Catalytic-dependent and independent functions of the histone acetyltransferase CBP promote pioneer factor-mediated zygotic genome activation

Immediately after fertilization the genome is transcriptionally quiescent. Maternally encoded pioneer transcription factors reprogram the chromatin state and facilitate the transcription of the zygotic genome. In Drosophila, transcription is initiated by the pioneer factor Zelda. While Zelda-occupied sites are enriched with histone acetylation, a post-translational mark associated with active cis-regulatory regions, the functional relationship between Zelda and histone acetylation in zygotic genome activation remained unclear. We show that Zelda-mediated recruitment of the histone acetyltransferase CBP is essential for zygotic transcription. CBP catalytic activity is necessary for release of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) into transcription elongation and for embryonic development. However, CBP also activates zygotic transcription independent of acetylation through Pol II recruitment. Neither acetylation nor CBP are required for the pioneering function of Zelda. Our data suggest that pioneer factor-mediated recruitment of CBP is a conserved mechanism required to activate zygotic transcription but that this role is separable from the function of pioneer factors in restructuring chromatin accessibility.