Division of labor among H3K4 Methyltransferases Define Distinct Facets of Homeostatic Plasticity
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ABSTRACT: Histone H3 lysine 4 methylaton (H3K4me), a hallmark of transcriptionally engaged chromatin, is installed by the lysine methyltransferases 2 (KMT2) family of six enzymes in mammals. The six enzymes appear to have arisen from gene duplication of the ancient three enzymes found in the fruit fly. Heterozygous mutations in any of the six enzymes result in monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders, indicating nonredundant yet poorly understood roles of KMT2 family enzymes in neurodevelopment. Recent evidence suggests that histone methyltransferase activity may not be central to KMT2 functions; however, the enzymatic activity is evolutionary conserved, implicating the presence of selective pressure to maintain the catalytic activity. Here, we show that H3K4 methylation is dynamically regulated during prolonged alteration of neuronal activity. The perturbation of H3K4me by the H3.3K4M mutant blocks synaptic scaling, a form of homeostatic plasticity that buffers the impact of prolonged reductions or increases in network activity. Unexpectedly, we found that the six individual enzymes are all necessary for synaptic scaling and that the roles of KMT2 enzymes segregate into evolutionary-defined subfamilies; KMT2A and KMT2B (fly-Trx homologs) for synaptic downscaling, KMT2C and KMT2D (Trr homologs) for upscaling, and KMT2F and KMT2G (dSet homologs) for both directions. Selective blocking of KMT2A enzymatic activity by a small molecule and targeted disruption of the enzymatic domain both blocked the synaptic downscaling and interfered with the activity-dependent transcriptional program. Furthermore, our study revealed specific phases of synaptic downscaling, i.e., induction and maintenance, in which KMT2A and KMT2B play distinct roles. These results suggest that mammalian brains have co-opted intricate H3K4me installation to achieve stability of the expanding neuronal circuits.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE239471 | GEO | 2024/08/01
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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