p65-activated histone acetyltransferase activity is repressed by glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids acting through their specific receptor can either enhance or repress gene transcription. Dexamethasone represses interleukin-1 beta -stimulated histone acetylation and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor expression through a combination of direct inhibition of p65-associated histone acetyltransferase CHAT) activity and by recruiting histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) to the p65-HAT complex. Here we show that mifepristone, a glucocorticoid receptor partial agonist, has no ability to induce gene expression but represses interleukin-1 beta -stimulated histone acetylation and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor release by 50% maximally. Mifepristone was able to inhibit p65-associated HAT activity to the same extent as dexamethasone but failed to inhibit the natural promoter to an equal extent clue to an inability to recruit HDAC2 to the p65-associated HAT complex. These data suggest that the maximal repressive actions of glucocorticoids require recruitment of HDAC2 to a p65-HAT complex. These data also suggest that pharmacological manipulation of specific histone acetylation status is a potentially useful approach for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.