ABSTRACT
In the male mouse germ line, PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), bound by the PIWI protein MIWI2 (PIWIL4), guide DNA methylation of young active transposons through SPOCD1. However, the underlying mechanisms of SPOCD1-mediated piRNA-directed transposon methylation and whether this pathway functions to protect the human germ line remain unknown. We identified loss-of-function variants in human SPOCD1 that cause defective transposon silencing and male infertility. Through the analysis of these pathogenic alleles, we discovered that the uncharacterized protein C19ORF84 interacts with SPOCD1. DNMT3C, the DNA methyltransferase responsible for transposon methylation, associates with SPOCD1 and C19ORF84 in fetal gonocytes. Furthermore, C19ORF84 is essential for piRNA-directed DNA methylation and male mouse fertility. Finally, C19ORF84 mediates the in vivo association of SPOCD1 with the de novo methylation machinery. In summary, we have discovered a conserved role for the human piRNA pathway in transposon silencing and C19ORF84, an uncharacterized protein essential for orchestrating piRNA-directed DNA methylation.
Subject(s)
DNA Methylation , Piwi-Interacting RNA , Male , Humans , Animals , Mice , RNA, Small Interfering/genetics , RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism , Proteins/metabolism , Germ Cells/metabolism , Argonaute Proteins/genetics , Argonaute Proteins/metabolism , DNA Transposable Elements/genetics , Mammals/metabolismABSTRACT
Heterochromatin is a key architectural feature of eukaryotic chromosomes, which endows particular genomic domains with specific functional properties. The capacity of heterochromatin to restrain the activity of mobile elements, isolate DNA repair in repetitive regions and ensure accurate chromosome segregation is crucial for maintaining genomic stability. Nucleosomes at heterochromatin regions display histone post-translational modifications that contribute to developmental regulation by restricting lineage-specific gene expression. The mechanisms of heterochromatin establishment and of heterochromatin maintenance are separable and involve the ability of sequence-specific factors bound to nascent transcripts to recruit chromatin-modifying enzymes. Heterochromatin can spread along the chromatin from nucleation sites. The propensity of heterochromatin to promote its own spreading and inheritance is counteracted by inhibitory factors. Because of its importance for chromosome function, heterochromatin has key roles in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. In this Review, we discuss conserved principles of heterochromatin formation and function using selected examples from studies of a range of eukaryotes, from yeast to human, with an emphasis on insights obtained from unicellular model organisms.
Subject(s)
Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/genetics , Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/physiology , Heterochromatin/genetics , Heterochromatin/metabolism , Aging, Premature/genetics , Animals , Cell Differentiation/genetics , DNA Methylation , DNA Repair , Epigenesis, Genetic , Gene Silencing , Humans , Models, Biological , Obesity/genetics , RNA, Fungal/genetics , RNA, Fungal/metabolism , RNA, Untranslated/genetics , RNA, Untranslated/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Virus Latency/geneticsABSTRACT
Centromeres are maintained epigenetically by the presence of CENP-A, an evolutionarily conserved histone H3 variant, which directs kinetochore assembly and hence centromere function. To identify factors that promote assembly of CENP-A chromatin, we affinity-selected solubilized fission yeast CENP-ACnp1 chromatin. All subunits of the Ino80 complex were enriched, including the auxiliary subunit Hap2. Chromatin association of Hap2 is Ies4-dependent. In addition to a role in maintenance of CENP-ACnp1 chromatin integrity at endogenous centromeres, Hap2 is required for de novo assembly of CENP-ACnp1 chromatin on naïve centromere DNA and promotes H3 turnover on centromere regions and other loci prone to CENP-ACnp1 deposition. Prior to CENP-ACnp1 chromatin assembly, Hap2 facilitates transcription from centromere DNA. These analyses suggest that Hap2-Ino80 destabilizes H3 nucleosomes on centromere DNA through transcription-coupled histone H3 turnover, driving the replacement of resident H3 nucleosomes with CENP-ACnp1 nucleosomes. These inherent properties define centromere DNA by directing a program that mediates CENP-ACnp1 assembly on appropriate sequences.
