CoREST is an integral component of the CoREST-human histone deacetylase complex

Here we describe the components of a histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex tha t we term the CoREST-HDAC complex. CoREST-HDAC is composed of polypeptides distinct from previously characterized HDAC1/2-containing complexes such as the mSin3 and nucleosome remodeling and deacetylating (NRD, also named NUR D, NuRD) complex. Interestingly, we do not observe RbAp46 and RbAp48 in thi s complex, although these proteins have been observed in all previously ide ntified complexes and are thought to be part of an HDAC1/2 core. We identif y the transcriptional corepressor CoREST and a protein with homology to pol yamine oxidases as components of CoREST-HDAC. The HDAC1/2-interacting regio n of CoREST is mapped to a 179-aa region containing a SANT domain, a domain found in other HDAC1/2-interacting proteins such as NCoR, MTA1, and MTA2. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the corepressor function of CoREST depends on this region. Although CoREST initially was cloned as a corepressor to R EST (RE1 silencing transcription factor/neural restrictive silencing factor ), we find no evidence for the existence of the eight-zinc finger REST tran scription factor as an interacting partner in this complex; however, we do find evidence for association of the putative oncogene ZNF 217 that contain s eight zinc fingers.