A systematic interactome of <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> SET1C expands its functional landscape and identifies candidate regulatory connections.

Abstract

Set1 is the catalytic subunit of SET1C or COMPASS, which methylates histone H3K4 and serves as a scaffold for the association of seven tightly bound polypeptides. We have employed yeast two-hybrid screenings to determine the interactome of Set1 and each subunit, providing a unique resource for exploring known and novel roles of the complex. Our screenings identified a multitude of potential interactors involved in chromatin regulation, DNA replication, meiotic breaks, and Ty transposition, processes previously associated with SET1C. Consistent with Set1 being an RNA-binding protein, the screens link SET1C to multiple aspects of RNA biogenesis, including pre-mRNA splicing and polyadenylation. The results reveal that several importins are candidate interactors of Set1, along with RGG motif-containing proteins, providing insights into the mechanisms by which Set1 moves between cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. We further reveal that reconstituted SET1C interacts with the AT-hook domain of the chromatin remodeler Snf2 and methylates multiple arginines within this domain. In vivo, we report that the ARTSTRGR AT-hook motif is methylated in a Set1-dependent manner, revealing new interplay between lysine and arginine methylation.