Subject(s)
Chromatin/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Transcription, Genetic/physiology , Chromatin/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism , Chromosomes, Fungal/genetics , Chromosomes, Fungal/metabolism , DNA, Fungal/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolismABSTRACT
Heterochromatin that depends on histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) renders embedded genes transcriptionally silent1-3. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, H3K9me heterochromatin can be transmitted through cell division provided the counteracting demethylase Epe1 is absent4,5. Heterochromatin heritability might allow wild-type cells under certain conditions to acquire epimutations, which could influence phenotype through unstable gene silencing rather than DNA change6,7. Here we show that heterochromatin-dependent epimutants resistant to caffeine arise in fission yeast grown with threshold levels of caffeine. Isolates with unstable resistance have distinct heterochromatin islands with reduced expression of embedded genes, including some whose mutation confers caffeine resistance. Forced heterochromatin formation at implicated loci confirms that resistance results from heterochromatin-mediated silencing. Our analyses reveal that epigenetic processes promote phenotypic plasticity, letting wild-type cells adapt to unfavourable environments without genetic alteration. In some isolates, subsequent or coincident gene-amplification events augment resistance. Caffeine affects two anti-silencing factors: Epe1 is downregulated, reducing its chromatin association, and a shortened isoform of Mst2 histone acetyltransferase is expressed. Thus, heterochromatin-dependent epimutation provides a bet-hedging strategy allowing cells to adapt transiently to insults while remaining genetically wild type. Isolates with unstable caffeine resistance show cross-resistance to antifungal agents, suggesting that related heterochromatin-dependent processes may contribute to resistance of plant and human fungal pathogens to such agents.
Subject(s)
Drug Resistance, Fungal/genetics , Gene Silencing , Heterochromatin/genetics , Heterochromatin/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Caffeine/pharmacology , Drug Resistance, Fungal/drug effects , Gene Silencing/drug effects , Heterochromatin/drug effects , Histone Acetyltransferases/metabolism , Nuclear Proteins/metabolism , Phenotype , Schizosaccharomyces/cytology , Schizosaccharomyces/drug effects , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
In mammals, the acquisition of the germline from the soma provides the germline with an essential challenge: the need to erase and reset genomic methylation1. In the male germline, RNA-directed DNA methylation silences young, active transposable elements2-4. The PIWI protein MIWI2 (PIWIL4) and its associated PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) instruct DNA methylation of transposable elements3,5. piRNAs are proposed to tether MIWI2 to nascent transposable element transcripts; however, the mechanism by which MIWI2 directs the de novo methylation of transposable elements is poorly understood, although central to the immortality of the germline. Here we define the interactome of MIWI2 in mouse fetal gonocytes undergoing de novo genome methylation and identify a previously unknown MIWI2-associated factor, SPOCD1, that is essential for the methylation and silencing of young transposable elements. The loss of Spocd1 in mice results in male-specific infertility but does not affect either piRNA biogenesis or the localization of MIWI2 to the nucleus. SPOCD1 is a nuclear protein whose expression is restricted to the period of de novo genome methylation. It co-purifies in vivo with DNMT3L and DNMT3A, components of the de novo methylation machinery, as well as with constituents of the NURD and BAF chromatin remodelling complexes. We propose a model whereby tethering of MIWI2 to a nascent transposable element transcript recruits repressive chromatin remodelling activities and the de novo methylation apparatus through SPOCD1. In summary, we have identified a previously unrecognized and essential executor of mammalian piRNA-directed DNA methylation.
