iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.
iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.



Link to original content: https://doi.org/10.1038/84826
Mammalian SWI/SNF complexes promote MyoD-mediated muscle differentiation | Nature Genetics
Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Mammalian SWI/SNF complexes promote MyoD-mediated muscle differentiation

Abstract

Mammalian SWI/SNF complexes are ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes that have been implicated in the regulation of gene expression, cell-cycle control and oncogenesis1,2,3,4. MyoD is a muscle-specific regulator able to induce myogenesis in numerous cell types5. To ascertain the requirement for chromatin remodeling enzymes in cellular differentiation processes, we examined MyoD-mediated induction of muscle differentiation in fibroblasts expressing dominant-negative versions of the human brahma-related gene-1 (BRG1) or human brahma (BRM), the ATPase subunits of two distinct SWI/SNF enzymes. We find that induction of the myogenic phenotype is completely abrogated in the presence of the mutant enzymes. We further demonstrate that failure to induce muscle-specific gene expression correlates with inhibition of chromatin remodeling in the promoter region of an endogenous muscle-specific gene. Our results demonstrate that SWI/SNF enzymes promote MyoD-mediated muscle differentiation and indicate that these enzymes function by altering chromatin structure in promoter regions of endogenous, differentiation-specific loci.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Expression of dominant-negative BRG1 and BRM inhibits expression of muscle-specific gene expression during MyoD-mediated differentiation.
Figure 2: Retroviral insertion and expression of functional MyoD occurs in all differentiated samples.
Figure 3: Restriction endonuclease accessibility of the myogenin gene.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vignali, M., Hassan, A.H., Neely, K.E. & Workman, J.L. ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. Mol. Cell. Biol. 20, 1899–1910 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Muchardt, C. & Yaniv, M. The mammalian SWI/SNF complex and the control of cell growth. Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 10, 189–195 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kingston, R. & Narlikar, G. ATP dependent remodeling and acetylation as regulators of chromatin fluidity. Genes Dev. 13, 2339–2352 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Imbalzano, A. ATP dependent chromatin remodelers: complex complexes and their components. Crit. Rev. Euk. Gene Exp. 8, 225–255 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Davis, R., Weintraub, H. & Lassar, A. Expression of a single transfected cDNA converts fibroblasts to myoblasts. Cell 51, 987–1000 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kowenz-Leutz, E. & Leutz, A. A C/EBPβ isoform recruits the SWI/SNF complex to activate myeloid genes. Mol. Cell 4, 735–743 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Novitch, B.G., Mulligan, G.J., Jacks, T. & Lassar, A.B. Skeletal muscle cells lacking the retinoblastoma protein display defects in muscle gene expression and accumulate in S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. J. Cell Biol. 135, 441–456 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. de la Serna, I.L. et al. Mammalian SWI-SNF complexes contribute to activation of the hsp70 gene. Mol. Cell. Biol. 20, 2839–2851 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kalpana, G.V., Marmon, S., Wang, W., Crabtree, G.R. & Goff, S.P. Binding and stimulation of HIV-1 integrase by a human homolog of yeast transcription factor SNF5. Science 266, 2002–2006 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Thayer, M.J. et al. Positive autoregulation of the myogenic determination gene MyoD1. Cell 58, 241–248 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dunaief, J.L. et al. The retinoblastoma protein and BRG1 form a complex and cooperate to induce cell cycle arrest. Cell 79, 119–130 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Reyes, J.C. et al. Altered control of cellular proliferation in the absence of mammalian brahma (SNF2α). EMBO J. 17, 6979–6991 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Shanahan, F., Seghezzi, W., Parry, D., Mahony, D. & Lees, E. Cyclin E associates with BAF155 and BRG1, components of the mammalian SWI-SNF complex, and alters the ability of BRG1 to induce growth arrest. Mol. Cell. Biol. 19, 1460–1469 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang, H.S. et al. Exit from G1 and S phase of the cell cycle is regulated by repressor complexes containing HDAC–Rb–hSWI/SNF and Rb–hSWI/SNF. Cell 101, 79–89 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Strobeck, M.W. et al. BRG-1 is required for Rb mediated cell cycle arrest. