Transcriptional activation of histone H4 by C/EBPβ during the mitotic clonal expansion of 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation

Abstract

CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is required for both mitotic clonal expansion (MCE) and terminal differentiation during the 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation program. Whereas the mechanism of C/EBPβ during terminal differentiation is well understood, the mechanism of C/EBPβ in MCE is not. We provide evidence that histone H4, the most conserved cell cycle–related histone, the change of which is strictly correlated with DNA content change during the cell cycle, is transcriptionally activated by C/EBPβ during MCE. Expression of histone H4 is increased at 16 h after induction when 3T3-L1 preadipocytes synchronously reenter S phase, which is correlated with the sequential phosphorylation and activation of C/EBPβ, and expression was partially suppressed when A-C/EBP (dominant negative for C/EBP protein) was overexpressed. One C/EBP-binding site was identified in one of the histone H4 gene promoters (hist4h4), confirmed by both electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. C/EBP-binding sites were also found in 9 of 11 other histone H4 promoters, which can also be transactivated by C/EBPβ. Knockdown of C/EBPβ by stealth small interfering RNA partially decreased H4 gene expression and arrested cells in G1 phase as indicated by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of DNA content. This study provides new insights into why C/EBPβ is required for MCE during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation and why C/EBPβ plays important roles in the proliferation of other cell types.