Subject(s)
DNA Methylation/genetics , RNA, Small Interfering/genetics , RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism , Animals , Argonaute Proteins/metabolism , Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly , DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/metabolism , DNA Methyltransferase 3A , DNA Transposable Elements/genetics , Female , Fertility/genetics , Gene Silencing , Genes, Intracisternal A-Particle/genetics , Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements/genetics , Male , Mice , RNA, Small Interfering/biosynthesis , Spermatogenesis/geneticsABSTRACT
In fission yeast, RNAi directs heterochromatin formation at centromeres, telomeres, and the mating type locus. Noncoding RNAs transcribed from repeat elements generate siRNAs that are incorporated into the Argonaute-containing RITS complex and direct it to nascent homologous transcripts. This leads to recruitment of the CLRC complex, including the histone methyltransferase Clr4, promoting H3K9 methylation and heterochromatin formation. A key question is what mediates the recruitment of Clr4/CLRC to transcript-bound RITS. We have identified a LIM domain protein, Stc1, that is required for centromeric heterochromatin integrity. Our analyses show that Stc1 is specifically required to establish H3K9 methylation via RNAi, and interacts both with the RNAi effector Ago1, and with the chromatin-modifying CLRC complex. Moreover, tethering Stc1 to a euchromatic locus is sufficient to induce silencing and heterochromatin formation independently of RNAi. We conclude that Stc1 associates with RITS on centromeric transcripts and recruits CLRC, thereby coupling RNAi to chromatin modification.
Subject(s)
Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly , Heterochromatin/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics , Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase , Methyltransferases/genetics , RNA Interference , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
Nucleosomes composed of histones are the fundamental units around which DNA is wrapped to form chromatin. Transcriptionally active euchromatin or repressive heterochromatin is regulated in part by the addition or removal of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) by "writer" and "eraser" enzymes, respectively. Nucleosomal PTMs are recognized by a variety of "reader" proteins that alter gene expression accordingly. The histone tails of the evolutionarily divergent eukaryotic parasite Trypanosoma brucei have atypical sequences and PTMs distinct from those often considered universally conserved. Here we identify 65 predicted readers, writers, and erasers of histone acetylation and methylation encoded in the T. brucei genome and, by epitope tagging, systemically localize 60 of them in the parasite's bloodstream form. ChIP-seq shows that 15 candidate proteins associate with regions of RNAPII transcription initiation. Eight other proteins show a distinct distribution with specific peaks at a subset of RNAPII transcription termination regions marked by RNAPIII-transcribed tRNA and snRNA genes. Proteomic analyses identify distinct protein interaction networks comprising known chromatin regulators and novel trypanosome-specific components. Notably, several SET- and Bromo-domain protein networks suggest parallels to RNAPII promoter-associated complexes in conventional eukaryotes. Further, we identify likely components of TbSWR1 and TbNuA4 complexes whose enrichment coincides with the SWR1-C exchange substrate H2A.Z at RNAPII transcription start regions. The systematic approach used provides details of the composition and organization of the chromatin regulatory machinery in T. brucei and establishes a route to explore divergence from eukaryotic norms in an evolutionarily ancient but experimentally accessible eukaryote.
Subject(s)
Chromatin , Trypanosoma brucei brucei , Chromatin/genetics , Chromatin/metabolism , Nucleosomes/metabolism , Protein Interaction Maps , Proteomics , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/genetics , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/metabolismABSTRACT
MOTIVATION: Deciphering nucleosome-nucleosome interactions is an important step toward mesoscale description of chromatin organization but computational tools to perform such analyses are not publicly available. RESULTS: We developed iNucs, a user-friendly and efficient Python-based bioinformatics tool to compute and visualize nucleosome-resolved interactions using standard pairs format input generated from pairtools. AVAILABILITYAND IMPLEMENTATION: https://github.com/Karimi-Lab/inucs/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Subject(s)
Nucleosomes , SoftwareABSTRACT
The relationship between DNA sequence, biochemical function, and molecular evolution is relatively well-described for protein-coding regions of genomes, but far less clear in noncoding regions, particularly, in eukaryote genomes. In part, this is because we lack a complete description of the essential noncoding elements in a eukaryote genome. To contribute to this challenge, we used saturating transposon mutagenesis to interrogate the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome. We generated 31 million transposon insertions, a theoretical coverage of 2.4 insertions per genomic site. We applied a five-state hidden Markov model (HMM) to distinguish insertion-depleted regions from insertion biases. Both raw insertion-density and HMM-defined fitness estimates showed significant quantitative relationships to gene knockout fitness, genetic diversity, divergence, and expected functional regions based on transcription and gene annotations. Through several analyses, we conclude that transposon insertions produced fitness effects in 66-90% of the genome, including substantial portions of the noncoding regions. Based on the HMM, we estimate that 10% of the insertion depleted sites in the genome showed no signal of conservation between species and were weakly transcribed, demonstrating limitations of comparative genomics and transcriptomics to detect functional units. In this species, 3'- and 5'-untranslated regions were the most prominent insertion-depleted regions that were not represented in measures of constraint from comparative genomics. We conclude that the combination of transposon mutagenesis, evolutionary, and biochemical data can provide new insights into the relationship between genome function and molecular evolution.
