HP1 maintains protein stability of H3K9 methyltransferases and demethylases

Di- or tri-methylated H3K9 (H3K9me2/3) is an epigenetic mark of heterochromatin. Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) specifically recognizes H3K9me2/3, contributing to transcriptional suppression and spread of H3K9me2/3. Here, we demonstrate another role of HP1 in heterochromatin organization: regulation of protein stability of H3K9 methyltransferases (H3K9 MTs) and demethylases (H3K9 DMs). We show that HP1 interaction-defective mutants of H3K9 MTs, Suv39h1 and Setdb1, undergo protein degradation. We further establish mouse embryonic stem cell lines lacking all three HP1 paralogs. In the HP1-deficient cells, Suv39h1, Suv39h2, Setdb1, and G9a/GLP complex decrease at the protein level, and the enzymes are released from chromatin. HP1 mutants that cannot recognize H3K9me2/3 or form dimers cannot stabilize these enzymes, indicating that the tethering of H3K9 MTs to chromatin is critical for their protein stability. We show that HP1 also stabilizes H3K9 DMs, Jmjd1a and Jmjd1b. Our study indicates that mammalian HP1 forms a heterochromatin hub that governs protein stability of H3K9 MTs and H3K9 DMs.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that HP1 not only recognizes and spreads the epigenetic mark H3K9me2/3, but also plays a role in heterochromatin organization by regulating the protein stability of H3K9 methyltransferases and demethylases.