The NSL Complex Regulates Housekeeping Genes in Drosophila
Figure 7
Summary model: NSL-dependent Pol II recruitment to promoters of housekeeping genes.
The majority of the NSL-bound targets are constitutively expressed or “housekeeping” genes. These genes are characterized by prominent enrichment of particular histone modifications (H4K16ac, H3K9ac, H3K4me2, H3K4me3) as well as specific core promoter elements (such as DRE, E-box and motif 1; indicated by colored squares). In contrast, tissue-specific or developmentally regulated genes (small inlay) usually contain the TATA-box as the most prominent core promoter element. We propose that the NSL complex acts as a regulator of constitutively expressed genes by facilitating stable recruitment of the pre-initiation complex (PIC) members such as Pol II, TBP and TFIIB on target genes. NSL complex may therefore serve as an important link between specific promoter architecture and PIC assembly.