A major role for the TATA box in recruitment of chromatin modifying complexes to a globin gene promoter.

The developmentally regulated mammalian beta-globin genes are activated by a distant locus control region/enhancer. To understand the role of chromatin remodeling complexes in this activation, we used stably replicated chromatin templates, in which transcription activation of the human embryonic epsilon-globin gene depends on the tandem Maf-recognition elements (MAREs) within the beta-globin locus control region HS2 enhancer, to which the erythroid factor NF-E2 binds. The HS2 MAREs are required for nucleosome mobilization and histone hyperacetylation at the distant promoter. Nucleosome mobilization also requires the promoter TATA box, and is independent of histone hyperacetylation. In contrast, promoter hyperacetylation requires the promoter GATA-1, and CACC-factor activator motifs, as well as the TATA box. ChIP analysis reveals that NF-E2 is associated with the active epsilon-globin promoter, which lacks an NF-E2 binding sequence, in a TATA box and HS2/MARE-dependent fashion. NF-E2 association with the epsilon-globin promoter coincides with that of RNA polymerase II at both regulatory sites. The results emphasize MARE-TATA box interactions in the recruitment of complexes modifying promoter chromatin for transcription activation and imply close physical interaction between widely separated regulatory sequences mediated through these sites.