Force-induced gene up-regulation does not follow the weak power law but depends on H3K9 demethylation.

Abstract

Mechanical forces play important roles in development, physiology, and diseases, but how force is transduced into gene transcription remains elusive. Here, we show that transcription of transgene <i>DHFR</i> or endogenous genes <i>egr-1</i> and <i>Cav1</i> is rapidly up-regulated in response to cyclic forces applied via integrins at low frequencies but not at 100 Hz. Gene up-regulation does not follow the weak power law with force frequency. Force-induced transcription up-regulation at the nuclear interior is associated with demethylation of histone H3 lysine-9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), whereas no transcription up-regulation near the nuclear periphery is associated with H3K9me3 that inhibits Pol II recruitment to the promoter site. H3K9me3 demethylation induces Pol II recruitment and increases force-induced transcription of <i>egr-1</i> and <i>Cav1</i> at the nuclear interior and activates mechano-nonresponsive gene <i>FKBP5</i> near the nuclear periphery, whereas H3K9me3 hypermethylation has opposite effects. Our findings demonstrate that rapid up-regulation of endogenous mechanoresponsive genes depends on H3K9me3 demethylation.