HP1a, Su(var)3-9, SETDB1 and POF stimulate or repress gene expression depending on genomic position, gene length and expression pattern in Drosophila melanogaster

Heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a) is a chromatin associated protein that has been well studied in many model organisms, such as Drosophila, where it is a determining factor for classical heterochromatin. HP1a is associated with the two histone methyltransferases SETDB1 and Su(var)3-9, which mediate H3K9 methylation marks and participate in the establishment and spreading of HP1a enriched chromatin. While HP1a is generally regarded as a factor that represses gene transcription, several reports have linked HP1a binding to active genes, and in some cases, it has been shown to stimulate transcriptional activity. To clarify the function of HP1a in transcription regulation and its association with Su(var)3-9, SETDB1 and the chromosome 4 specific protein POF, we conducted genome-wide expression studies and combined the results with available binding data in Drosophila melanogaster. The results suggested that HP1a has a repressing function on chromosome 4, where it preferentially targets non-ubiquitously expressed genes (NUEGs), and a stimulating function in pericentromeric regions. Further, we showed that the effects of SETDB1 and Su(var)3-9 are similar to HP1a, and on chromosome 4, Su(var)3-9, SETDB1 and HP1a target the same genes. In contrast, transposons are repressed by HP1a and Su(var)3-9 but are un-affected by SETDB1 and POF. In addition, we found that the binding level and expression effects of HP1a are affected by gene length. Our results indicate that genes have adapted to be properly expressed in their local chromatin environment.

18

Lundberg LE, Stenberg P, Larsson J