Genome-wide maps of C/EBPbeta, MLL4 and histone modifications in C/EBPbeta-overexpressed WT and MLL4-/- brown preadipocytes

Enhancers play a central role in cell-type-specific gene expression and are marked by H3K4me1/2. Active enhancers are further marked by H3K27ac. However, the methyltransferases responsible for the deposition of H3K4me1/2 on enhancers remain elusive. Furthermore, the functions of these methyltransferases on enhancers and associated cell-type-specific gene expression are poorly understood. Here, we identify MLL4 (KMT2D) as a major H3K4 mono- and di-methyltransferase in mammalian cells. Using adipogenesis and myogenesis as model systems, we show that MLL4 exhibits cell-type- and differentiation-stage-specific genomic binding and is predominantly localized on enhancers. MLL4 co-localizes with lineage-determining transcription factors (TFs) on active enhancers during differentiation. Deletion of MLL4 dramatically decreases H3K4me1/2 and H3K27ac on enhancers and leads to severe defects in cell-type-specific gene expression and cell differentiation. Finally, we provide evidence that lineage-determining TFs recruit and require MLL4 to establish enhancers critical for cell-type-specific gene expression. Together, these results identify MLL4 as an H3K4 mono-/di-methyltransferase required for enhancer activation during cell differentiation. ChIP-Seq analyses of C/EBPbeta, MLL4 and histone modifications (H3K4me1, H3K27ac) in vec- or C/EBPbeta-overexpressing, adenoviral GFP- or Cre-infected, MLL3-/-MLL4-flox/flox brown preadipocytes without induction of differentiation.