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97, 7748–7753 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kwon, H., Imbalzano, A.N., Khavari, P.A., Kingston, R.E. & Green, M.R. Nucleosome disruption and enhancement of activator binding by a human SWI/SNF complex. Nature 370, 477–481 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Imbalzano, A.N., Kwon, H., Green, M.R. & Kingston, R.E. Facilitated binding of TATA-binding protein to nucleosomal DNA. Nature 370, 481–485 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wang, W. et al. Purification and biochemical heterogeneity of the mammalian SWI-SNF complex. EMBO J. 15, 5370–5382 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gerber, A.N., Klesert, T.R., Bergstrom, D.A. & Tapscott, S.J. Two domains of MyoD mediate transcriptional activation of genes in repressive chromatin: a mechanism for lineage determination in myogenesis. Genes Dev. 11, 436–450 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Cheng, T.C., Wallace, M.C., Merlie, J.P. & Olson, E.N. Separable regulatory elements governing myogenin transcription in mouse embryogenesis. Science 261, 215–218 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Yee, S.P. & Rigby, P.W. The regulation of myogenin gene expression during the embryonic development of the mouse. Genes Dev. 7, 1277–1289 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fryer, C.J. & Archer, T.K. Chromatin remodelling by the glucocorticoid receptor requires the BRG1 complex. Nature 393, 88–91 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lu, J., McKinsey, T.A., Zhang, C.L. & Olson, E.N. Regulation of skeletal myogenesis by association of the MEF2 transcription factor with class II histone deacetylases. Mol. Cell 6, 233–244 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sartorelli, V. et al. Acetylation of MyoD directed by PCAF is necessary for the execution of the muscle program. Mol. Cell 4, 725–734 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Weintraub, H., Davis, R., Lockshon, D. & Lassar, A. MyoD binds cooperatively to two sites in a target enhancer sequence: occupancy of two sites is required for activation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 5623–5627 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kowalik, T.F., DeGregori, J., Schwarz, J.K. & Nevins, J.R. E2F1 overexpression in quiescent fibroblasts leads to induction of cellular DNA synthesis and apoptosis. J. Virol. 69, 2491–2500 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Lassar, A. et al. Functional activity of myogenic HLH proteins requires hetero-oligomerization with E12/E47-like proteins in vivo. Cell 66, 305–315 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Javed, A. et al. Multiple Cbfa/AML sites in the rat osteocalcin promoter are required for basal and vitamin D-responsive transcription and contribute to chromatin organization. Mol. Cell. Biol. 19, 7491–7500 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Brown, S.A. & Kingston, R.E. Disruption of downstream chromatin directed by a transcriptional activator. Genes Dev. 11, 3116–3121 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Edmondson, D.G., Cheng, T.C., Cserjesi, P., Chakraborty, T. & Olson, E.N. Analysis of the myogenin promoter reveals an indirect pathway for positive autoregulation mediated by the muscle-specific enhancer factor MEF-2. Mol. Cell. Biol. 12, 3665–3677 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank A. Lassar, B. Novitch and A. Javed for reagents and advice; R. Kingston for suggesting this line of experimentation; D. Edmondson and E. Olson for the myogenin genomic clone; S. Sif, L. Shopland, D. Hill, C. Guidi and C. Peterson for comments on the manuscript; and D. Hill and C. Baron for help with the figures. This work was supported by grants from the NIH to I.L.d.l.S. and A.N.I. and by a Scholar Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to A.N.I.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony N. Imbalzano.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

de la Serna, I., Carlson, K. & Imbalzano, A. Mammalian SWI/SNF complexes promote MyoD-mediated muscle differentiation. Nat Genet 27, 187–190 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/84826

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/84826

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing