BRG1 recruitment by transcription factors MITF and SOX10 defines a specific configuration of regulatory elements in the melanocyte lineage (RNA-seq)

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is the master regulator of the melanocyte lineage. By tandem affinity purification and mass spectrometry, we present a comprehensive characterisation of the MITF interactome comprising multiple novel cofactors involved in transcription, DNA replication and repair and chromatin organisation, including a BRG1 chromatin remodelling complex comprising CHD7. BRG1 is essential for melanoma cell proliferation in vitro and for normal melanocyte development in vivo. MITF and SOX10 actively recruit BRG1 to a set of MITF-associated regulatory elements (MAREs) at active enhancers. MITF, SOX10 and YY1 bind between two BRG1-occupied nucleosomes thus defining both a combinatorial signature of transcription factors essential for the melanocyte lineage and a specific chromatin organisation of MAREs. Nevertheless, BRG1 silencing enhances MITF occupancy at MAREs showing that BRG1 acts to promote dynamic MITF interactions with chromatin.