Of special Interest (one dot)

Tyagi et al. 2007. Mol Cell

The authors provide a mechanism whereby activator and repressor E2Fs can recruit the HMTs MLL and Set1 to target promoters during specific phases of the cell cycle to activate genes via H3K4 methylation.

Osterloh et al. 2007, EMBO J.

This represents the first characterization of a human complex similar to the drosophila dREAM complex. It was shown that a LIN-9 containing complex associates with E2F4-p130 in G0, but with B-MYB in S phase.

Litovchick et al., 2007, Mol Cell

The authors use genomic and proteomic approaches to identify the human DREAM complex, and they provide evidence suggesting that this multi-protein complex can repress E2F4-p130 target genes in quiescent cells.

Lu et al., 2007, PNAS USA

This study was based on a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila to identify repressors of E2F-mediated gene activation. It led to the identification of L3mbt and Domino as important repressors. Intriguingly, the effect of l3mbt is postulated to be RBF-independent, although Trojer et al. suggest that it is targeted through pRB in human cells.

Of exceptional Interest (two dots)

Nagl et al. 2007

The authors elegantly demonstrate that SWI/SNF complexes of varying composition associate with distinct E2F family members and regulate either cell cycle exit or proliferation.

Trojer et al. 2007

This work presents biochemical evidence that L3MBTL1 has the capacity to impose higher-order chromatin compaction. The authors also demonstrate that L3MBTL1 and pRB participate together in a common complex, suggesting that this could represent a mechanism to impose chromatin condensation at E2F target genes.

Takeda et al., 2006

Demonstration that Taspase1-mediated activation of MLL and MLL2 through proteolytic cleavage of these histone-methyl-transferases is required for proper E2F target gene expression and that MLL/MLL2 directly associate with various E2F family members to catalyze the tri-methylation of H3K4 at these loci.