DNA-binding protein specificity.

Probing the (H3-H4)2 histone tetramer structure using pulsed EPR spectroscopy combined with site-directed spin labelling

The (H3-H4)(2) histone tetramer forms the central core of nucleosomes and, as such, plays a prominent role in assembly, disassembly and positioning of nucleosomes. Despite its fundamental role in chromatin, the tetramer has received little structural investigation. Here, through the use of pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy coupled with site-directed spin labelling, we survey the structure of the tetramer in solution. We find that tetramer is structurally more heterogeneous on its own than when sequestered in the octamer or nucleosome. In particular, while the central region including the H3-H3' interface retains a structure similar to that observed in nucleosomes, other regions such as the H3 alphaN helix display increased structural heterogeneity. Flexibility of the H3 alphaN helix in the free tetramer also illustrates the potential for post-translational modifications to alter the structure of this region and mediate interactions with histone chaperones. The approach described here promises to prove a powerful system for investigating the structure of additional assemblies of histones with other important factors in chromatin assembly/fluidity.

Quantitative cell array screening to identify regulators of gene expression

In the last decade or so, advances in genome-scale technologies have allowed systematic and detailed analysis of gene function. The experimental accessibility of budding yeast makes it a test-bed for technology development and application of new functional genomic tools and resources that pave the way for comparable efforts in higher eukaryotes. In this article, we review advances in reporter screening technology to discover trans-acting regulators of promoters (or cis-elements) of interest in the context of a novel functional genomics approach called Reporter Synthetic Genetic Array (R-SGA) analysis. We anticipate that this methodology will enable researchers to collect quantitative data on hundreds of gene expression pathways in an effort to better understand transcriptional regulatory networks.

Mapping the local protein interactome of the NuA3 histone acetyltransferase

Protein-protein interactions modulate cellular functions ranging from the activity of enzymes to signal transduction cascades. A technology termed transient isotopic differentiation of interactions as random or targeted (transient I-DIRT) is described for the identification of stable and transient protein-protein interactions in vivo. The procedure combines mild in vivo chemical cross-linking and non-stringent affinity purification to isolate low abundance chromatin-associated protein complexes. Using isotopic labeling and mass spectrometric readout, purified proteins are categorized with respect to the protein 'bait' as stable, transient, or contaminant. Here we characterize the local interactome of the chromatin-associated NuA3 histone lysine-acetyltransferase protein complex. We describe transient associations with the yFACT nucleosome assembly complex, RSC chromatin remodeling complex and a nucleosome assembly protein. These novel, physical associations with yFACT, RSC, and Nap1 provide insight into the mechanism of NuA3-associated transcription and chromatin regulation.

JASPAR 2010: the greatly expanded open-access database of transcription factor binding profiles

JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net) is the leading open-access database of matrix profiles describing the DNA-binding patterns of transcription factors (TFs) and other proteins interacting with DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Its fourth major release is the largest expansion of the core database to date: the database now holds 457 non-redundant, curated profiles. The new entries include the first batch of profiles derived from ChIP-seq and ChIP-chip whole-genome binding experiments, and 177 yeast TF binding profiles. The introduction of a yeast division brings the convenience of JASPAR to an active research community. As binding models are refined by newer data, the JASPAR database now uses versioning of matrices: in this release, 12% of the older models were updated to improved versions. Classification of TF families has been improved by adopting a new DNA-binding domain nomenclature. A curated catalog of mammalian TFs is provided, extending the use of the JASPAR profiles to additional TFs belonging to the same structural family. The changes in the database set the system ready for more rapid acquisition of new high-throughput data sources. Additionally, three new special collections provide matrix profile data produced by recent alternative high-throughput approaches.

