Inherent asymmetry of Rpd3S coordinates its nucleosome engagement and association with elongating RNA polymerase II.

The Rpd3S histone deacetylase complex has a crucial role in genomic integrity by deacetylating transcribed nucleosomes following RNA polymerase (Pol) II passage. Cryo-EM studies highlight the importance of asymmetrical Rco1-Eaf3 dimers in nucleosome binding, yet the interaction dynamics with nucleosomal substrates alongside elongating Pol II are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate the essential function of the Rco1 N-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) in modulating Pol II association, in which K/R mutations within the Rco1 IDR impair interaction of Rpd3S with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of Rpb1, without affecting nucleosome recognition or complex integrity.

An oncoprotein CREPT functions as a co-factor in MYC-driven transformation and tumor growth.

Understanding the mechanisms behind MYC-driven oncogenic transformation could pave the way for identifying novel drug targets. This study explored the role of CREPT in MYC-induced malignancy by generating MYC-transformed mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with conditional CREPT deletion. Our results demonstrated that the loss of CREPT significantly impaired MYC-induced colony formation and cell proliferation, indicating that CREPT is essential for the malignant transformation of MEFs.

Diverse modes of H3K36me3-guided nucleosomal deacetylation by Rpd3S.

Context-dependent dynamic histone modifications constitute a key epigenetic mechanism in gene regulation. The Rpd3 small (Rpd3S) complex recognizes histone H3 trimethylation on lysine 36 (H3K36me3) and deacetylates histones H3 and H4 at multiple sites across transcribed regions. Here we solved the cryo-electron microscopy structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rpd3S in its free and H3K36me3 nucleosome-bound states.

Gas41 links histone acetylation to H2A.Z deposition and maintenance of embryonic stem cell identity.

The histone variant H2A.Z is essential for maintaining embryonic stem cell (ESC) identity in part by keeping developmental genes in a poised bivalent state. However, how H2A.

YEATS2 links histone acetylation to tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer.

Recognition of modified histones by "reader" proteins constitutes a key mechanism regulating diverse chromatin-associated processes important for normal and neoplastic development. We recently identified the YEATS domain as a novel acetyllysine-binding module; however, the functional importance of YEATS domain-containing proteins in human cancer remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the YEATS2 gene is highly amplified in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is required for cancer cell growth and survival.