Subject(s)
Genetic Fitness , Genome, Fungal , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Models, Genetic , Mutagenesis, InsertionalABSTRACT
Spermatogenesis is associated with major and unique changes to chromosomes and chromatin. Here, we sought to understand the impact of these changes on spermatogenic transcriptomes. We show that long terminal repeats (LTRs) of specific mouse endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) drive the expression of many long non-coding transcripts (lncRNA). This process occurs post-mitotically predominantly in spermatocytes and round spermatids. We demonstrate that this transposon-driven lncRNA expression is a conserved feature of vertebrate spermatogenesis. We propose that transposon promoters are a mechanism by which the genome can explore novel transcriptional substrates, increasing evolutionary plasticity and allowing for the genesis of novel coding and non-coding genes. Accordingly, we show that a small fraction of these novel ERV-driven transcripts encode short open reading frames that produce detectable peptides. Finally, we find that distinct ERV elements from the same subfamilies act as differentially activated promoters in a tissue-specific context. In summary, we demonstrate that LTRs can act as tissue-specific promoters and contribute to post-mitotic spermatogenic transcriptome diversity.
Subject(s)
DNA Transposable Elements , Evolution, Molecular , Spermatogenesis , Transcription, Genetic , Animals , Endogenous Retroviruses/genetics , Genomics , Male , Mice , Open Reading Frames , Promoter Regions, Genetic , RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics , Spermatocytes/physiology , Terminal Repeat Sequences , TranscriptomeSubject(s)
Autoantigens/metabolism , Carrier Proteins/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics , Animals , Carrier Proteins/chemistry , Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Centromere Protein A , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/chemistry , DNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Humans , Protein Structure, Tertiary , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/chemistry , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/chemistry , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Dicer is a large multi-domain protein responsible for the ultimate step of microRNA and short-interfering RNA biogenesis. In human and mouse cell lines, Dicer has been shown to be important in the nuclear clearance of dsRNA as well as the establishment of chromatin modifications. Here we set out to unambiguously define the cellular localization of Dicer in mice to understand if this is a conserved feature of mammalian Dicer in vivo. To this end, we utilized an endogenously epitope tagged Dicer knock-in mouse allele. From primary mouse cell lines and adult tissues, we determined with certainty by biochemical fractionation and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy that endogenous Dicer is exclusively cytoplasmic. We ruled out the possibility that a fraction of Dicer shuttles to and from the nucleus as well as that FGF or DNA damage signaling induce Dicer nuclear translocation. We also explored Dicer localization during the dynamic and developmental context of embryogenesis, where Dicer is ubiquitously expressed and strictly cytoplasmic in all three germ layers as well as extraembryonic tissues. Our data exclude a direct role for Dicer in the nuclear RNA processing in the mouse.