Protein kinase A and TORC1 activate genes for ribosomal biogenesis by inactivating repressors encoded by Dot6 and its homolog Tod6

Genes required for ribosome biogenesis in yeast, referred to collectively as the Ribi regulon, are tightly regulated in coordination with nutrient availability and cellular growth rate. The promoters of a significant fraction of Ribi genes contain one or more copies of the RNA polymerases A and C (PAC) and/or ribosomal RNA-processing element (RRPE) motifs. Prompted by recent studies showing that the yeast protein Dot6 and its homolog Tod6 can bind to a PAC motif sequence in vitro and are required for efficient Ribi gene repression in response to heat shock, we have examined the role of Dot6 and Tod6 in nutrient control of Ribi gene expression in vivo. Our results indicate that PAC sites function as Dot6/Tod6-dependent repressor elements in vivo. Moreover, Dot6 and Tod6 mediate different nutrient signals, with Tod6 responsible for efficient repression of Ribi genes after inhibition of the nitrogen-sensitive TORC1 pathway and Dot6 responsible for repression after inhibition of the carbon-sensitive protein kinase A signaling pathway. Consistently, Dot6 and Tod6 are required for efficient repression of Ribi gene repression immediately after nutrient deprivation and for successful adaptation to nutrient limitation. Thus, these results establish Dot6/Tod6 as a direct link between nutrient availability, Ribi gene regulation, and growth control.

hPDI: a database of experimental human protein-DNA interactions

The human protein DNA Interactome (hPDI) database holds experimental protein-DNA interaction data for humans identified by protein microarray assays. The unique characteristics of hPDI are that it contains consensus DNA-binding sequences not only for nearly 500 human transcription factors but also for >500 unconventional DNA-binding proteins, which are completely uncharacterized previously. Users can browse, search and download a subset or the entire data via a web interface. This database is freely accessible for any academic purposes.

AVAILABILITY

http://bioinfo.wilmer.jhu.edu/PDI/.

High-resolution nucleosome mapping reveals transcription-dependent promoter packaging

Genome-wide mapping of nucleosomes has revealed a great deal about the relationships between chromatin structure and control of gene expression, and has led to mechanistic hypotheses regarding the rules by which chromatin structure is established. High-throughput sequencing has recently become the technology of choice for chromatin mapping studies, yet analysis of these experiments is still in its infancy. Here, we introduce a pipeline for analyzing deep sequencing maps of chromatin structure and apply it to data from S. cerevisiae. We analyze a digestion series where nucleosomes are isolated from under- and overdigested chromatin. We find that certain classes of nucleosomes are unusually susceptible or resistant to overdigestion, with promoter nucleosomes easily digested and mid-coding region nucleosomes being quite stable. We find evidence for highly sensitive nucleosomes located within "nucleosome-free regions," suggesting that these regions are not always completely naked but instead are likely associated with easily digested nucleosomes. Finally, since RNA polymerase is the dominant energy-consuming machine that operates on the chromatin template, we analyze changes in chromatin structure when RNA polymerase is inactivated via a temperature-sensitive mutation. We find evidence that RNA polymerase plays a role in nucleosome eviction at promoters and is also responsible for retrograde shifts in nucleosomes during transcription. Loss of RNA polymerase results in a relaxation of chromatin structure to more closely match in vitro nucleosome positioning preferences. Together, these results provide analytical tools and experimental guidance for nucleosome mapping experiments, and help disentangle the interlinked processes of transcription and chromatin packaging.

The logic of chromatin architecture and remodelling at promoters

The regulation of gene transcription involves a dynamic balance between packaging regulatory sequences into chromatin and allowing transcriptional regulators access to these sequences. Access is restricted by the nucleosomes, but these can be repositioned or ejected by enzymes known as nucleosome remodellers. In addition, the DNA sequence can impart stiffness or curvature to the DNA, thereby affecting the position of nucleosomes on the DNA, influencing particular promoter 'architectures'. Recent genome-wide studies in yeast suggest that constitutive and regulated genes have architectures that differ in terms of nucleosome position, turnover, remodelling requirements and transcriptional noise.

Growth control and ribosome biogenesis

Ribosomes provide the basis for protein production and this drives cell growth. Recent studies, both in yeast and in higher eukaryotes, are beginning to reveal new mechanisms underlying the elaborate control of ribosome biogenesis, which requires coordinate regulation of all three RNA polymerases. Transcription of ribosomal RNA is finely tuned to cellular energy status and linked to the production of ribosomal proteins. Several autoregulatory mechanisms controlling various aspects of ribosome biogenesis have been uncovered and reveal new connections to cell-cycle and cell-size control. Ribosome biogenesis has now been clearly linked to disease, particularly to cancer and anemia, and also to aging. A challenge for future studies will be to elucidate further the molecular mechanisms underlying these connections.