ERCC6 (CSB) and EHMT2 (G9a) positively regulate rRNA expression (Homo sapiens)
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About half of the rRNA genes in the genome are actively expressed, being transcribed by RNA polymerase I (reviewed in Nemeth and Langst 2008, Bartova et al. 2010, Goodfellow and Zomerdijk 2012, Grummt and Langst 2013). As inferred from mouse, those genes that are expressed are activated by ERCC6 (also known as Cockayne Syndrome protein, CSB) which interacts with TTF-I bound to the T0 terminator region (also know as the Sal Box) of rRNA genes (Yuan et al. 2007, reviewed in Birch and Zomerdijk 2008, Grummt and Langst 2013). ERCC6 recruits the histone methyltransferase EHMT2 (also known as G9a) which dimethylates histone H3 at lysine-9 in the coding region of rRNA genes. The dimethylated lysine is bound by CBX3 (also known as Heterochromatic Protein-1gamma, HP1gamma) and increases expression of the rRNA gene. Continuing dimethylation depends on continuing transcription. Mutations in CSB result in dysregulation of RNA polymerase I transcription, which plays a role in the symptoms of Cockayne Syndrome (reviewed in Hannan et al. 2013).
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CHD4 and presumably the rest of the NuRD complex is associated with bivalent domains containing H3K4me3 (active chromatin mark) and H3K27me3 (inactive chromatin mark). ERCC6 and EHMT2 appear to cooperate to regulate activation of rRNA expression with ERCC6 mediating the transition to permissive chromatin (Lebedev et al. 2008) and EHMT2 mediating the transition to active chromatin, which involves the positional shift of one nucleosome at the promoter.