Distinct modes of heat shock transcription factor interactions with mitotic chromosomes

Abstract: A large number of transcription factors have been shown to bind and interact with mitotic chromosomes, which may promote the efficient reactivation of transcriptional programs following cell division. Although the DNA-binding domain (DBD) contributes strongly to TF behavior, TFs from the same DBD family can display distinct binding behaviors during mitosis. To define the mechanisms governing TF behavior during mitosis in mouse embryonic stem cells, we examined two related TFs: Heat Shock Factor 1 and 2 (HSF1 and HSF2). We found that HSF2 maintains site-specific binding genome-wide during mitosis, whereas HSF1 binding is globally decreased. Surprisingly, live-cell imaging shows that both factors appear excluded from mitotic chromosomes, and are similarly more dynamic in mitosis than in interphase. Exclusion from mitotic DNA is not due to extrinsic factors like nuclear import and export mechanisms. Rather, we found that the HSF2 DBD alone can coat mitotic chromosomes, but is insufficient to promote HSF1 coating. These data further confirm that site-specific binding and chromosome coating are independent properties, and that for some TFs, mitotic behavior is largely determined by the non-DBD regions.