Subject(s)
Cytoplasm/metabolism , DEAD-box RNA Helicases/metabolism , Ribonuclease III/metabolism , Animals , Cell Line , Cell Nucleus/genetics , Cell Nucleus/metabolism , DEAD-box RNA Helicases/genetics , DNA Damage/genetics , Mice , MicroRNAs/genetics , RNA, Double-Stranded/genetics , RNA, Small Interfering/genetics , Ribonuclease III/geneticsABSTRACT
Nucleosome composition actively contributes to chromatin structure and accessibility. Cells have developed mechanisms to remove or recycle histones, generating a landscape of differentially aged nucleosomes. This study aimed to create a high-resolution, genome-wide map of nucleosome turnover in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The recombination-induced tag exchange (RITE) method was used to study replication-independent nucleosome turnover through the appearance of new histone H3 and the disappearance or preservation of old histone H3. The genome-wide location of histones was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation-exonuclease methodology (ChIP-exo). The findings were compared with diverse chromatin marks, including histone variant H2A.Z, post-translational histone modifications, and Pol II binding. Finally, genome-wide mapping of the methylation states of H4K20 was performed to determine the relationship between methylation (mono, di, and tri) of this residue and nucleosome turnover. Our analysis showed that histone recycling resulted in low nucleosome turnover in the coding regions of active genes, stably expressed at intermediate levels. High levels of transcription resulted in the incorporation of new histones primarily at the end of transcribed units. H4K20 was methylated in low-turnover nucleosomes in euchromatic regions, notably in the coding regions of long genes that were expressed at low levels. This transcription-dependent accumulation of histone methylation was dependent on the histone chaperone complex FACT. Our data showed that nucleosome turnover is highly dynamic in the genome and that several mechanisms are at play to either maintain or suppress stability. In particular, we found that FACT-associated transcription conserves histones by recycling them and is required for progressive H4K20 methylation.
Subject(s)
Genome, Fungal , Histones/genetics , Nucleosomes/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Chromatin Immunoprecipitation , DNA Replication , Databases, Genetic , Genetic Association Studies , Histones/metabolism , Methylation , Microarray Analysis , Nucleosomes/metabolism , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolismABSTRACT
Mis18 is a key regulator responsible for the centromere localization of the CENP-A chaperone Scm3 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and HJURP in humans, which establishes CENP-A chromatin that defines centromeres. The molecular and structural determinants of Mis18 centromere targeting remain elusive. Here, by combining structural, biochemical, and yeast genetic studies, we show that the oligomerization of S. pombe Mis18, mediated via its conserved N-terminal Yippee-like domain, is crucial for its centromere localization and function. The crystal structure of the N-terminal Yippee-like domain reveals a fold containing a cradle-shaped pocket that is implicated in protein/nucleic acid binding, which we show is required for Mis18 function. While the N-terminal Yippee-like domain forms a homodimer in vitro and in vivo, full-length Mis18, including the C-terminal α-helical domain, forms a homotetramer in vitro We also show that the Yippee-like domains of human Mis18α/Mis18ß interact to form a heterodimer, implying a conserved structural theme for Mis18 regulation.
Subject(s)
Carrier Proteins/chemistry , Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Centromere/physiology , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/chemistry , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolism , Carrier Proteins/genetics , Centromere/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism , Crystallography, X-Ray , DNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Epigenesis, Genetic , Molecular Chaperones/genetics , Molecular Chaperones/metabolism , Protein Domains , Protein Multimerization , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
Maintenance of the correct level and organisation of nucleosomes is crucial for genome function. Here, we uncover a role for a conserved bromodomain AAA-ATPase, Abo1, in the maintenance of nucleosome architecture in fission yeast. Cells lacking abo1(+) experience both a reduction and mis-positioning of nucleosomes at transcribed sequences in addition to increased intragenic transcription, phenotypes that are hallmarks of defective chromatin re-establishment behind RNA polymerase II. Abo1 is recruited to gene sequences and associates with histone H3 and the histone chaperone FACT. Furthermore, the distribution of Abo1 on chromatin is disturbed by impaired FACT function. The role of Abo1 extends to some promoters and also to silent heterochromatin. Abo1 is recruited to pericentromeric heterochromatin independently of the HP1 ortholog, Swi6, where it enforces proper nucleosome occupancy. Consequently, loss of Abo1 alleviates silencing and causes elevated chromosome mis-segregation. We suggest that Abo1 provides a histone chaperone function that maintains nucleosome architecture genome-wide.
