1
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Charlton SJ, Flury V, Kanoh Y, Genzor AV, Kollenstart L, Ao W, Brøgger P, Weisser MB, Adamus M, Alcaraz N, Delvaux de Fenffe CM, Mattiroli F, Montoya G, Masai H, Groth A, Thon G. The fork protection complex promotes parental histone recycling and epigenetic memory. Cell 2024; 187:5029-5047.e21. [PMID: 39094569 PMCID: PMC11383432 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The inheritance of parental histones across the replication fork is thought to mediate epigenetic memory. Here, we reveal that fission yeast Mrc1 (CLASPIN in humans) binds H3-H4 tetramers and operates as a central coordinator of symmetric parental histone inheritance. Mrc1 mutants in a key connector domain disrupted segregation of parental histones to the lagging strand comparable to Mcm2 histone-binding mutants. Both mutants showed clonal and asymmetric loss of H3K9me-mediated gene silencing. AlphaFold predicted co-chaperoning of H3-H4 tetramers by Mrc1 and Mcm2, with the Mrc1 connector domain bridging histone and Mcm2 binding. Biochemical and functional analysis validated this model and revealed a duality in Mrc1 function: disabling histone binding in the connector domain disrupted lagging-strand recycling while another histone-binding mutation impaired leading strand recycling. We propose that Mrc1 toggles histones between the lagging and leading strand recycling pathways, in part by intra-replisome co-chaperoning, to ensure epigenetic transmission to both daughter cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Jespersen Charlton
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Valentin Flury
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Yutaka Kanoh
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | | | - Leonie Kollenstart
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Wantong Ao
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Peter Brøgger
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Melanie Bianca Weisser
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Marek Adamus
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Nicolas Alcaraz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | | | - Francesca Mattiroli
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW & University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Guillermo Montoya
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Hisao Masai
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Anja Groth
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark; Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark.
| | - Geneviève Thon
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark.
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2
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Sahu RK, Dhakshnamoorthy J, Jain S, Folco HD, Wheeler D, Grewal SIS. Nucleosome remodeler exclusion by histone deacetylation enforces heterochromatic silencing and epigenetic inheritance. Mol Cell 2024; 84:3175-3191.e8. [PMID: 39096900 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Heterochromatin enforces transcriptional gene silencing and can be epigenetically inherited, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that histone deacetylation, a conserved feature of heterochromatin domains, blocks SWI/SNF subfamily remodelers involved in chromatin unraveling, thereby stabilizing modified nucleosomes that preserve gene silencing. Histone hyperacetylation, resulting from either the loss of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity or the direct targeting of a histone acetyltransferase to heterochromatin, permits remodeler access, leading to silencing defects. The requirement for HDAC in heterochromatin silencing can be bypassed by impeding SWI/SNF activity. Highlighting the crucial role of remodelers, merely targeting SWI/SNF to heterochromatin, even in cells with functional HDAC, increases nucleosome turnover, causing defective gene silencing and compromised epigenetic inheritance. This study elucidates a fundamental mechanism whereby histone hypoacetylation, maintained by high HDAC levels in heterochromatic regions, ensures stable gene silencing and epigenetic inheritance, providing insights into genome regulatory mechanisms relevant to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar Sahu
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jothy Dhakshnamoorthy
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shweta Jain
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hernan Diego Folco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Wheeler
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shiv I S Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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3
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Ames A, Seman M, Larkin A, Raiymbek G, Chen Z, Levashkevich A, Kim B, Biteen JS, Ragunathan K. Epigenetic memory is governed by an effector recruitment specificity toggle in Heterochromatin Protein 1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6276. [PMID: 39054315 PMCID: PMC11272775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50538-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
HP1 proteins are essential for establishing and maintaining transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. They dimerize, forming a binding interface to recruit diverse chromatin-associated factors. Although HP1 proteins are known to rapidly evolve, the extent of variation required to achieve functional specialization is unknown. To investigate how changes in amino acid sequence impacts heterochromatin formation, we performed a targeted mutagenesis screen of the S. pombe HP1 homolog, Swi6. Substitutions within an auxiliary surface adjacent to the HP1 dimerization interface produce Swi6 variants with divergent maintenance properties. Remarkably, substitutions at a single amino acid position lead to the persistent gain or loss of epigenetic inheritance. These substitutions increase Swi6 chromatin occupancy in vivo and altered Swi6-protein interactions that reprogram H3K9me maintenance. We show how relatively minor changes in Swi6 amino acid composition in an auxiliary surface can lead to profound changes in epigenetic inheritance providing a redundant mechanism to evolve HP1-effector specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Ames
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA
| | - Melissa Seman
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA
| | - Ajay Larkin
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA
| | - Gulzhan Raiymbek
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ziyuan Chen
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA
| | | | - Bokyung Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 02453, USA
| | - Julie Suzanne Biteen
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, USA
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4
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Lopes M, Louzada S, Gama-Carvalho M, Chaves R. Pericentromeric satellite RNAs as flexible protein partners in the regulation of nuclear structure. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1868. [PMID: 38973000 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Pericentromeric heterochromatin is mainly composed of satellite DNA sequences. Although being historically associated with transcriptional repression, some pericentromeric satellite DNA sequences are transcribed. The transcription events of pericentromeric satellite sequences occur in highly flexible biological contexts. Hence, the apparent randomness of pericentromeric satellite transcription incites the discussion about the attribution of biological functions. However, pericentromeric satellite RNAs have clear roles in the organization of nuclear structure. Silencing pericentromeric heterochromatin depends on pericentromeric satellite RNAs, that, in a feedback mechanism, contribute to the repression of pericentromeric heterochromatin. Moreover, pericentromeric satellite RNAs can also act as scaffolding molecules in condensate subnuclear structures (e.g., nuclear stress bodies). Since the formation/dissociation of nuclear condensates provides cell adaptability, pericentromeric satellite RNAs can be an epigenetic platform for regulating (sub)nuclear structure. We review current knowledge about pericentromeric satellite RNAs that, irrespective of the meaning of biological function, should be functionally addressed in regular and disease settings. This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Lopes
- CytoGenomics Lab-Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás os Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- BioISI: Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sandra Louzada
- CytoGenomics Lab-Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás os Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- BioISI: Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Margarida Gama-Carvalho
- BioISI: Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Raquel Chaves
- CytoGenomics Lab-Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás os Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- BioISI: Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- RISE-Health: Health Research Network, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- CACTMAD: Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Academic Clinic Center,University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
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5
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Khanduja JS, Joh RI, Perez MM, Paulo JA, Palmieri CM, Zhang J, Gulka AOD, Haas W, Gygi SP, Motamedi M. RNA quality control factors nucleate Clr4/SUV39H and trigger constitutive heterochromatin assembly. Cell 2024; 187:3262-3283.e23. [PMID: 38815580 PMCID: PMC11227895 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, the Suv39 family of proteins tri-methylate lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me) to form constitutive heterochromatin. However, how Suv39 proteins are nucleated at heterochromatin is not fully described. In the fission yeast, current models posit that Argonaute1-associated small RNAs (sRNAs) nucleate the sole H3K9 methyltransferase, Clr4/SUV39H, to centromeres. Here, we show that in the absence of all sRNAs and H3K9me, the Mtl1 and Red1 core (MTREC)/PAXT complex nucleates Clr4/SUV39H at a heterochromatic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) at which the two H3K9 deacetylases, Sir2 and Clr3, also accumulate by distinct mechanisms. Iterative cycles of H3K9 deacetylation and methylation spread Clr4/SUV39H from the nucleation center in an sRNA-independent manner, generating a basal H3K9me state. This is acted upon by the RNAi machinery to augment and amplify the Clr4/H3K9me signal at centromeres to establish heterochromatin. Overall, our data reveal that lncRNAs and RNA quality control factors can nucleate heterochromatin and function as epigenetic silencers in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasbeer S Khanduja
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Richard I Joh
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Monica M Perez
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christina M Palmieri
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jingyu Zhang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Alex O D Gulka
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Willhelm Haas
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mo Motamedi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
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6
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Ames A, Seman M, Larkin A, Raiymbek G, Chen Z, Levashkevich A, Kim B, Biteen JS, Ragunathan K. Epigenetic memory is governed by an effector recruitment specificity toggle in Heterochromatin Protein 1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.28.569027. [PMID: 38077059 PMCID: PMC10705379 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.569027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
HP1 proteins are essential for establishing and maintaining transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. They dimerize, forming a binding interface to recruit diverse chromatin-associated factors. HP1 proteins are specialized and rapidly evolve, but the extent of variation required to achieve functional specialization is unknown. To investigate how changes in amino acid sequence impacts epigenetic inheritance, we performed a targeted mutagenesis screen of the S. pombe HP1 homolog, Swi6. Substitutions within an auxiliary surface adjacent to the HP1 dimerization interface produced Swi6 variants with divergent maintenance properties. Remarkably, substitutions at a single amino acid position led to the persistent gain or loss of epigenetic inheritance. These substitutions increased Swi6 chromatin occupancy in vivo and altered Swi6-protein interactions that reprogram H3K9me maintenance. We show that relatively minor changes in Swi6 amino acid composition can lead to profound changes in epigenetic inheritance which provides a redundant mechanism to evolve novel effector specificity. .
