1
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How HP1 Post-Translational Modifications Regulate Heterochromatin Formation and Maintenance. Cells 2020; 9:cells9061460. [PMID: 32545538 PMCID: PMC7349378 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a highly conserved protein that has been used as a classic marker for heterochromatin. HP1 binds to di- and tri-methylated histone H3K9 and regulates heterochromatin formation, functions and structure. Besides the well-established phosphorylation of histone H3 Ser10 that has been shown to modulate HP1 binding to chromatin, several studies have recently highlighted the importance of HP1 post-translational modifications and additional epigenetic features for the modulation of HP1-chromatin binding ability and heterochromatin formation. In this review, we summarize the recent literature of HP1 post-translational modifications that have contributed to understand how heterochromatin is formed, regulated and maintained.
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2
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Gallardo P, Barrales RR, Daga RR, Salas-Pino S. Nuclear Mechanics in the Fission Yeast. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101285. [PMID: 31635174 PMCID: PMC6829894 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, the organization of the genome within the nucleus requires the nuclear envelope (NE) and its associated proteins. The nucleus is subjected to mechanical forces produced by the cytoskeleton. The physical properties of the NE and the linkage of chromatin in compacted conformation at sites of cytoskeleton contacts seem to be key for withstanding nuclear mechanical stress. Mechanical perturbations of the nucleus normally occur during nuclear positioning and migration. In addition, cell contraction or expansion occurring for instance during cell migration or upon changes in osmotic conditions also result innuclear mechanical stress. Recent studies in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast) have revealed unexpected functions of cytoplasmic microtubules in nuclear architecture and chromosome behavior, and have pointed to NE-chromatin tethers as protective elements during nuclear mechanics. Here, we review and discuss how fission yeast cells can be used to understand principles underlying the dynamic interplay between genome organization and function and the effect of forces applied to the nucleus by the microtubule cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Gallardo
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucia, 41010 Seville, Spain.
| | - Ramón R Barrales
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucia, 41010 Seville, Spain.
| | - Rafael R Daga
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucia, 41010 Seville, Spain.
| | - Silvia Salas-Pino
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Junta de Andalucia, 41010 Seville, Spain.
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3
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Ebrahimi H, Masuda H, Jain D, Cooper JP. Distinct 'safe zones' at the nuclear envelope ensure robust replication of heterochromatic chromosome regions. eLife 2018; 7:32911. [PMID: 29722648 PMCID: PMC5933923 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome replication and transcription occur within a complex nuclear milieu whose functional subdomains are beginning to be mapped out. Here we delineate distinct domains of the fission yeast nuclear envelope (NE), focusing on regions enriched for the inner NE protein, Bqt4, or the lamin interacting domain protein, Lem2. Bqt4 is relatively mobile around the NE and acts in two capacities. First, Bqt4 tethers chromosome termini and the mat locus to the NE specifically while these regions are replicating. This positioning is required for accurate heterochromatin replication. Second, Bqt4 mobilizes a subset of Lem2 molecules around the NE to promote pericentric heterochromatin maintenance. Opposing Bqt4-dependent Lem2 mobility are factors that stabilize Lem2 beneath the centrosome, where Lem2 plays a crucial role in kinetochore maintenance. Our data prompt a model in which Bqt4-rich nuclear subdomains are 'safe zones' in which collisions between transcription and replication are averted and heterochromatin is reassembled faithfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hani Ebrahimi
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, United States
| | - Hirohisa Masuda
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, United States
| | - Devanshi Jain
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, United States
| | - Julia Promisel Cooper
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, United States
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4
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Abstract
The three-dimensional (3D) genome structure is highly ordered by a hierarchy of organizing events ranging from enhancer-promoter or gene-gene contacts to chromosomal territorial arrangement. It is becoming clear that the cohesin and condensin complexes are key molecular machines that organize the 3D genome structure. These complexes are highly conserved from simple systems, e.g., yeast cells, to the much more complex human system. Therefore, knowledge from the budding and fission yeast systems illuminates highly conserved molecular mechanisms of how cohesin and condensin establish the functional 3D genome structures. Here I discuss how these complexes are recruited across the yeast genomes, mediate distinct genome-organizing events such as gene contacts and topological domain formation, and participate in important nuclear activities including transcriptional regulation and chromosomal dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichi Noma
- Gene Expression and Regulation Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA;
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5
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Yadav RK, Jablonowski CM, Fernandez AG, Lowe BR, Henry RA, Finkelstein D, Barnum KJ, Pidoux AL, Kuo YM, Huang J, O’Connell MJ, Andrews AJ, Onar-Thomas A, Allshire RC, Partridge JF. Histone H3G34R mutation causes replication stress, homologous recombination defects and genomic instability in S. pombe. eLife 2017; 6:e27406. [PMID: 28718400 PMCID: PMC5515577 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent somatic mutations of H3F3A in aggressive pediatric high-grade gliomas generate K27M or G34R/V mutant histone H3.3. H3.3-G34R/V mutants are common in tumors with mutations in p53 and ATRX, an H3.3-specific chromatin remodeler. To gain insight into the role of H3-G34R, we generated fission yeast that express only the mutant histone H3. H3-G34R specifically reduces H3K36 tri-methylation and H3K36 acetylation, and mutants show partial transcriptional overlap with set2 deletions. H3-G34R mutants exhibit genomic instability and increased replication stress, including slowed replication fork restart, although DNA replication checkpoints are functional. H3-G34R mutants are defective for DNA damage repair by homologous recombination (HR), and have altered HR protein dynamics in both damaged and untreated cells. These data suggest H3-G34R slows resolution of HR-mediated repair and that unresolved replication intermediates impair chromosome segregation. This analysis of H3-G34R mutant fission yeast provides mechanistic insight into how G34R mutation may promote genomic instability in glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh K Yadav
