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Molecular and Cellular Biology, January 2000, p. 312-318, Vol. 20, No. 1
0270-7306/0/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

The Drosophila MSL Complex Acetylates Histone H4 at Lysine 16, a Chromatin Modification Linked to Dosage Compensation

Edwin R. Smith,1,2 Antonio Pannuti,1 Weigang Gu,1 Arnd Steurnagel,1 Richard G. Cook,3 C. David Allis,2 and John C. Lucchesi1,*

Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 303221; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia H.S.C., Charlottesville, Virginia 229082; and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 770303

Received 30 August 1999/Returned for modification 27 September 1999/Accepted 5 October 1999

In Drosophila, dosage compensation---the equalization of most X-linked gene products in males and females---is achieved by a twofold enhancement of the level of transcription of the X chromosome in males relative to each X chromosome in females. A complex consisting of at least five gene products preferentially binds the X chromosome at numerous sites in males and results in a significant increase in the presence of a specific histone isoform, histone 4 acetylated at lysine 16. Recently, RNA transcripts (roX1 and roX2) encoded by two different genes have also been found associated with the X chromosome in males. We have partially purified a complex containing MSL1, -2, and -3, MOF, MLE, and roX2 RNA and demonstrated that it exclusively acetylates H4 at lysine 16 on nucleosomal substrates. These results demonstrate that the MSL complex is responsible for the specific chromatin modification characteristic of the X chromosome in Drosophila males.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322. Phone: (404) 727-4234. Fax: (404) 727-2880. E-mail: Lucchesi{at}biology.emory.edu.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, January 2000, p. 312-318, Vol. 20, No. 1
0270-7306/0/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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