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7
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Fang Y, Hua X, Shan CM, Toda T, Qiao F, Zhang Z, Jia S. Coordination of histone chaperones for parental histone segregation and epigenetic inheritance. Genes Dev 2024; 38:189-204. [PMID: 38479839 PMCID: PMC10982699 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351278.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Chromatin-based epigenetic memory relies on the accurate distribution of parental histone H3-H4 tetramers to newly replicated DNA strands. Mcm2, a subunit of the replicative helicase, and Dpb3/4, subunits of DNA polymerase ε, govern parental histone H3-H4 deposition to the lagging and leading strands, respectively. However, their contribution to epigenetic inheritance remains controversial. Here, using fission yeast heterochromatin inheritance systems that eliminate interference from initiation pathways, we show that a Mcm2 histone binding mutation severely disrupts heterochromatin inheritance, while mutations in Dpb3/4 cause only moderate defects. Surprisingly, simultaneous mutations of Mcm2 and Dpb3/4 stabilize heterochromatin inheritance. eSPAN (enrichment and sequencing of protein-associated nascent DNA) analyses confirmed the conservation of Mcm2 and Dpb3/4 functions in parental histone H3-H4 segregation, with their combined absence showing a more symmetric distribution of parental histone H3-H4 than either single mutation alone. Furthermore, the FACT histone chaperone regulates parental histone transfer to both strands and collaborates with Mcm2 and Dpb3/4 to maintain parental histone H3-H4 density and faithful heterochromatin inheritance. These results underscore the importance of both symmetric distribution of parental histones and their density at daughter strands for epigenetic inheritance and unveil distinctive properties of parental histone chaperones during DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Fang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Xu Hua
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Chun-Min Shan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Takenori Toda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Feng Qiao
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA;
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8
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Nathanailidou P, Dhakshnamoorthy J, Xiao H, Zofall M, Holla S, O’Neill M, Andresson T, Wheeler D, Grewal SIS. Specialized replication of heterochromatin domains ensures self-templated chromatin assembly and epigenetic inheritance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315596121. [PMID: 38285941 PMCID: PMC10861883 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315596121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin, defined by histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me), spreads across large domains and can be epigenetically inherited in a self-propagating manner. Heterochromatin propagation depends upon a read-write mechanism, where the Clr4/Suv39h methyltransferase binds to preexisting trimethylated H3K9 (H3K9me3) and further deposits H3K9me. How the parental methylated histone template is preserved during DNA replication is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate using Schizosaccharomyces pombe that heterochromatic regions are specialized replication domains demarcated by their surrounding boundary elements. DNA replication throughout these domains is distinguished by an abundance of replisome components and is coordinated by Swi6/HP1. Although mutations in the replicative helicase subunit Mcm2 that affect histone binding impede the maintenance of a heterochromatin domain at an artificially targeted ectopic site, they have only a modest impact on heterochromatin propagation via the read-write mechanism at an endogenous site. Instead, our findings suggest a crucial role for the replication factor Mcl1 in retaining parental histones and promoting heterochromatin propagation via a mechanism involving the histone chaperone FACT. Engagement of FACT with heterochromatin requires boundary elements, which position the heterochromatic domain at the nuclear peripheral subdomain enriched for heterochromatin factors. Our findings highlight the importance of replisome components and boundary elements in creating a specialized environment for the retention of parental methylated histones, which facilitates epigenetic inheritance of heterochromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patroula Nathanailidou
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Jothy Dhakshnamoorthy
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Hua Xiao
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Martin Zofall
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Sahana Holla
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Maura O’Neill
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD21701
| | - Thorkell Andresson
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD21701
| | - David Wheeler
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Shiv I. S. Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
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9
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Seman M, Levashkevich A, Larkin A, Huang F, Ragunathan K. Uncoupling the distinct functions of HP1 proteins during heterochromatin establishment and maintenance. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113428. [PMID: 37952152 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
H3K9 methylation (H3K9me) marks transcriptionally silent genomic regions called heterochromatin. HP1 proteins are required to establish and maintain heterochromatin. HP1 proteins bind to H3K9me, recruit factors that promote heterochromatin formation, and oligomerize to form phase-separated condensates. We do not understand how these different HP1 properties are involved in establishing and maintaining transcriptional silencing. Here, we demonstrate that the S. pombe HP1 homolog, Swi6, can be completely bypassed to establish silencing at ectopic and endogenous loci when an H3K4 methyltransferase, Set1, and an H3K14 acetyltransferase, Mst2, are deleted. Deleting Set1 and Mst2 enhances Clr4 enzymatic activity, leading to higher H3K9me levels and spreading. In contrast, Swi6 and its capacity to oligomerize were indispensable during epigenetic maintenance. Our results demonstrate the role of HP1 proteins in regulating histone modification crosstalk during establishment and identify a genetically separable function in maintaining epigenetic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Seman
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | | | - Ajay Larkin
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Fengting Huang
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
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10
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Hamali B, Amine AAA, Al-Sady B. Regulation of the heterochromatin spreading reaction by trans-acting factors. Open Biol 2023; 13:230271. [PMID: 37935357 PMCID: PMC10645111 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is a gene-repressive protein-nucleic acid ultrastructure that is initially nucleated by DNA sequences. However, following nucleation, heterochromatin can then propagate along the chromatin template in a sequence-independent manner in a reaction termed spreading. At the heart of this process are enzymes that deposit chemical information on chromatin, which attracts the factors that execute chromatin compaction and transcriptional or co/post-transcriptional gene silencing. Given that these enzymes deposit guiding chemical information on chromatin they are commonly termed 'writers'. While the processes of nucleation and central actions of writers have been extensively studied and reviewed, less is understood about how the spreading process is regulated. We discuss how the chromatin substrate is prepared for heterochromatic spreading, and how trans-acting factors beyond writer enzymes regulate it. We examine mechanisms by which trans-acting factors in Suv39, PRC2, SETDB1 and SIR writer systems regulate spreading of the respective heterochromatic marks across chromatin. While these systems are in some cases evolutionarily and mechanistically quite distant, common mechanisms emerge which these trans-acting factors exploit to tune the spreading reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bulut Hamali
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- The G. W. Hooper Foundation, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ahmed A A Amine
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- The G. W. Hooper Foundation, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Bassem Al-Sady
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- The G. W. Hooper Foundation, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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11
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Seman M, Levashkevich A, Larkin A, Huang F, Ragunathan K. Uncoupling the distinct functions of HP1 proteins during heterochromatin establishment and maintenance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.30.538869. [PMID: 37961629 PMCID: PMC10634687 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.30.538869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
H3K9 methylation (H3K9me) marks transcriptionally silent genomic regions called heterochromatin. HP1 proteins are required to establish and maintain heterochromatin. HP1 proteins bind to H3K9me, recruit factors that promote heterochromatin formation, and oligomerize to form phase-separated condensates. We do not understand how HP1 protein binding to heterochromatin establishes and maintains transcriptional silencing. Here, we demonstrate that the S.pombe HP1 homolog, Swi6, can be completely bypassed to establish silencing at ectopic and endogenous loci when an H3K4 methyltransferase, Set1 and an H3K14 acetyltransferase, Mst2 are deleted. Deleting Set1 and Mst2 enhances Clr4 enzymatic activity, leading to higher H3K9me levels and spreading. In contrast, Swi6 and its capacity to oligomerize were indispensable during epigenetic maintenance. Our results demonstrate the role of HP1 proteins in regulating histone modification crosstalk during establishment and identifies a genetically separable function in maintaining epigenetic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Seman
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451 USA
| | | | - Ajay Larkin
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451 USA
| | - Fengting Huang
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451 USA
| | - Kaushik Ragunathan
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02451 USA
- Lead Contact
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12
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Rahayu AF, Hayashi A, Yoshimura Y, Nakagawa R, Arita K, Nakayama JI. Cooperative DNA-binding activities of Chp2 are critical for its function in heterochromatin assembly. J Biochem 2023; 174:371-382. [PMID: 37400983 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is an evolutionarily conserved protein that plays a critical role in heterochromatin assembly. HP1 proteins share a basic structure consisting of an N-terminal chromodomain (CD) and a C-terminal chromoshadow domain (CSD) linked by a disordered hinge region. The CD recognizes histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, a hallmark of heterochromatin, while the CSD forms a dimer to recruit other chromosomal proteins. HP1 proteins have been shown to bind DNA or RNA primarily through the hinge region. However, how DNA or RNA binding contributes to their function remains elusive. Here, we focus on Chp2, one of the two HP1 proteins in fission yeast, and investigate how Chp2's DNA-binding ability contributes to its function. Similar to other HP1 proteins, the Chp2 hinge exhibits clear DNA-binding activity. Interestingly, the Chp2 CSD also shows robust DNA-binding activity. Mutational analysis revealed that basic residues in the Chp2 hinge and at the N-terminus of the CSD are essential for DNA binding, and the combined amino acid substitutions of these residues alter Chp2 stability, impair Chp2 heterochromatin localization and lead to a silencing defect. These results demonstrate that the cooperative DNA-binding activities of Chp2 play an important role in heterochromatin assembly in fission yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisa Fitri Rahayu
- Division of Chromatin Regulation, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Aki Hayashi
- Division of Chromatin Regulation, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yuriko Yoshimura
- Division of Chromatin Regulation, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Reiko Nakagawa
- Laboratory for Cell-Free Protein Synthesis, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-1 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kyohei Arita
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Nakayama
- Division of Chromatin Regulation, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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13
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Grewal SIS. The molecular basis of heterochromatin assembly and epigenetic inheritance. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1767-1785. [PMID: 37207657 PMCID: PMC10309086 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Heterochromatin plays a fundamental role in gene regulation, genome integrity, and silencing of repetitive DNA elements. Histone modifications are essential for the establishment of heterochromatin domains, which is initiated by the recruitment of histone-modifying enzymes to nucleation sites. This leads to the deposition of histone H3 lysine-9 methylation (H3K9me), which provides the foundation for building high-concentration territories of heterochromatin proteins and the spread of heterochromatin across extended domains. Moreover, heterochromatin can be epigenetically inherited during cell division in a self-templating manner. This involves a "read-write" mechanism where pre-existing modified histones, such as tri-methylated H3K9 (H3K9me3), support chromatin association of the histone methyltransferase to promote further deposition of H3K9me. Recent studies suggest that a critical density of H3K9me3 and its associated factors is necessary for the propagation of heterochromatin domains across multiple generations. In this review, I discuss the key experiments that have highlighted the importance of modified histones for epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiv I S Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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14
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Han L, Lee JB, Indermaur EW, Keung AJ. Chaetocin disrupts the SUV39H1-HP1 interaction independent of SUV39H1 methyltransferase activity. Biochem J 2023; 480:421-432. [PMID: 36896918 PMCID: PMC11127023 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Chemical tools to control the activities and interactions of chromatin components have broad impact on our understanding of cellular and disease processes. It is important to accurately identify their molecular effects to inform clinical efforts and interpretations of scientific studies. Chaetocin is a widely used chemical that decreases H3K9 methylation in cells. It is frequently attributed as a specific inhibitor of the histone methyltransferase activities of SUV39H1/SU(VAR)3-9, although prior observations showed chaetocin likely inhibits methyltransferase activity through covalent mechanisms involving its epipolythiodixopiperazine disulfide 'warhead' functionality. The continued use of chaetocin in scientific studies may derive from the net effect of reduced H3K9 methylation, irrespective of a direct or indirect mechanism. However, there may be other molecular impacts of chaetocin on SUV39H1 besides inhibition of H3K9 methylation levels that could confound the interpretation of past and future experimental studies. Here, we test a new hypothesis that chaetocin may have an additional downstream impact aside from inhibition of methyltransferase activity. Using a combination of truncation mutants, a yeast two-hybrid system, and direct in vitro binding assays, we show that the human SUV39H1 chromodomain (CD) and HP1 chromoshadow domain (CSD) directly interact. Chaetocin inhibits this binding interaction through its disulfide functionality with some specificity by covalently binding with the CD of SUV39H1, whereas the histone H3-HP1 interaction is not inhibited. Given the key role of HP1 dimers in driving a feedback cascade to recruit SUV39H1 and to establish and stabilize constitutive heterochromatin, this additional molecular consequence of chaetocin should be broadly considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linna Han
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, U.S.A
| | - Jessica B. Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, U.S.A
| | - Elaine W. Indermaur
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, U.S.A
| | - Albert J. Keung
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7905, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, U.S.A
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15
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Opposing Roles of FACT for Euchromatin and Heterochromatin in Yeast. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020377. [PMID: 36830746 PMCID: PMC9953268 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell in a folded state; however, only the necessary genetic information is extracted from the required group of genes. The key to extracting genetic information is chromatin ambivalence. Depending on the chromosomal region, chromatin is characterized into low-density "euchromatin" and high-density "heterochromatin", with various factors being involved in its regulation. Here, we focus on chromatin regulation and gene expression by the yeast FACT complex, which functions in both euchromatin and heterochromatin. FACT is known as a histone H2A/H2B chaperone and was initially reported as an elongation factor associated with RNA polymerase II. In budding yeast, FACT activates promoter chromatin by interacting with the transcriptional activators SBF/MBF via the regulation of G1/S cell cycle genes. In fission yeast, FACT plays an important role in the formation of higher-order chromatin structures and transcriptional repression by binding to Swi6, an HP1 family protein, at heterochromatin. This FACT property, which refers to the alternate chromatin-regulation depending on the binding partner, is an interesting phenomenon. Further analysis of nucleosome regulation within heterochromatin is expected in future studies.
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16
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Mushtaq A, Mir US, Altaf M. Multifaceted functions of RNA-binding protein vigilin in gene silencing, genome stability, and autism-related disorders. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102988. [PMID: 36758804 PMCID: PMC10011833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are emerging as important players in regulating eukaryotic gene expression and genome stability. Specific RBPs have been shown to mediate various chromatin-associated processes ranging from transcription to gene silencing and DNA repair. One of the prominent classes of RBPs is the KH domain-containing proteins. Vigilin, an evolutionarily conserved KH domain-containing RBP has been shown to be associated with diverse biological processes like RNA transport and metabolism, sterol metabolism, chromosome segregation, and carcinogenesis. We have previously reported that vigilin is essential for heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing in fission yeast. More recently, we have identified that vigilin in humans plays a critical role in efficient repair of DNA double-stranded breaks and functions in homology-directed DNA repair. In this review, we highlight the multifaceted functions of vigilin and discuss the findings in the context of gene expression, genome organization, cancer, and autism-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjamand Mushtaq
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ulfat Syed Mir
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Mohammad Altaf
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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17
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Tsunemine S, Nakagawa H, Suzuki Y, Murakami Y. The chromatin remodeler RSC prevents ectopic CENP-A propagation into pericentromeric heterochromatin at the chromatin boundary. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:10914-10928. [PMID: 36200823 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres of most eukaryotes consist of two distinct chromatin domains: a kinetochore domain, identified by the histone H3 variant, CENP-A, and a heterochromatic domain. How these two domains are separated is unclear. Here, we show that, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, mutation of the chromatin remodeler RSC induced CENP-ACnp1 misloading at pericentromeric heterochromatin, resulting in the mis-assembly of kinetochore proteins and a defect in chromosome segregation. We find that RSC functions at the kinetochore boundary to prevent CENP-ACnp1 from spreading into neighbouring heterochromatin, where deacetylated histones provide an ideal environment for the spread of CENP-ACnp1. In addition, we show that RSC decompacts the chromatin structure at this boundary, and propose that this RSC-directed chromatin decompaction prevents mis-propagation of CENP-ACnp1 into pericentromeric heterochromatin. Our study provides an insight into how the distribution of distinct chromatin domains is established and maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Tsunemine
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.,Laboratory of Cell Regulation, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiromi Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Cell Regulation, Department of Viral Oncology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yota Murakami
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
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18
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Zofall M, Sandhu R, Holla S, Wheeler D, Grewal SIS. Histone deacetylation primes self-propagation of heterochromatin domains to promote epigenetic inheritance. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:898-909. [PMID: 36064597 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00830-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Heterochromatin assembly, involving histone H3 lysine-9 methylation (H3K9me), is nucleated at specific genomic sites but can self-propagate across extended domains and, indeed, generations. Self-propagation requires Clr4/Suv39h methyltransferase recruitment by pre-existing H3K9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) to perpetuate H3K9me deposition and is dramatically affected by chromatin context. However, the mechanism priming self-propagation of heterochromatin remains undefined. We show that robust chromatin association of fission yeast class II histone deacetylase Clr3 is necessary and sufficient to support heterochromatin propagation in different chromosomal contexts. Efficient targeting of Clr3, which suppresses histone turnover and maintains H3K9me3, enables self-propagation of an ectopic heterochromatin domain via the Clr4/Suv39h read-write mechanism requiring methylated histones. The deacetylase activity of Clr3 is necessary and, when inactivated, heterochromatin propagation can be recapitulated by removing two major histone acetyltransferases. Our results show that histone deacetylation, a conserved heterochromatin feature, preserves H3K9me3 that transmits epigenetic memory for stable propagation of silenced chromatin domains through multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Zofall
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rima Sandhu
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sahana Holla
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Wheeler
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shiv I S Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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19
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Williams MR, Xiaokang Y, Hathaway NA, Kireev D. A simulation model of heterochromatin formation at submolecular detail. iScience 2022; 25:104590. [PMID: 35800764 PMCID: PMC9254115 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is a physical state of the chromatin fiber that maintains gene repression during cell development. Although evidence exists on molecular mechanisms involved in heterochromatin formation, a detailed structural mechanism of heterochromatin formation needs a better understanding. We made use of a simple Monte Carlo simulation model with explicit representation of key molecular events to observe molecular self-organization leading to heterochromatin formation. Our simulations provide a structural interpretation of several important traits of the heterochromatinization process. In particular, this study provides a depiction of how small amounts of HP1 are able to induce a highly condensed chromatin state through HP1 dimerization and bridging of sequence-remote nucleosomes. It also elucidates structural roots of a yet poorly understood phenomenon of a nondeterministic nature of heterochromatin formation and subsequent gene repression. Experimental chromatin in vivo assay provides an unbiased estimate of time scale of repressive response to a heterochromatin-triggering event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Williams
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27513, USA
| | - Yan Xiaokang
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27513, USA
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nathaniel A. Hathaway
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27513, USA
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27513, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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20
