Histone acetylation landscape in S. cerevisiae nhp6ab mutants reflects altered glucose metabolism

Background The execution of many genetic programs, influenced by environmental conditions, is epigenetically controlled. Thus, small molecules of the intermediate metabolism being precursors of most of nutrition-deriving epigenetic modifications, sense the cell surrounding environment. Methods Here we describe histone H4K16 acetylation distribution in S. cerevisiae nhp6ab mutant, using ChIP-seq analysis; its transcription profile by RNA-seq and its metabolic features by studying the metabolome. We then intersected these three -omic approaches to unveil common crosspoints (if any). Results In the nhp6ab mutant, the glucose metabolism is switched to pathways leading to Acetyl-CoA synthesis. These enhanced pathways could lead to histone hyperacetylation altering RNA transcription, particularly of those metabolic genes that maintain high Acetyl-CoA availability. Conclusions Thus, the absence of chromatin regulators like Nhp6 A and B, interferes with a regulative circular mechanism where histone modification, transcription and metabolism influence each other and contribute to clarify the more general phenomenon in which gene regulation feeds metabolic alterations on epigenetic basis. General significance This study allowed us to identify, in these two factors, a common element of regulation in metabolism and chromatin acetylation state that could represent a powerful tool to find out relationships existing between metabolism and gene expression in more complex systems.