A modified "cross-talk" between histone H2B Lys-120 ubiquitination and H3 Lys-79 methylation

J Biol Chem. 2010 Jul 9;285(28):21868-76. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.126813. Epub 2010 May 3.

Abstract

Western blot analysis is currently the major method utilized for quantitatively assessing histone global modifications. However, there is a growing need to develop a highly specific, accurate, and multisite quantitative method. Herein, we report a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-multiple reaction monitoring method to simultaneously quantify multisite modifications with unmatched specificity, sensitivity, and throughput. With one set of purification of histones by high pressure liquid chromatography or SDS-PAGE, nearly 20 modification sites including acetylation, propionylation, methylation, and ubiquitination were quantified within 2 h for two samples to be compared. Using this method, the relative levels of H2B ubiquitination and H3 Lys-79 methylation were quantified in the U937 human leukemia cell line, U937 derivative cell lines overexpressing anti-secretory factor 10 (AF10) and mutant AF10 with the deletion of the hDot1 binding domain OM-LZ. We found that H2B ubiquitination is inversely correlated with H3 Lys-79 methylation. Therefore, we propose that a catalytic and inhibitory loop mechanism may better describe the cross-talk relationship between H2B ubiquitination and H3 Lys-79 methylation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods
  • DNA Methylation
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Gene Deletion
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Histones / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Lysine / chemistry*
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Models, Biological
  • Mutation
  • Proteomics / methods
  • U937 Cells
  • Ubiquitin / chemistry*

Substances

  • Histones
  • Ubiquitin
  • Lysine