Histone acetyltransferases/deacetylases contribute to the activation or inactivation of transcription by modifying the structure of chromatin. Here we examined the effects ofhistone deacetylase inhibitors （HDIs）, trichostatin A, and sodium butyrate on hsp70 gene transcriptional regulation in Drosophila. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that HDI treatments induced the hyperacetylation of histone H3 at the promoter and the transcribing regions of hsp 70 gene, increased the accessibility of heat-shock factor to target heat-shock element, and promoted the RNA polymerase Ⅱ-mediated transcription. Moreover, the quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that the HDI-induced hyperacetylation of histone H3 enhanced both the basal and the inducible expression of hsp70 mRNA level. In addition, the acetylation level ofhistone H3 at the promoter exhibited a fluctuated change upon the time of heat shock. These experimental data implicated a causal link between histone acetylation and enhanced transcription initiation of hsp 70 gene in Drosophila.
Yan Mei Zhao Xia Chen Hui Sun Zhi Gen Yuan Guo Ling Ren Xiao Xue Li Jun Lu Bai Qu Huang
