Homocitrullination is a novel histone H1 epigenetic mark dependent on aryl hydrocarbon receptor recruitment of carbamoyl phosphate synthase

Aditya D. Joshi, Mehnaz G. Mustafa, Cheryl F. Lichti, Cornelis J. Elferink

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a regulator of xenobiotic toxicity, is a member of the eukaryotic Per-Arnt-Sim domain protein family of transcription factors. Recent evidence identified a novel AhR DNA recognition sequence called the nonconsensus xenobiotic response element (NC-XRE). AhR binding to the NC-XRE in response to activation by the canonical ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin resulted in concomitant recruitment of carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) to the NC-XRE. Studies presented here demonstrate that CPS1 is a bona fide nuclear protein involved in homocitrullination (hcit), including a key lysine residue on histone H1 (H1K34hcit). H1K34hcit represents a hitherto unknown epigenetic mark implicated in enhanced gene expression of the peptidylarginine deiminase 2 gene, itself a chromatin-modifying protein. Collectively, our data suggest that AhR activation promotes CPS1 recruitment to DNA enhancer sites in the genome, resulting in a specific enzyme-independent post-translational modification of the linker histone H1 protein (H1K34hcit), pivotal in altering local chromatin structure and transcriptional activation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)27767-27778
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume290
Issue number46
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 13 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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