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Greenstein RA, Ng H, Barrales RR, Tan C, Braun S, Al-Sady B. Local chromatin context regulates the genetic requirements of the heterochromatin spreading reaction. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010201. [PMID: 35584134 PMCID: PMC9154106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin spreading, the expansion of repressive chromatin structure from sequence-specific nucleation sites, is critical for stable gene silencing. Spreading re-establishes gene-poor constitutive heterochromatin across cell cycles but can also invade gene-rich euchromatin de novo to steer cell fate decisions. How chromatin context (i.e. euchromatic, heterochromatic) or different nucleation pathways influence heterochromatin spreading remains poorly understood. Previously, we developed a single-cell sensor in fission yeast that can separately record heterochromatic gene silencing at nucleation sequences and distal sites. Here we couple our quantitative assay to a genetic screen to identify genes encoding nuclear factors linked to the regulation of heterochromatin nucleation and the distal spreading of gene silencing. We find that mechanisms underlying gene silencing distal to a nucleation site differ by chromatin context. For example, Clr6 histone deacetylase complexes containing the Fkh2 transcription factor are specifically required for heterochromatin spreading at constitutive sites. Fkh2 recruits Clr6 to nucleation-distal chromatin sites in such contexts. In addition, we find that a number of chromatin remodeling complexes antagonize nucleation-distal gene silencing. Our results separate the regulation of heterochromatic gene silencing at nucleation versus distal sites and show that it is controlled by context-dependent mechanisms. The results of our genetic analysis constitute a broad community resource that will support further analysis of the mechanisms underlying the spread of epigenetic silencing along chromatin. Repressive structures, or heterochromatin, are seeded at specific genome sequences and then “spread” to silence nearby chromosomal regions. While much is known about the factors that seed heterochromatin, the genetic requirements for spreading are less clear. We devised a fission yeast single-cell method to examine how gene silencing is propagated by the heterochromatin spreading process specifically. Here we use this platform to ask if specific genes are required for the spreading process and whether the same or different genes direct spreading from different chromosomal seeding sites. We find a significant number of genes that specifically promote or antagonize the heterochromatin spreading process. However, different genes are required to enact spreading from different seeding sites. These results have potential implications for cell fate specification, where genes are newly silenced by heterochromatin spreading from diverse chromosomal sites. In a central finding, we show that the Clr6 protein complex, which removes chromatin marks linked to active genes, associates with the Forkhead 2 transcription factor to promote spreading of silencing structures from seeding sites at numerous chromosomal loci. In contrast, we show that proteins that remodel chromatin antagonize the spreading of gene silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Greenstein
- Department of Microbiology &Immunology, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- TETRAD graduate program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Henry Ng
- Department of Microbiology &Immunology, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- TETRAD graduate program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ramon R. Barrales
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Catherine Tan
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Biomedical Sciences graduate program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sigurd Braun
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bassem Al-Sady
- Department of Microbiology &Immunology, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Stirpe A, Guidotti N, Northall SJ, Kilic S, Hainard A, Vadas O, Fierz B, Schalch T. SUV39 SET domains mediate crosstalk of heterochromatic histone marks. eLife 2021; 10:62682. [PMID: 34524082 PMCID: PMC8443253 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The SUV39 class of methyltransferase enzymes deposits histone H3 lysine 9 di- and trimethylation (H3K9me2/3), the hallmark of constitutive heterochromatin. How these enzymes are regulated to mark specific genomic regions as heterochromatic is poorly understood. Clr4 is the sole H3K9me2/3 methyltransferase in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and recent evidence suggests that ubiquitination of lysine 14 on histone H3 (H3K14ub) plays a key role in H3K9 methylation. However, the molecular mechanism of this regulation and its role in heterochromatin formation remain to be determined. Our structure-function approach shows that the H3K14ub substrate binds specifically and tightly to the catalytic domain of Clr4, and thereby stimulates the enzyme by over 250-fold. Mutations that disrupt this mechanism lead to a loss of H3K9me2/3 and abolish heterochromatin silencing similar to clr4 deletion. Comparison with mammalian SET domain proteins suggests that the Clr4 SET domain harbors a conserved sensor for H3K14ub, which mediates licensing of heterochromatin formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Stirpe
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nora Guidotti
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah J Northall
- Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sinan Kilic
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Hainard
- University Medical Center, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Oscar Vadas
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Beat Fierz
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schalch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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22
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Takahata S, Chida S, Ohnuma A, Ando M, Asanuma T, Murakami Y. Two secured FACT recruitment mechanisms are essential for heterochromatin maintenance. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109540. [PMID: 34407404 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
FACT (facilitate chromatin transcription) is involved in heterochromatic silencing, but its mechanisms and function remain unclear. We reveal that the Spt16 recruitment mechanism operates in two distinct ways in heterochromatin. First, Pob3 mediates Spt16 recruitment onto the heterochromatin through its Spt16 dimerization and tandem PH domains. Without Pob3, Spt16 recruitment is partially reduced, exhibiting a silencing defect and impaired H2A/H2B organization. Second, heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1)/Swi6 mediates Spt16 recruitment onto the heterochromatin by physical interaction of the Swi6 chromo-shadow domain (CSD) and Spt16 peptidase-like domains. Several CSD mutants are tested for Spt16 binding activity, and the charged loop connecting β1 and β2 is critical for Spt16 binding and heterochromatic silencing. Loss of these pathways causes a severe defect in H3K9 methylation and HP1/Swi6 localization in the pericentromeric region, exhibiting transcriptional silencing defects and disordered heterochromatin. Our findings suggest that FACT and HP1/Swi6 work intimately to regulate heterochromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Takahata
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan.
| | - Saori Chida
- Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Aoi Ohnuma
- Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Motoyoshi Ando
- Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Takahiro Asanuma
- Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Yota Murakami
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
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23
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Onishi R, Yamanaka S, Siomi MC. piRNA- and siRNA-mediated transcriptional repression in Drosophila, mice, and yeast: new insights and biodiversity. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e53062. [PMID: 34347367 PMCID: PMC8490990 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The PIWI‐interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway acts as a self‐defense mechanism against transposons to maintain germline genome integrity. Failures in the piRNA pathway cause DNA damage in the germline genome, disturbing inheritance of “correct” genetic information by the next generations and leading to infertility. piRNAs execute transposon repression in two ways: degrading their RNA transcripts and compacting the genomic loci via heterochromatinization. The former event is mechanistically similar to siRNA‐mediated RNA cleavage that occurs in the cytoplasm and has been investigated in many species including nematodes, fruit flies, and mammals. The latter event seems to be mechanistically parallel to siRNA‐centered kinetochore assembly and subsequent chromosome segregation, which has so far been studied particularly in fission yeast. Despite the interspecies conservations, the overall schemes of the nuclear events show clear biodiversity across species. In this review, we summarize the recent progress regarding piRNA‐mediated transcriptional silencing in Drosophila and discuss the biodiversity by comparing it with the equivalent piRNA‐mediated system in mice and the siRNA‐mediated system in fission yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Onishi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Soichiro Yamanaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mikiko C Siomi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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24
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Breakers and amplifiers in chromatin circuitry: acetylation and ubiquitination control the heterochromatin machinery. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 71:156-163. [PMID: 34303934 PMCID: PMC8667873 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes are segregated into active euchromatic and repressed heterochromatic compartments. Gene regulatory networks, chromosomal structures, and genome integrity rely on the timely and locus-specific establishment of active and silent states to protect the genome and provide the basis for cell division and specification of cellular identity. Here, we focus on the mechanisms and molecular machinery that establish heterochromatin in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and compare it with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the mammalian polycomb system. We present recent structural and mechanistic evidence, which suggests that histone acetylation protects active transcription by disrupting the positive feedback loops used by the heterochromatin machinery and that H2A and H3 monoubiquitination actively drives heterochromatin, whereas H2B monoubiquitination mobilizes the defenses to quench heterochromatin. Heterochromatin-associated complexes are attracted and repelled by histone marks. Acetylation of specific lysine residues protects euchromatin from silencing. Methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 and 27 amplifies heterochromatin. Nucleosome ubiquitination licences and enforces feedback loops.
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25
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Strom AR, Biggs RJ, Banigan EJ, Wang X, Chiu K, Herman C, Collado J, Yue F, Ritland Politz JC, Tait LJ, Scalzo D, Telling A, Groudine M, Brangwynne CP, Marko JF, Stephens AD. HP1α is a chromatin crosslinker that controls nuclear and mitotic chromosome mechanics. eLife 2021; 10:e63972. [PMID: 34106828 PMCID: PMC8233041 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin, which consists of DNA and associated proteins, contains genetic information and is a mechanical component of the nucleus. Heterochromatic histone methylation controls nucleus and chromosome stiffness, but the contribution of heterochromatin protein HP1α (CBX5) is unknown. We used a novel HP1α auxin-inducible degron human cell line to rapidly degrade HP1α. Degradation did not alter transcription, local chromatin compaction, or histone methylation, but did decrease chromatin stiffness. Single-nucleus micromanipulation reveals that HP1α is essential to chromatin-based mechanics and maintains nuclear morphology, separate from histone methylation. Further experiments with dimerization-deficient HP1αI165E indicate that chromatin crosslinking via HP1α dimerization is critical, while polymer simulations demonstrate the importance of chromatin-chromatin crosslinkers in mechanics. In mitotic chromosomes, HP1α similarly bolsters stiffness while aiding in mitotic alignment and faithful segregation. HP1α is therefore a critical chromatin-crosslinking protein that provides mechanical strength to chromosomes and the nucleus throughout the cell cycle and supports cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Strom
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ronald J Biggs
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Edward J Banigan
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Xiaotao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Katherine Chiu
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Cameron Herman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Jimena Collado
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Feng Yue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | | | - Leah J Tait
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - David Scalzo
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Agnes Telling
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Mark Groudine
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Clifford P Brangwynne
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - John F Marko
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Andrew D Stephens
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
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26
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Abstract
Methylation of histone H3K9 is a hallmark of epigenetic silencing in eukaryotes. Nucleosome modifications often rely on positive feedback where enzymes are recruited by modified nucleosomes. A combination of local and global feedbacks has been proposed to account for some dynamic properties of heterochromatin, but the range at which the global feedbacks operate and the exact mode of heterochromatin propagation are not known. We investigated these questions in fission yeast. Guided by mathematical modeling, we incrementally increased the size of the mating-type region and profiled heterochromatin establishment over time. We observed exponential decays in the proportion of cells with active reporters, with rates that decreased with domain size. Establishment periods varied from a few generations in wild type to >200 generations in the longest region examined, and highly correlated silencing of two reporters located outside the nucleation center was observed. On a chromatin level, this indicates that individual regions are silenced in sudden bursts. Mathematical modeling accounts for these bursts if heterochromatic nucleosomes facilitate a deacetylation or methylation reaction at long range, in a distance-independent manner. A likely effector of three-dimensional interactions is the evolutionarily conserved Swi6HP1 H3K9me reader, indicating the bursting behavior might be a general mode of heterochromatin propagation.
