HAT1 drives a gene-metabolite circuit that links nutrient metabolism to histone production

The energetic costs of duplicating chromatin along with DNA replication are large and therefore likely depend on nutrient sensing checkpoints and metabolic inputs. By studying chromatin modifiers regulated by epithelial growth factor, we identify histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1) as an induced gene that enhances cell proliferation by coordinating histone production with glucose metabolism. In addition to its canonical role as a cytoplasmic free histone H4 acetyltransferase, a HAT1-containing complex binds specifically at promoters of H4 genes. HAT1 stimulated acetate delivery and consumption at H4 promoters to drive S-phase H4 transcription. This required the presence of a histone H4-specific promoter element in the region of HAT1 chromatin binding. These data describe a feed-forward circuit whereby HAT1-dependent capture of acetyl-groups drives further H4 production to support growth-factor dependent proliferation. These findings also extend to human disease and animal models, as high HAT1 levels associate with poor outcomes across multiple cancer types.