SWI/SNF senses carbon starvation with a pH-sensitive low-complexity sequence

It is increasingly appreciated that intracellular pH changes are important biological signals. This motivates the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of pH sensing. We determined that a nucleocytoplasmic pH oscillation was required for the transcriptional response to carbon starvation in . The SWI/S...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:eLife 2022-02, Vol.11
Main Authors: Gutierrez, J Ignacio, Brittingham, Gregory P, Karadeniz, Yonca, Tran, Kathleen D, Dutta, Arnob, Holehouse, Alex S, Peterson, Craig L, Holt, Liam J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Alternative energy
Biochemistry and Chemical Biology
Carbon
chromatin
Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
Chromatin remodeling
Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone - metabolism
Chromosomes and Gene Expression
Gene expression
Glucose
Glutamine
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
low-complexity sequences
Molecular modelling
pH effects
polyglutamine
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism
transcription
Transcription factors
Transcription Factors - metabolism
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Summary:It is increasingly appreciated that intracellular pH changes are important biological signals. This motivates the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of pH sensing. We determined that a nucleocytoplasmic pH oscillation was required for the transcriptional response to carbon starvation in . The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex is a key mediator of this transcriptional response. A glutamine-rich low-complexity domain (QLC) in the subunit of this complex, and histidines within this sequence, was required for efficient transcriptional reprogramming. Furthermore, the QLC mediated pH-dependent recruitment of to an acidic transcription factor in a reconstituted nucleosome remodeling assay. Simulations showed that protonation of histidines within the QLC leads to conformational expansion, providing a potential biophysical mechanism for regulation of these interactions. Together, our results indicate that pH changes are a second messenger for transcriptional reprogramming during carbon starvation and that the QLC acts as a pH sensor.
ISSN:2050-084X
2050-084X
DOI:10.7554/ELIFE.70344