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27
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Kundu S, Ray MD, Sharma A. Interplay between genome organization and epigenomic alterations of pericentromeric DNA in cancer. J Genet Genomics 2021; 48:184-197. [PMID: 33840602 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In eukaryotic genome biology, the genomic organization inside the three-dimensional (3D) nucleus is highly complex, and whether this organization governs gene expression is poorly understood. Nuclear lamina (NL) is a filamentous meshwork of proteins present at the lining of inner nuclear membrane that serves as an anchoring platform for genome organization. Large chromatin domains termed as lamina-associated domains (LADs), play a major role in silencing genes at the nuclear periphery. The interaction of the NL and genome is dynamic and stochastic. Furthermore, many genes change their positions during developmental processes or under disease conditions such as cancer, to activate certain sorts of genes and/or silence others. Pericentromeric heterochromatin (PCH) is mostly in the silenced region within the genome, which localizes at the nuclear periphery. Studies show that several genes located at the PCH are aberrantly expressed in cancer. The interesting question is that despite being localized in the pericentromeric region, how these genes still manage to overcome pericentromeric repression. Although epigenetic mechanisms control the expression of the pericentromeric region, recent studies about genome organization and genome-nuclear lamina interaction have shed light on a new aspect of pericentromeric gene regulation through a complex and coordinated interplay between epigenomic remodeling and genomic organization in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadip Kundu
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - M D Ray
- Department of Surgical Oncology, IRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Ashok Sharma
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
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28
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Misova I, Pitelova A, Budis J, Gazdarica J, Sedlackova T, Jordakova A, Benko Z, Smondrkova M, Mayerova N, Pichlerova K, Strieskova L, Prevorovsky M, Gregan J, Cipak L, Szemes T, Polakova SB. Repression of a large number of genes requires interplay between homologous recombination and HIRA. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:1914-1934. [PMID: 33511417 PMCID: PMC7913671 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During homologous recombination, Dbl2 protein is required for localisation of Fbh1, an F-box helicase that efficiently dismantles Rad51-DNA filaments. RNA-seq analysis of dbl2Δ transcriptome showed that the dbl2 deletion results in upregulation of more than 500 loci in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Compared with the loci with no change in expression, the misregulated loci in dbl2Δ are closer to long terminal and long tandem repeats. Furthermore, the misregulated loci overlap with antisense transcripts, retrotransposons, meiotic genes and genes located in subtelomeric regions. A comparison of the expression profiles revealed that Dbl2 represses the same type of genes as the HIRA histone chaperone complex. Although dbl2 deletion does not alleviate centromeric or telomeric silencing, it suppresses the silencing defect at the outer centromere caused by deletion of hip1 and slm9 genes encoding subunits of the HIRA complex. Moreover, our analyses revealed that cells lacking dbl2 show a slight increase of nucleosomes at transcription start sites and increased levels of methylated histone H3 (H3K9me2) at centromeres, subtelomeres, rDNA regions and long terminal repeats. Finally, we show that other proteins involved in homologous recombination, such as Fbh1, Rad51, Mus81 and Rad54, participate in the same gene repression pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Misova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alexandra Pitelova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jaroslav Budis
- Comenius University Science Park, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Geneton Ltd., 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, 811 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Juraj Gazdarica
- Geneton Ltd., 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, 811 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tatiana Sedlackova
- Comenius University Science Park, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Geneton Ltd., 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anna Jordakova
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 00 Praha 2, Czechia
| | - Zsigmond Benko
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Maria Smondrkova
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Nina Mayerova
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Karoline Pichlerova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Strieskova
- Comenius University Science Park, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Geneton Ltd., 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Prevorovsky
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 00 Praha 2, Czechia
| | - Juraj Gregan
- Advanced Microscopy Facility, VBCF and Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lubos Cipak
- Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomas Szemes
- Comenius University Science Park, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Geneton Ltd., 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, 811 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Silvia Bagelova Polakova
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
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29
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Bui HTN, Passecker A, Brancucci NMB, Voss TS. Investigation of Heterochromatin Protein 1 Function in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum Using a Conditional Domain Deletion and Swapping Approach. mSphere 2021; 6:e01220-20. [PMID: 33536327 PMCID: PMC7860992 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01220-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum encodes a single ortholog of heterochromatin protein 1 (PfHP1) that plays a crucial role in the epigenetic regulation of various survival-related processes. PfHP1 is essential for parasite proliferation and the heritable silencing of genes linked to antigenic variation, host cell invasion, and sexual conversion. Here, we employed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing combined with the DiCre/loxP system to investigate how the PfHP1 chromodomain (CD), hinge domain, and chromoshadow domain (CSD) contribute to overall PfHP1 function. We show that the 76 C-terminal residues are responsible for targeting PfHP1 to the nucleus. Furthermore, we reveal that each of the three functional domains of PfHP1 are required for heterochromatin formation, gene silencing, and mitotic parasite proliferation. Finally, we discovered that the hinge domain and CSD of HP1 are functionally conserved between P. falciparum and P. berghei, a related malaria parasite infecting rodents. In summary, our study provides new insights into PfHP1 function and offers a tool for further studies on epigenetic regulation and life cycle decision in malaria parasites.IMPORTANCE Malaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium species parasites that repeatedly invade and replicate inside red blood cells. Some blood-stage parasites exit the cell cycle and differentiate into gametocytes that are essential for malaria transmission via the mosquito vector. Epigenetic control mechanisms allow the parasites to alter the expression of surface antigens and to balance the switch between parasite multiplication and gametocyte production. These processes are crucial to establish chronic infection and optimize parasite transmission. Here, we performed a mutational analysis of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) in P. falciparum We demonstrate that all three domains of this protein are indispensable for the proper function of HP1 in parasite multiplication, heterochromatin formation, and gene silencing. Moreover, expression of chimeric proteins revealed the functional conservation of HP1 proteins between different Plasmodium species. These results provide new insight into the function and evolution of HP1 as an essential epigenetic regulator of parasite survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai T N Bui
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas M B Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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30
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Padeken J, Methot S, Zeller P, Delaney CE, Kalck V, Gasser SM. Argonaute NRDE-3 and MBT domain protein LIN-61 redundantly recruit an H3K9me3 HMT to prevent embryonic lethality and transposon expression. Genes Dev 2021; 35:82-101. [PMID: 33303642 PMCID: PMC7778263 DOI: 10.1101/gad.344234.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The establishment and maintenance of chromatin domains shape the epigenetic memory of a cell, with the methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me) defining transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. We show here that the C. elegans SET-25 (SUV39/G9a) histone methyltransferase (HMT), which catalyzes H3K9me1, me2 and me3, can establish repressed chromatin domains de novo, unlike the SETDB1 homolog MET-2. Thus, SET-25 is needed to silence novel insertions of RNA or DNA transposons, and repress tissue-specific genes de novo during development. We identify two partially redundant pathways that recruit SET-25 to its targets. One pathway requires LIN-61 (L3MBTL2), which uses its four MBT domains to bind the H3K9me2 deposited by MET-2. The second pathway functions independently of MET-2 and involves the somatic Argonaute NRDE-3 and small RNAs. This pathway targets primarily highly conserved RNA and DNA transposons. These redundant SET-25 targeting pathways (MET-2-LIN-61-SET-25 and NRDE-3-SET-25) ensure repression of intact transposons and de novo insertions, while MET-2 can act alone to repress simple and satellite repeats. Removal of both pathways in the met-2;nrde-3 double mutant leads to the loss of somatic H3K9me2 and me3 and the synergistic derepression of transposons in embryos, strongly elevating embryonic lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Padeken
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephen Methot
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Zeller
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Colin E Delaney
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Veronique Kalck
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Susan M Gasser
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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31
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Shan CM, Bao K, Diedrich J, Chen X, Lu C, Yates JR, Jia S. The INO80 Complex Regulates Epigenetic Inheritance of Heterochromatin. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108561. [PMID: 33378674 PMCID: PMC7896557 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One key aspect of epigenetic inheritance is that chromatin structures can be stably inherited through generations after the removal of the signals that establish such structures. In fission yeast, the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway is critical for the targeting of histone methyltransferase Clr4 to pericentric repeats to establish heterochromatin. However, pericentric heterochromatin cannot be properly inherited in the absence of RNAi, suggesting the existence of mechanisms that counteract chromatin structure inheritance. Here, we show that mutations of components of the INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex allow pericentric heterochromatin inheritance in RNAi mutants. The ability of INO80 to counter heterochromatin inheritance is attributed to one subunit, Iec5, which promotes histone turnover at heterochromatin but has little effects on nucleosome positioning at heterochromatin, gene expression, or the DNA damage response. These analyses demonstrate the importance of the INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex in controlling heterochromatin inheritance and maintaining the proper heterochromatin landscape of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Min Shan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Kehan Bao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jolene Diedrich
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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32
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Storck WK, Bicocca VT, Rountree MR, Honda S, Ormsby T, Selker EU. LSD1 prevents aberrant heterochromatin formation in Neurospora crassa. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10199-10210. [PMID: 32946564 PMCID: PMC7544195 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is a specialized form of chromatin that restricts access to DNA and inhibits genetic processes, including transcription and recombination. In Neurospora crassa, constitutive heterochromatin is characterized by trimethylation of lysine 9 on histone H3, hypoacetylation of histones, and DNA methylation. We explored whether the conserved histone demethylase, lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), regulates heterochromatin in Neurospora, and if so, how. Though LSD1 is implicated in heterochromatin regulation, its function is inconsistent across different systems; orthologs of LSD1 have been shown to either promote or antagonize heterochromatin expansion by removing H3K4me or H3K9me respectively. We identify three members of the Neurospora LSD complex (LSDC): LSD1, PHF1, and BDP-1. Strains deficient for any of these proteins exhibit variable spreading of heterochromatin and establishment of new heterochromatin domains throughout the genome. Although establishment of H3K9me3 is typically independent of DNA methylation in Neurospora, instances of DNA methylation-dependent H3K9me3 have been found outside regions of canonical heterochromatin. Consistent with this, the hyper-H3K9me3 phenotype of Δlsd1 strains is dependent on the presence of DNA methylation, as well as HCHC-mediated histone deacetylation, suggesting that spreading is dependent on some feedback mechanism. Altogether, our results suggest LSD1 works in opposition to HCHC to maintain proper heterochromatin boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Storck
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Vincent T Bicocca
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Michael R Rountree
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Shinji Honda
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
| | - Tereza Ormsby
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Eric U Selker
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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33
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Klocko AD, Summers CA, Glover ML, Parrish R, Storck WK, McNaught KJ, Moss ND, Gotting K, Stewart A, Morrison AM, Payne L, Hatakeyama S, Selker EU. Selection and Characterization of Mutants Defective in DNA Methylation in Neurospora crassa. Genetics 2020; 216:671-688. [PMID: 32873602 PMCID: PMC7648584 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation, a prototypical epigenetic modification implicated in gene silencing, occurs in many eukaryotes and plays a significant role in the etiology of diseases such as cancer. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa places DNA methylation at regions of constitutive heterochromatin such as in centromeres and in other A:T-rich regions of the genome, but this modification is dispensable for normal growth and development. This and other features render N. crassa an excellent model to genetically dissect elements of the DNA methylation pathway. We implemented a forward genetic selection on a massive scale, utilizing two engineered antibiotic-resistance genes silenced by DNA methylation, to isolate mutants d efective i n m ethylation (dim). Hundreds of potential mutants were characterized, yielding a rich collection of informative alleles of 11 genes important for DNA methylation, most of which were already reported. In parallel, we characterized the pairwise interactions in nuclei of the DCDC, the only histone H3 lysine 9 methyltransferase complex in Neurospora, including those between the DIM-5 catalytic subunit and other complex members. We also dissected the N- and C-termini of the key protein DIM-7, required for DIM-5 histone methyltransferase localization and activation. Lastly, we identified two alleles of a novel gene, dim-10 - a homolog of Clr5 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe - that is not essential for DNA methylation, but is necessary for repression of the antibiotic-resistance genes used in the selection, which suggests that both DIM-10 and DNA methylation promote silencing of constitutive heterochromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Klocko
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Calvin A Summers
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Marissa L Glover
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Robert Parrish
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - William K Storck
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Kevin J McNaught
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Nicole D Moss
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Kirsten Gotting
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Aurelian Stewart
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Ariel M Morrison
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Laurel Payne
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Shin Hatakeyama
- Laboratory of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Shimo-ohkubo 255, Saitama University, Sakura-ward, 338-8570, JAPAN
| | - Eric U Selker
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
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34
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Georgescu PR, Capella M, Fischer-Burkart S, Braun S. The euchromatic histone mark H3K36me3 preserves heterochromatin through sequestration of an acetyltransferase complex in fission yeast. MICROBIAL CELL 2020; 7:80-92. [PMID: 32161768 PMCID: PMC7052950 DOI: 10.15698/mic2020.03.711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining the identity of chromatin states requires mechanisms that ensure their structural integrity through the concerted actions of histone modifiers, readers, and erasers. Histone H3K9me and H3K27me are hallmarks of repressed heterochromatin, whereas H3K4me and H3K36me are associated with actively transcribed euchromatin. Paradoxically, several studies have reported that loss of Set2, the methyltransferase responsible for H3K36me, causes de-repression of heterochromatin. Here we show that unconstrained activity of the acetyltransferase complex Mst2C, which antagonizes heterochromatin, is the main cause of the silencing defects observed in Set2-deficient cells. As previously shown, Mst2C is sequestered to actively transcribed chromatin via binding to H3K36me3 that is recognized by the PWWP domain protein Pdp3. We demonstrate that combining deletions of set2+ and pdp3+ results in an epistatic silencing phenotype. In contrast, deleting mst2+, or other members of Mst2C, fully restores silencing in Set2-deficient cells. Suppression of the silencing defect in set2Δ cells is specific for pericentromeres and subtelomeres, which are marked by H3K9me, but is not seen for loci that lack genuine heterochromatin. Mst2 is known to acetylate histone H3K14 redundantly with the HAT Gnc5. Further, it is involved in the acetylation of the non-histone substrate and E3 ubiquitin ligase Brl1, resulting in increased H2B-K119 ubiquitylation at euchromatin. However, we reveal that none of these mechanisms are responsible for the Set2-dependent silencing pathway, implying that Mst2 targets another, unknown substrate critical for heterochromatin silencing. Our findings demonstrate that maintenance of chromatin states requires spatial constraint of opposing chromatin activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula R Georgescu
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matías Capella
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sabine Fischer-Burkart
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sigurd Braun
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
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35
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Holla S, Dhakshnamoorthy J, Folco HD, Balachandran V, Xiao H, Sun LL, Wheeler D, Zofall M, Grewal SIS. Positioning Heterochromatin at the Nuclear Periphery Suppresses Histone Turnover to Promote Epigenetic Inheritance. Cell 2019; 180:150-164.e15. [PMID: 31883795 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, heterochromatin is generally located at the nuclear periphery. This study investigates the biological significance of perinuclear positioning for heterochromatin maintenance and gene silencing. We identify the nuclear rim protein Amo1NUPL2 as a factor required for the propagation of heterochromatin at endogenous and ectopic sites in the fission yeast genome. Amo1 associates with the Rix1PELP1-containing RNA processing complex RIXC and with the histone chaperone complex FACT. RIXC, which binds to heterochromatin protein Swi6HP1 across silenced chromosomal domains and to surrounding boundary elements, connects heterochromatin with Amo1 at the nuclear periphery. In turn, the Amo1-enriched subdomain is critical for Swi6 association with FACT that precludes histone turnover to promote gene silencing and preserve epigenetic stability of heterochromatin. In addition to uncovering conserved factors required for perinuclear positioning of heterochromatin, these analyses elucidate a mechanism by which a peripheral subdomain enforces stable gene repression and maintains heterochromatin in a heritable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahana Holla
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jothy Dhakshnamoorthy
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - H Diego Folco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Vanivilasini Balachandran
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hua Xiao
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ling-Ling Sun
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Wheeler
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Martin Zofall
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shiv I S Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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36
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Sorida M, Murakami Y. Unprogrammed epigenetic variation mediated by stochastic formation of ectopic heterochromatin. Curr Genet 2019; 66:319-325. [PMID: 31598751 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-01031-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene expression via chromatin-mediated mechanisms are important for reprogramming and differentiation, but uncontrolled changes can potentially lead to harmful or adaptive phenotypic alteration. Thus, diversification of the genome-wide chromatin state must be strictly limited, but the underlying mechanism of this regulation is largely unknown. In this review, we focused on distribution of heterochromatin, a tight chromatin structure that negatively regulates gene expression. Heterochromatin is characterized by methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9, and its formation and spreading are controlled by H3K9-specific methyltransferases and reversal factors such as histone demethylases. We summarize recent findings and discuss how variability in the heterochromatin distribution is controlled in the unicellular eukaryote fission yeast. In this context, we recently found that the anti-silencing factor Epe1 plays a key role in the formation of the individual-specific heterochromatin distribution. In conclusion, recent studies revealed that there are many potential heterochromatin formation sites in the fission yeast genome, and several proteins contribute to suppression of spreading and genome-wide dispersal of heterochromatin; knowledge from fission yeast studies may provide insights into the mechanisms regulating epigenetic diversification in multicellular eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Sorida
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Yota Murakami
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan. .,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.
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37
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Oya E, Nakagawa R, Yoshimura Y, Tanaka M, Nishibuchi G, Machida S, Shirai A, Ekwall K, Kurumizaka H, Tagami H, Nakayama J. H3K14 ubiquitylation promotes H3K9 methylation for heterochromatin assembly. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:e48111. [PMID: 31468675 PMCID: PMC6776926 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201948111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me), performed by the methyltransferase Clr4/SUV39H, is a key event in heterochromatin assembly. In fission yeast, Clr4, together with the ubiquitin E3 ligase Cul4, forms the Clr4 methyltransferase complex (CLRC), whose physiological targets and biological role are currently unclear. Here, we show that CLRC-dependent H3 ubiquitylation regulates Clr4's methyltransferase activity. Affinity-purified CLRC ubiquitylates histone H3, and mass spectrometric and mutation analyses reveal that H3 lysine 14 (H3K14) is the preferred target of the complex. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis shows that H3K14 ubiquitylation (H3K14ub) is closely associated with H3K9me-enriched chromatin. Notably, the CLRC-mediated H3 ubiquitylation promotes H3K9me by Clr4, suggesting that H3 ubiquitylation is intimately linked to the establishment and/or maintenance of H3K9me. These findings demonstrate a cross-talk mechanism between histone ubiquitylation and methylation that is involved in heterochromatin assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriko Oya
- Graduate School of Natural SciencesNagoya City UniversityNagoyaJapan
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
- Present address:
Faculty of Science and EngineeringChuo UniversityBunkyo‐ku, TokyoJapan
| | - Reiko Nakagawa
- Laboratory for PhyloinformaticsRIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics ResearchKobeJapan
| | - Yuriko Yoshimura
- Division of Chromatin RegulationNational Institute for Basic BiologyOkazakiJapan
| | - Mayo Tanaka
- Division of Chromatin RegulationNational Institute for Basic BiologyOkazakiJapan
| | - Gohei Nishibuchi
- Graduate School of Natural SciencesNagoya City UniversityNagoyaJapan
- Present address:
Graduate School of ScienceOsaka UniversityToyonakaJapan
| | - Shinichi Machida
- Laboratory of Structural BiologyGraduate School of Advanced Science and EngineeringWaseda UniversityShinjuku‐ku, TokyoJapan
- Present address:
Institute of Human GeneticsCNRS UMR 9002MontpellierFrance
| | | | - Karl Ekwall
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Structural BiologyGraduate School of Advanced Science and EngineeringWaseda UniversityShinjuku‐ku, TokyoJapan
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and FunctionInstitute for Quantitative BiosciencesThe University of TokyoBunkyo‐ku, TokyoJapan
| | - Hideaki Tagami
- Graduate School of Natural SciencesNagoya City UniversityNagoyaJapan
| | - Jun‐ichi Nakayama
- Graduate School of Natural SciencesNagoya City UniversityNagoyaJapan
- Division of Chromatin RegulationNational Institute for Basic BiologyOkazakiJapan
- Department of Basic BiologySchool of Life ScienceThe Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)OkazakiJapan
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38
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Folco HD, McCue A, Balachandran V, Grewal SIS. Cohesin Impedes Heterochromatin Assembly in Fission Yeast Cells Lacking Pds5. Genetics 2019; 213:127-141. [PMID: 31278118 PMCID: PMC6727797 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a powerful genetic model system for uncovering fundamental principles of heterochromatin assembly and epigenetic inheritance of chromatin states. Heterochromatin defined by histone H3 lysine 9 methylation and HP1 proteins coats large chromosomal domains at centromeres, telomeres, and the mating-type (mat) locus. Although genetic and biochemical studies have provided valuable insights into heterochromatin assembly, many key mechanistic details remain unclear. Here, we use a sensitized reporter system at the mat locus to screen for factors affecting heterochromatic silencing. In addition to known components of heterochromatin assembly pathways, our screen identified eight new factors including the cohesin-associated protein Pds5. We find that Pds5 enriched throughout heterochromatin domains is required for proper maintenance of heterochromatin. This function of Pds5 requires its associated Eso1 acetyltransferase, which is implicated in the acetylation of cohesin. Indeed, introducing an acetylation-mimicking mutation in a cohesin subunit suppresses defects in heterochromatin assembly in pds5∆ and eso1∆ cells. Our results show that in cells lacking Pds5, cohesin interferes with heterochromatin assembly. Supporting this, eliminating cohesin from the mat locus in the pds5∆ mutant restores both heterochromatin assembly and gene silencing. These analyses highlight an unexpected requirement for Pds5 in ensuring proper coordination between cohesin and heterochromatin factors to effectively maintain gene silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Diego Folco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Andrea McCue
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Vanivilasini Balachandran
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Shiv I S Grewal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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39
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Xu X, Yanagida M. Suppressor screening reveals common kleisin-hinge interaction in condensin and cohesin, but different modes of regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:10889-10898. [PMID: 31072933 PMCID: PMC6561158 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902699116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cohesin and condensin play fundamental roles in sister chromatid cohesion and chromosome segregation, respectively. Both consist of heterodimeric structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) subunits, which possess a head (containing ATPase) and a hinge, intervened by long coiled coils. Non-SMC subunits (Cnd1, Cnd2, and Cnd3 for condensin; Rad21, Psc3, and Mis4 for cohesin) bind to the SMC heads. Here, we report a large number of spontaneous extragenic suppressors for fission yeast condensin and cohesin mutants, and their sites were determined by whole-genome sequencing. Mutants of condensin's non-SMC subunits were rescued by impairing the SUMOylation pathway. Indeed, SUMOylation of Cnd2, Cnd3, and Cut3 occurs in midmitosis, and Cnd3 K870 SUMOylation functionally opposes Cnd subunits. In contrast, cohesin mutants rad21 and psc3 were rescued by loss of the RNA elimination pathway (Erh1, Mmi1, and Red1), and loader mutant mis4 was rescued by loss of Hrp1-mediated chromatin remodeling. In addition, distinct regulations were discovered for condensin and cohesin hinge mutants. Mutations in the N-terminal helix bundle [containing a helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif] of kleisin subunits (Cnd2 and Rad21) rescue virtually identical hinge interface mutations in cohesin and condensin, respectively. These mutations may regulate kleisin's interaction with the coiled coil at the SMC head, thereby revealing a common, but previously unknown, suppression mechanism between the hinge and the kleisin N domain, which is required for successful chromosome segregation. We propose that in both condensin and cohesin, the head (or kleisin) and hinge may interact and collaboratively regulate the resulting coiled coils to hold and release chromosomal DNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingya Xu
- G0 Cell Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Yanagida
- G0 Cell Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan
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40
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Nakagawa T, Okita AK. Transcriptional silencing of centromere repeats by heterochromatin safeguards chromosome integrity. Curr Genet 2019; 65:1089-1098. [PMID: 30997531 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-00975-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The centromere region of chromosomes consists of repetitive DNA sequences, and is, therefore, one of the fragile sites of chromosomes in many eukaryotes. In the core region, the histone H3 variant CENP-A forms centromere-specific nucleosomes that are required for kinetochore formation. In the pericentromeric region, histone H3 is methylated at lysine 9 (H3K9) and heterochromatin is formed. The transcription of pericentromeric repeats by RNA polymerase II is strictly repressed by heterochromatin. However, the role of the transcriptional silencing of the pericentromeric repeats remains largely unclear. Here, we focus on the chromosomal rearrangements that occur at the repetitive centromeres, and highlight our recent studies showing that transcriptional silencing by heterochromatin suppresses gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) at centromeres in fission yeast. Inactivation of the Clr4 methyltransferase, which is essential for the H3K9 methylation, increased GCRs with breakpoints located in centromeric repeats. However, mutations in RNA polymerase II or the transcription factor Tfs1/TFIIS, which promotes restart of RNA polymerase II following its backtracking, reduced the GCRs that occur in the absence of Clr4, demonstrating that heterochromatin suppresses GCRs by repressing the Tfs1-dependent transcription. We also discuss how the transcriptional restart gives rise to chromosomal rearrangements at centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuro Nakagawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Akiko K Okita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
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41
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Leopold K, Stirpe A, Schalch T. Transcriptional gene silencing requires dedicated interaction between HP1 protein Chp2 and chromatin remodeler Mit1. Genes Dev 2019; 33:565-577. [PMID: 30808655 PMCID: PMC6499331 DOI: 10.1101/gad.320440.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) proteins are key factors of eukaryotic heterochromatin that coordinate chromatin compaction and transcriptional gene silencing. Through their multivalency they act as adaptors between histone H3 Lys9 di/trimethyl marks in chromatin and effector complexes that bind to the HP1 chromoshadow domain. Most organisms encode for multiple HP1 isoforms and the molecular mechanisms that underpin their diverse functions in genome regulation remain poorly understood. In fission yeast, the two HP1 proteins Chp2 and Swi6 assume distinct roles and Chp2 is tightly associated with the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation complex SHREC. Here we show that Chp2 directly engages the SHREC nucleosome remodeler subunit Mit1. The crystal structure of the interaction interface reveals an extraordinarily extensive and specific interaction between the chromoshadow domain of Chp2 and the N terminus of Mit1. The integrity of this interface is critical for high affinity binding and for heterochromatin formation. Comparison with Swi6 shows that the Chp2-Mit1 interface is highly selective and thereby provides the molecular basis for the functional specialization of an HP1 isoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline Leopold
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Sciences III, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Stirpe
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Sciences III, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schalch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Sciences III, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
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42
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Okita AK, Zafar F, Su J, Weerasekara D, Kajitani T, Takahashi TS, Kimura H, Murakami Y, Masukata H, Nakagawa T. Heterochromatin suppresses gross chromosomal rearrangements at centromeres by repressing Tfs1/TFIIS-dependent transcription. Commun Biol 2019; 2:17. [PMID: 30652128 PMCID: PMC6329695 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0251-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin, characterized by histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation, assembles on repetitive regions including centromeres. Although centromeric heterochromatin is important for correct segregation of chromosomes, its exact role in maintaining centromere integrity remains elusive. Here, we found in fission yeast that heterochromatin suppresses gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) at centromeres. Mutations in Clr4/Suv39 methyltransferase increased the formation of isochromosomes, whose breakpoints were located in centromere repeats. H3K9A and H3K9R mutations also increased GCRs, suggesting that Clr4 suppresses centromeric GCRs via H3K9 methylation. HP1 homologs Swi6 and Chp2 and the RNAi component Chp1 were the chromodomain proteins essential for full suppression of GCRs. Remarkably, mutations in RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) or Tfs1/TFIIS, the transcription factor that facilitates restart of RNAPII after backtracking, specifically bypassed the requirement of Clr4 for suppressing GCRs. These results demonstrate that heterochromatin suppresses GCRs by repressing Tfs1-dependent transcription of centromere repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko K. Okita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
| | - Faria Zafar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
| | - Jie Su
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
| | - Dayalini Weerasekara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
| | - Takuya Kajitani
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Present Address: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Tatsuro S. Takahashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
- Present Address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395 Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503 Japan
| | - Yota Murakami
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
| | - Hisao Masukata
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
| | - Takuro Nakagawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan
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43
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Abstract
Constitutive heterochromatin is a major component of the eukaryotic nucleus and is essential for the maintenance of genome stability. Highly concentrated at pericentromeric and telomeric domains, heterochromatin is riddled with repetitive sequences and has evolved specific ways to compartmentalize, silence, and repair repeats. The delicate balance between heterochromatin epigenetic maintenance and cellular processes such as mitosis and DNA repair and replication reveals a highly dynamic and plastic chromatin domain that can be perturbed by multiple mechanisms, with far-reaching consequences for genome integrity. Indeed, heterochromatin dysfunction provokes genetic turmoil by inducing aberrant repeat repair, chromosome segregation errors, transposon activation, and replication stress and is strongly implicated in aging and tumorigenesis. Here, we summarize the general principles of heterochromatin structure and function, discuss the importance of its maintenance for genome integrity, and propose that more comprehensive analyses of heterochromatin roles in tumorigenesis will be integral to future innovations in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniek Janssen
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Serafin U. Colmenares
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Gary H. Karpen
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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44
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Kotomura N, Tsunemine S, Kuragano M, Asanuma T, Nakagawa H, Tanaka K, Murakami Y. Sfh1, an essential component of the RSC chromatin remodeling complex, maintains genome integrity in fission yeast. Genes Cells 2018; 23:738-752. [PMID: 30155942 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abp1 is a fission yeast CENP-B homologue that contributes to centromere function, silencing at pericentromeric heterochromatin and silencing of retrotransposons. We identified the sfh1 gene, encoding a core subunit of the fission yeast chromatin remodeling complex RSC as an Abp1-interacting protein. Because sfh1 is essential for growth, we isolated temperature-sensitive sfh1 mutants. These mutants showed defects in centromere functions, reflected by sensitivity to an inhibitor of spindle formation and minichromosome instability. Sfh1 localized at both kinetochore and pericentromeric heterochromatin regions. Although sfh1 mutations had minor effect on silencing at these regions, they decreased the levels of cohesin on centromeric heterochromatin. Sfh1 also localized at a retrotransposon, Tf2, in a partly Abp1-dependent manner, and assisted in silencing of Tf2 by Abp1 probably in the same pathway as a histone chaperon, HIRA, which is also known to involve in Tf2 repression. Furthermore, sfh1 mutants were sensitive to several DNA-damaging treatments (HU, MMS, UV and X-ray). Increase in spontaneous foci of Rad22, a recombination Mediator protein Rad52 homologue, in sfh1 mutant suggests that RSC functions in homologous recombination repair of double-stranded break downstream of the Rad22 recruitment. These results indicate that RSC plays multiple roles in the maintenance of genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoe Kotomura
- Laboratory of Cell Regulation, Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoru Tsunemine
- Laboratory of Cell Regulation, Graduate School of Bioscience, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kuragano
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Asanuma
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | - Katsunori Tanaka
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Japan
| | - Yota Murakami
- Laboratory of Cell Regulation, Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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45
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Nambiar M, Smith GR. Pericentromere-Specific Cohesin Complex Prevents Meiotic Pericentric DNA Double-Strand Breaks and Lethal Crossovers. Mol Cell 2018; 71:540-553.e4. [PMID: 30078721 PMCID: PMC6097939 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In most eukaryotes, meiotic crossovers are essential for error-free chromosome segregation but are specifically repressed near centromeres to prevent missegregation. Recognized for >85 years, the molecular mechanism of this repression has remained unknown. Meiotic chromosomes contain two distinct cohesin complexes: pericentric complex (for segregation) and chromosomal arm complex (for crossing over). We show that the pericentric-specific complex also actively represses pericentric meiotic double-strand break (DSB) formation and, consequently, crossovers. We uncover the mechanism by which fission yeast heterochromatin protein Swi6 (mammalian HP1-homolog) prevents recruitment of activators of meiotic DSB formation. Localizing missing activators to wild-type pericentromeres bypasses repression and generates abundant crossovers but reduces gamete viability. The molecular mechanism elucidated here likely extends to other species, including humans, where pericentric crossovers can result in disorders, such as Down syndrome. These mechanistic insights provide new clues to understand the roles played by multiple cohesin complexes, especially in human infertility and birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mridula Nambiar
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gerald R Smith
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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46
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Abstract
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.
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47
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Litwin I, Wysocki R. New insights into cohesin loading. Curr Genet 2018; 64:53-61. [PMID: 28631016 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-017-0723-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cohesin is a conserved, ring-shaped protein complex that encircles sister chromatids and ensures correct chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. It also plays a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression, DNA condensation, and DNA repair through both non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination. Cohesins are spatiotemporally regulated by the Scc2-Scc4 complex which facilitates cohesin loading onto chromatin at specific chromosomal sites. Over the last few years, much attention has been paid to cohesin and cohesin loader as it became clear that even minor disruptions of these complexes may lead to developmental disorders and cancers. Here we summarize recent developments in the structure of Scc2-Scc4 complex, cohesin loading process, and mediators that determine the Scc2-Scc4 binding patterns to chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ireneusz Litwin
- Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 50-328, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Robert Wysocki
- Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wroclaw, 50-328, Wroclaw, Poland
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Isaac RS, Sanulli S, Tibble R, Hornsby M, Ravalin M, Craik CS, Gross JD, Narlikar GJ. Biochemical Basis for Distinct Roles of the Heterochromatin Proteins Swi6 and Chp2. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:3666-3677. [PMID: 28942089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) family proteins are conserved chromatin binding proteins involved in gene silencing, chromosome packaging, and chromosome segregation. These proteins recognize histone H3 lysine 9 methylated tails via their chromodomain and recruit additional ligand proteins with diverse activities through their dimerization domain, the chromoshadow domain. Species that have HP1 proteins possess multiple paralogs that perform non-overlapping roles in vivo. How different HP1 proteins, which are highly conserved, perform different functions is not well understood. Here, we use the two Schizosaccharomyces pombe HP1 paralogs, Swi6 and Chp2, as model systems to compare and contrast their biophysical properties. We find that Swi6 and Chp2 have similar dimerization and oligomerization equilibria, and that Swi6 binds slightly (~3-fold) more strongly to nucleosomes than Chp2. Furthermore, while Swi6 binding to the H3K9me3 mark is regulated by a previously described auto-inhibition mechanism, the binding of Chp2 to the H3K9me3 mark is not analogously regulated. In the context of chromoshadow domain interactions, we show using a newly identified peptide sequence from the Clr3 histone deacetylase and a previously identified sequence from the protein Shugoshin that the Swi6 chromoshadow domain binds both ligands more strongly than the Chp2. Overall, our findings uncover quantitative differences in how Swi6 and Chp2 interact with nucleosomal and non-nucleosomal ligands and qualitative differences in how their assembly on nucleosomes is regulated. These findings provide a biochemical framework to explain the varied functions of Chp2 and Swi6 in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Stefan Isaac
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - Serena Sanulli
- Program in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - Ryan Tibble
- Program in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - Michael Hornsby
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - Matthew Ravalin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - John D Gross
- Program in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States
| | - Geeta J Narlikar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158 United States.
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Yang P, Wang Y, Macfarlan TS. The Role of KRAB-ZFPs in Transposable Element Repression and Mammalian Evolution. Trends Genet 2017; 33:871-881. [PMID: 28935117 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Kruppel-associated box zinc-finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs) make up the largest family of transcription factors in humans. These proteins emerged in the last common ancestor of coelacanth and tetrapods, and have expanded and diversified in the mammalian lineage. Although their mechanism of transcriptional repression has been well studied for over a decade, the DNA-binding activities and the biological functions of these proteins have been largely unexplored. Recent large-scale ChIP-seq studies and loss-of-function experiments have revealed that KRAB-ZFPs play a major role in the recognition and transcriptional silencing of transposable elements (TEs), consistent with an 'arms race model' of KRAB-ZFP evolution against invading TEs. However, this model is insufficient to explain the evolution of many KRAB-ZFPs that appear to domesticate TEs for novel host functions. We highlight some of the mammalian regulatory innovations driven by specific KRAB-ZFPs, including genomic imprinting, meiotic recombination hotspot choice, and placental growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yang
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yixuan Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Freitag
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331
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