Subject(s)
Adenosine Triphosphatases/metabolism , Chromatin/genetics , Chromatin/metabolism , Nucleosomes/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Adenosine Triphosphatases/chemistry , Adenosine Triphosphatases/genetics , Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism , Chromosome Segregation , DNA, Intergenic , Gene Silencing , Histone Chaperones/genetics , Histone Chaperones/metabolism , Histones/genetics , Histones/metabolism , Nucleosomes/genetics , Promoter Regions, Genetic , RNA Polymerase II/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/chemistry , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription, GeneticABSTRACT
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcription into a downstream promoter frequently results in transcriptional interference. However, the mechanism of this repression is not fully understood. We recently showed that drug tolerance in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is controlled by lncRNA transcription upstream of the tgp1+ permease gene. Here we demonstrate that transcriptional interference of tgp1+ involves several transcription-coupled chromatin changes mediated by conserved elongation factors Set2, Clr6CII, Spt6 and FACT. These factors are known to travel with RNAPII and establish repressive chromatin in order to limit aberrant transcription initiation from cryptic promoters present in gene bodies. We therefore conclude that conserved RNAPII-associated mechanisms exist to both suppress intragenic cryptic promoters during genic transcription and to repress gene promoters by transcriptional interference. Our analyses also demonstrate that key mechanistic features of transcriptional interference are shared between S. pombe and the highly divergent budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Thus, transcriptional interference is an ancient, conserved mechanism for tightly controlling gene expression. Our mechanistic insights allowed us to predict and validate a second example of transcriptional interference involving the S. pombe pho1+ gene. Given that eukaryotic genomes are pervasively transcribed, transcriptional interference likely represents a more general feature of gene regulation than is currently appreciated.
Subject(s)
Chromatin/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Transcription, Genetic , Acid Phosphatase/genetics , Acid Phosphatase/metabolism , Chromatin/metabolism , Gene Silencing , Genes, Fungal , Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/metabolism , Histones , Methylation , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Centromere sequences are not conserved between species, and there is compelling evidence for epigenetic regulation of centromere identity, with location being dictated by the presence of chromatin containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. Paradoxically, in most organisms CENP-A chromatin generally occurs on particular sequences. To investigate the contribution of primary DNA sequence to establishment of CENP-A chromatin in vivo, we utilised the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. CENP-ACnp1 chromatin is normally assembled on â¼10 kb of central domain DNA within these regional centromeres. We demonstrate that overproduction of S. pombe CENP-ACnp1 bypasses the usual requirement for adjacent heterochromatin in establishing CENP-ACnp1 chromatin, and show that central domain DNA is a preferred substrate for de novo establishment of CENP-ACnp1 chromatin. When multimerised, a 2 kb sub-region can establish CENP-ACnp1 chromatin and form functional centromeres. Randomization of the 2 kb sequence to generate a sequence that maintains AT content and predicted nucleosome positioning is unable to establish CENP-ACnp1 chromatin. These analyses indicate that central domain DNA from fission yeast centromeres contains specific information that promotes CENP-ACnp1 incorporation into chromatin. Numerous transcriptional start sites were detected on the forward and reverse strands within the functional 2 kb sub-region and active promoters were identified. RNAPII is enriched on central domain DNA in wild-type cells, but only low levels of transcripts are detected, consistent with RNAPII stalling during transcription of centromeric DNA. Cells lacking factors involved in restarting transcription-TFIIS and Ubp3-assemble CENP-ACnp1 on central domain DNA when CENP-ACnp1 is at wild-type levels, suggesting that persistent stalling of RNAPII on centromere DNA triggers chromatin remodelling events that deposit CENP-ACnp1. Thus, sequence-encoded features of centromeric DNA create an environment of pervasive low quality RNAPII transcription that is an important determinant of CENP-ACnp1 assembly. These observations emphasise roles for both genetic and epigenetic processes in centromere establishment.
Subject(s)
Autoantigens/genetics , Centromere/genetics , Chromatin/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/genetics , Epigenesis, Genetic , Transcription, Genetic , Centromere Protein A , Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/genetics , DNA/genetics , Heterochromatin/genetics , Histones/genetics , Kinetochores , SchizosaccharomycesABSTRACT
Epigenetically regulated heterochromatin domains govern essential cellular activities. A key feature of heterochromatin domains is the presence of hypoacetylated nucleosomes, which are methylated on lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me). Here, we investigate the requirements for establishment, spreading and maintenance of heterochromatin using fission yeast centromeres as a paradigm. We show that establishment of heterochromatin on centromeric repeats is initiated at modular 'nucleation sites' by RNA interference (RNAi), ensuring the mitotic stability of centromere-bearing minichromosomes. We demonstrate that the histone deacetylases Sir2 and Clr3 and the chromodomain protein Swi6(HP1) are required for H3K9me spreading from nucleation sites, thus allowing formation of extended heterochromatin domains. We discovered that RNAi and Sir2 along with Swi6(HP1) operate in two independent pathways to maintain heterochromatin. Finally, we demonstrate that tethering of Sir2 is pivotal to the maintenance of heterochromatin at an ectopic locus in the absence of RNAi. These analyses reveal that Sir2, together with RNAi, are sufficient to ensure heterochromatin integrity and provide evidence for sequential establishment, spreading and maintenance steps in the assembly of centromeric heterochromatin.
