RNAi keeps Atf1-bound stress response genes in check at nuclear pores.

RNAi pathways are prevalent throughout the eukaryotic kingdom and are well known to regulate gene expression on a post-transcriptional level in the cytoplasm. Less is known about possible functions of RNAi in the nucleus. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, RNAi is crucial to establish and maintain centromeric heterochromatin and functions to repress genome activity by a chromatin silencing mechanism referred to as cotranscriptional gene silencing (CTGS). Mechanistic details and the physiological relevance of CTGS are unknown. Here we show that RNAi components interact with chromatin at nuclear pores to keep stress response genes in check. We demonstrate that RNAi-mediated CTGS represses stress-inducible genes by degrading mRNAs under noninduced conditions. Under chronic heat stress conditions, a Dicer thermoswitch deports Dicer to the cytoplasm, thereby disrupting CTGS and enabling expression of genes implicated in the acquisition of thermotolerance. Taken together, our work highlights a role for nuclear pores and the stress response transcription factor Atf1 in coordinating the interplay between the RNAi machinery and the S. pombe genome and uncovers a novel mode of RNAi regulation in response to an environmental cue.

An extended dsRBD with a novel zinc-binding motif mediates nuclear retention of fission yeast Dicer.

Dicer proteins function in RNA interference (RNAi) pathways by generating small RNAs (sRNAs). Here, we report the solution structure of the C-terminal domain of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Dicer (Dcr1). The structure reveals an unusual double-stranded RNA binding domain (dsRBD) fold embedding a novel zinc-binding motif that is conserved among dicers in yeast. Although the C-terminal domain of Dcr1 still binds nucleic acids, this property is dispensable for proper functioning of Dcr1. In contrast, disruption of zinc coordination renders Dcr1 mainly cytoplasmic and leads to remarkable changes in gene expression and loss of heterochromatin assembly. In summary, our results reveal novel insights into the mechanism of nuclear retention of Dcr1 and raise the possibility that this new class of dsRBDs might generally function in nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and not substrate binding. The C-terminal domain of Dcr1 constitutes a novel regulatory module that might represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention with fungal diseases.

Dynamics of CENP-N kinetochore binding during the cell cycle.

Accurate chromosome segregation requires the assembly of kinetochores, multiprotein complexes that assemble on the centromere of each sister chromatid. A key step in this process involves binding of the constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN) to CENP-A, the histone H3 variant that constitutes centromeric nucleosomes. This network is proposed to operate as a persistent structural scaffold for assembly of the outer kinetochore during mitosis. Here, we show by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) that the N-terminus of CENP-N lies in close proximity to the N-terminus of CENP-A in vivo, consistent with in vitro data showing direct binding of CENP-N to CENP-A. Furthermore, we demonstrate in living cells that CENP-N is bound to kinetochores during S phase and G2, but is largely absent from kinetochores during mitosis and G1. By measuring the dynamics of kinetochore binding, we reveal that CENP-N undergoes rapid exchange in G1 until the middle of S phase when it becomes stably associated with kinetochores. The majority of CENP-N is loaded during S phase and dissociates again during G2. We propose a model in which CENP-N functions as a fidelity factor during centromeric replication and reveal that the CCAN network is considerably more dynamic than previously appreciated.

Step-wise assembly, maturation and dynamic behavior of the human CENP-P/O/R/Q/U kinetochore sub-complex.

Kinetochores are multi-protein megadalton assemblies that are required for attachment of microtubules to centromeres and, in turn, the segregation of chromosomes in mitosis. Kinetochore assembly is a cell cycle regulated multi-step process. The initial step occurs during interphase and involves loading of the 15-subunit constitutive centromere associated complex (CCAN), which contains a 5-subunit (CENP-P/O/R/Q/U) sub-complex. Here we show using a fluorescent three-hybrid (F3H) assay and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in living mammalian cells that CENP-P/O/R/Q/U subunits exist in a tightly packed arrangement that involves multifold protein-protein interactions. This sub-complex is, however, not pre-assembled in the cytoplasm, but rather assembled on kinetochores through the step-wise recruitment of CENP-O/P heterodimers and the CENP-P, -O, -R, -Q and -U single protein units. SNAP-tag experiments and immuno-staining indicate that these loading events occur during S-phase in a manner similar to the nucleosome binding components of the CCAN, CENP-T/W/N. Furthermore, CENP-P/O/R/Q/U binding to the CCAN is largely mediated through interactions with the CENP-N binding protein CENP-L as well as CENP-K. Once assembled, CENP-P/O/R/Q/U exchanges slowly with the free nucleoplasmic pool indicating a low off-rate for individual CENP-P/O/R/Q/U subunits. Surprisingly, we then find that during late S-phase, following the kinetochore-binding step, both CENP-Q and -U but not -R undergo oligomerization. We propose that CENP-P/O/R/Q/U self-assembles on kinetochores with varying stoichiometry and undergoes a pre-mitotic maturation step that could be important for kinetochores switching into the correct conformation necessary for microtubule-attachment.

Nuclear retention of fission yeast dicer is a prerequisite for RNAi-mediated heterochromatin assembly.

RNaseIII ribonucleases act at the heart of RNA silencing pathways by processing precursor RNAs into mature microRNAs and siRNAs. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, siRNAs are generated by the RNaseIII enzyme Dcr1 and are required for heterochromatin formation at centromeres. In this study, we have analyzed the subcellular localization of Dcr1 and found that it accumulates in the nucleus and is enriched at the nuclear periphery. Nuclear accumulation of Dcr1 depends on a short motif that impedes nuclear export promoted by the double-stranded RNA binding domain of Dcr1. Absence of this motif renders Dcr1 mainly cytoplasmic and is accompanied by remarkable changes in gene expression and failure to assemble heterochromatin. Our findings suggest that Dicer proteins are shuttling proteins and that the steady-state subcellular levels can be shifted toward either compartment.