Histone H3Q5 serotonylation stabilizes H3K4 methylation and potentiates its readout. Author Shuai Zhao, Kelly Chuh, Baichao Zhang, Barbara Dul, Robert Thompson, Lorna Farrelly, Xiaohui Liu, Ning Xu, Yi Xue, Robert Roeder, Ian Maze, Tom Muir, Haitao Li Publication Year 2021 Type Journal Article Abstract Serotonylation of glutamine 5 on histone H3 (H3Q5ser) was recently identified as a permissive posttranslational modification that coexists with adjacent lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). While the resulting dual modification, H3K4me3Q5ser, is enriched at regions of active gene expression in serotonergic neurons, the molecular outcome underlying H3K4me3-H3Q5ser crosstalk remains largely unexplored. Herein, we examine the impact of H3Q5ser on the readers, writers, and erasers of H3K4me3. All tested H3K4me3 readers retain binding to the H3K4me3Q5ser dual modification. Of note, the PHD finger of TAF3 favors H3K4me3Q5ser, and this binding preference is dependent on the Q5ser modification regardless of H3K4 methylation states. While the activity of the H3K4 methyltransferase, MLL1, is unaffected by H3Q5ser, the corresponding H3K4me3/2 erasers, KDM5B/C and LSD1, are profoundly inhibited by the presence of the mark. Collectively, this work suggests that adjacent H3Q5ser potentiates H3K4me3 function by either stabilizing H3K4me3 from dynamic turnover or enhancing its physical readout by downstream effectors, thereby potentially providing a mechanism for fine-tuning critical gene expression programs. Keywords Humans, Protein Binding, Protein Processing, Post-Translational, Methylation, Histones, Chromatin, Lysine, Glutamine, Serotonergic Neurons Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume 118 Issue 6 Date Published 2021 Feb 09 ISSN Number 1091-6490 DOI 10.1073/pnas.2016742118 Alternate Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A PMCID PMC8017887 PMID 33526675 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML