NF-Y affects histone acetylation and H2A.Z deposition in cell cycle promoters

Histones post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial for transcriptional control, defining positive and negative chromatin territories. We previously described an extensive methylation-acetylation switch on cell cycle promoters using a single nucleosome ChIP assay. A key issue is how PTMs are locally positioned. We report an analysis on the role of the NF-Y CCAAT transcription factor on histone acetylation. Whereas H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation in core promoters is not influenced by NF-Y, H3K18ac, H3K36ac and H3K27ac are increased in the absence of NF-Y. Interestingly, NF-Y affects H2B acetylation in an opposite way: H2BK16ac is decreased and Lysine 120 acetylation, which counter-correlates with ubiquitination, increases dramatically upon NF-Y removal. KAT2A/KAT2B and subunits of the SAGA and ATAC complexes (SPT20 and ZZZ3) are differentially regulated. Finally, the deposition of H2A.Z, which maps around the TSS, is also NF-Y-dependent. In summary, NF-Y influences histone acetylation in different processes, including those involved in a methylation-acetylation switch and in the recruitment of histone variants.