A zinc-finger protein Moc3 functions as a transcription activator to promote RNAi-dependent constitutive heterochromatin establishment in fission yeast.
Genes Cells
; 29(6): 471-485, 2024 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38629626
ABSTRACT
In fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, constitutive heterochromatin defined by methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me) and its binding protein Swi6/HP1 localizes at the telomere, centromere, and mating-type loci. These loci contain DNA sequences called dg and dh, and the RNA interference (RNAi)-dependent system establishes and maintains heterochromatin at dg/dh. Bi-directional transcription at dg/dh induced by RNA polymerase II is critical in RNAi-dependent heterochromatin formation because the transcribed RNAs provide substrates for siRNA synthesis and a platform for assembling RNAi factors. However, a regulator of dg/dh transcription during the establishment of heterochromatin is not known. Here, we found that a zinc-finger protein Moc3 localizes dh and activates dh-forward transcription in its zinc-finger-dependent manner when heterochromatin structure or heterochromatin-dependent silencing is compromised. However, Moc3 does not localize at normal heterochromatin and does not activate the dh-forward transcription. Notably, the loss of Moc3 caused a retarded heterochromatin establishment, showing that Moc3-dependent dh-forward transcription is critical for RNAi-dependent heterochromatin establishment. Therefore, Moc3 is a transcriptional activator that induces RNAi to establish heterochromatin.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Schizosaccharomyces
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Heterocromatina
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Dedos de Zinc
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Proteínas de Schizosaccharomyces pombe
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Interferencia de ARN
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Genes Cells
/
Genes cells
/
Genes to cells
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Japón