We have reported that the two pairs of histone acetyltransferases (HATs), GCN5/PCAF and CBP/p300, are specifically required for H3K9 acetylation (H3K9ac) and H3K18/27 acetylation (H3K18/27ac), respectively, in cells. Further, we show that CBP/p300 and their HAT activities are essential, while GCN5/PCAF and associated H3K9ac are dispensable, for ligand-induced nuclear receptor target gene expression. These results highlight the substrate and site specificities of HATs in cells, demonstrate the distinct roles of GCN5/PCAF- and CBP/p300-mediated histone acetylations in gene activation, and suggest an important role of CBP/p300-mediated H3K18/27ac in nuclear receptor target gene expression (Jin Q. et al., EMBO J, 2011). Viral infection triggers innate immune signaling, which in turn induces interferon-β (IFN-β) production to establish innate antiviral immunity. Previous studies showed that Gcn5 (Kat2a), a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) with partial functional redundancy with PCAF (Kat2b), and Gcn5/PCAF-mediated histone H3K9 acetylation (H3K9ac) are enriched on the active IFNB gene promoter. However, whether Gcn5/PCAF and H3K9ac regulate IFN-β production is unknown. In a recent study, we show that Gcn5/PCAF-mediated H3K9ac correlates well with, but is surprisingly dispensable for, the expression of endogenous IFNB and the vast majority of active genes in fibroblasts. Instead, Gcn5/PCAF repress IFN-β production and innate antiviral immunity in several cell types in a HAT-independent and non-transcriptional manner: by inhibiting the innate immune signaling kinase TBK1 in the cytoplasm. Our results thus identify Gcn5 and PCAF as negative regulators of IFN-β production and innate immune signaling (Jin Q. et al., EMBO Rep, 2014).
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