EBF2 transcriptionally regulates brown adipogenesis via the histone reader DPF3 and the BAF chromatin remodeling complex

Suzanne N Shapira, Hee-Woong Lim, Sona Rajakumari, Alexander P Sakers, Jeff Ishibashi, Matthew J Harms, Kyoung-Jae Won, Patrick Seale

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The transcription factor early B-cell factor 2 (EBF2) is an essential mediator of brown adipocyte commitment and terminal differentiation. However, the mechanisms by which EBF2 regulates chromatin to activate brown fat-specific genes in adipocytes were unknown. ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP] followed by deep sequencing) analyses in brown adipose tissue showed that EBF2 binds and regulates the activity of lineage-specific enhancers. Mechanistically, EBF2 physically interacts with the chromatin remodeler BRG1 and the BAF chromatin remodeling complex in brown adipocytes. We identified the histone reader protein DPF3 as a brown fat-selective component of the BAF complex that was required for brown fat gene programming and mitochondrial function. Loss of DPF3 in brown adipocytes reduced chromatin accessibility at EBF2-bound enhancers and led to a decrease in basal and catecholamine-stimulated expression of brown fat-selective genes. Notably, Dpf3 is a direct transcriptional target of EBF2 in brown adipocytes, thereby establishing a regulatory module through which EBF2 activates and also recruits DPF3-anchored BAF complexes to chromatin. Together, these results reveal a novel mechanism by which EBF2 cooperates with a tissue-specific chromatin remodeling complex to activate brown fat identity genes.

Original languageEnglish
JournalGenes & Development
Volume31
Issue number7
Pages (from-to)660-673
Number of pages14
ISSN0890-9369
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adipogenesis/genetics
  • Adipose Tissue, Brown/cytology
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/physiology
  • Cell Lineage/genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromatin/metabolism
  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Histones/metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic

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