Subject(s)
Centromere/genetics , Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/genetics , Heterochromatin/metabolism , RNA Interference/physiology , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/physiology , Centromere/metabolism , Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics , Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology , Heterochromatin/genetics , Histone Deacetylases/genetics , Histone Deacetylases/metabolism , Histones/chemistry , Histones/metabolism , Methyltransferases/genetics , Methyltransferases/metabolism , Models, Biological , Organisms, Genetically Modified , Protein Processing, Post-Translational , Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces/physiology , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
The mechanisms ensuring specific incorporation of CENP-A at centromeres are poorly understood. Mis16 and Mis18 are required for CENP-A localization at centromeres and form a complex that is conserved from fission yeast to human. Fission yeast sim1 mutants that alleviate kinetochore domain silencing are defective in Scm3(Sp), the ortholog of budding yeast Scm3(Sc). Scm3(Sp) depends on Mis16/18 for its centromere localization and like them is recruited to centromeres in late anaphase. Importantly, Scm3(Sp) coaffinity purifies with CENP-A(Cnp1) and associates with CENP-A(Cnp1) in vitro, yet localizes independently of intact CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin and is differentially released from chromatin. While Scm3(Sc) has been proposed to form a unique hexameric nucleosome with CENP-A(Cse4) and histone H4 at budding yeast point centromeres, we favor a model in which Scm3(Sp) acts as a CENP-A(Cnp1) receptor/assembly factor, cooperating with Mis16 and Mis18 to receive CENP-A(Cnp1) from the Sim3 escort and mediate assembly of CENP-A(Cnp1) into subkinetochore chromatin.
Subject(s)
Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Chromatin/metabolism , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism , Kinetochores/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Carrier Proteins/genetics , Cell Cycle , Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/analysis , Mutation , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/analysis , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/geneticsABSTRACT
Specialized chromatin containing CENP-A nucleosomes instead of H3 nucleosomes is found at all centromeres. However, the mechanisms that specify the locations at which CENP-A chromatin is assembled remain elusive in organisms with regional, epigenetically regulated centromeres. It is known that normal centromeric DNA is transcribed in several systems including the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Here, we show that factors which preserve stable histone H3 chromatin during transcription also play a role in preventing promiscuous CENP-A(Cnp1) deposition in fission yeast. Mutations in the histone chaperone FACT impair the maintenance of H3 chromatin on transcribed regions and promote widespread CENP-A(Cnp1) incorporation at non-centromeric sites. FACT has little or no effect on CENP-A(Cnp1) assembly at endogenous centromeres where CENP-A(Cnp1) is normally assembled. In contrast, Clr6 complex II (Clr6-CII; equivalent to Rpd3S) histone deacetylase function has a more subtle impact on the stability of transcribed H3 chromatin and acts to prevent the ectopic accumulation of CENP-A(Cnp1) at specific loci, including subtelomeric regions, where CENP-A(Cnp1) is preferentially assembled. Moreover, defective Clr6-CII function allows the de novo assembly of CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin on centromeric DNA, bypassing the normal requirement for heterochromatin. Thus, our analyses show that alterations in the process of chromatin assembly during transcription can destabilize H3 nucleosomes and thereby allow CENP-A(Cnp1) to assemble in its place. We propose that normal centromeres provide a specific chromatin context that limits reassembly of H3 chromatin during transcription and thereby promotes the establishment of CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin and associated kinetochores. These findings have important implications for genetic and epigenetic processes involved in centromere specification.