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Carolyn M Jablonowski
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Alfonso G Fernandez
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Brandon R Lowe
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Ryan A Henry
- Department of Cancer Biology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, United States
| | - David Finkelstein
- Department of Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Kevin J Barnum
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Alison L Pidoux
- Wellcome Trust School for Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Yin-Ming Kuo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Jie Huang
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Matthew J O’Connell
- Department of Oncological Sciences and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Andrew J Andrews
- Department of Cancer Biology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Arzu Onar-Thomas
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
| | - Robin C Allshire
- Wellcome Trust School for Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Janet F Partridge
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, United States
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6
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Koyama M, Nagakura W, Tanaka H, Kujirai T, Chikashige Y, Haraguchi T, Hiraoka Y, Kurumizaka H. In vitro reconstitution and biochemical analyses of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe nucleosome. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 482:896-901. [PMID: 27890612 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.11.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which has a small genome but shares many physiological functions with higher eukaryotes, is a useful single-cell, model eukaryotic organism. In particular, many features concerning chromatin structure and dynamics, including heterochromatin, centromeres, telomeres, and DNA replication origins, are well conserved between S. pombe and higher eukaryotes. However, the S. pombe nucleosome, the fundamental structural unit of chromatin, has not been reconstituted in vitro. In the present study, we established the method to purify S. pombe histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, and successfully reconstituted the S. pombe nucleosome in vitro. Our thermal stability assay and micrococcal nuclease treatment assay revealed that the S. pombe nucleosome is markedly unstable and its DNA ends are quite accessible, as compared to the canonical human nucleosome. These findings are important to understand the mechanisms of epigenetic genomic DNA regulation in fission yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Koyama
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Wataru Nagakura
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Hiroki Tanaka
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kujirai
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yuji Chikashige
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2492, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2492, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Institute for Medical-oriented Structural Biology, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
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7
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A diffusion model for the coordination of DNA replication in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18757. [PMID: 26729303 PMCID: PMC4700429 DOI: 10.1038/srep18757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The locations of proteins and epigenetic marks on the chromosomal DNA sequence are believed to demarcate the eukaryotic genome into distinct structural and functional domains that contribute to gene regulation and genome organization. However, how these proteins and epigenetic marks are organized in three dimensions remains unknown. Recent advances in proximity-ligation methodologies and high resolution microscopy have begun to expand our understanding of these spatial relationships. Here we use polymer models to examine the spatial organization of epigenetic marks, euchromatin and heterochromatin, and origins of replication within the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome. These models incorporate data from microscopy and proximity-ligation experiments that inform on the positions of certain elements and contacts within and between chromosomes. Our results show a striking degree of compartmentalization of epigenetic and genomic features and lead to the proposal of a diffusion based mechanism, centred on the spindle pole body, for the coordination of DNA replication in S. pombe.
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8
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Escape from Mitotic Arrest: An Unexpected Connection Between Microtubule Dynamics and Epigenetic Regulation of Centromeric Chromatin in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Genetics 2015; 201:1467-78. [PMID: 26510788 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.181792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate chromosome segregation is necessary to ensure genomic integrity. Segregation depends on the proper functioning of the centromere, kinetochore, and mitotic spindle microtubules and is monitored by the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, defects in Dis1, a microtubule-associated protein that influences microtubule dynamics, lead to mitotic arrest as a result of an active SAC and consequent failure to grow at low temperature. In a mutant dis1 background (dis1-288), loss of function of Msc1, a fission yeast homolog of the KDM5 family of proteins, suppresses the growth defect and promotes normal mitosis. Genetic analysis implicates a histone deacetylase (HDAC)-linked pathway in suppression because HDAC mutants clr6-1, clr3∆, and sir2∆, though not hos2∆, also promote normal mitosis in the dis1-288 mutant. Suppression of the dis phenotype through loss of msc1 function requires the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2 and is limited by the presence of the heterochromatin-associated HP1 protein homolog Swi6. We speculate that alterations in histone acetylation promote a centromeric chromatin environment that compensates for compromised dis1 function by allowing for successful kinetochore-microtubule interactions that can satisfy the SAC. In cells arrested in mitosis by mutation of dis1, loss of function of epigenetic determinants such as Msc1 or specific HDACs can promote cell survival. Because the KDM5 family of proteins has been implicated in human cancers, an appreciation of the potential role of this family of proteins in chromosome segregation is warranted.
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9
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Mizuguchi T, Barrowman J, Grewal SIS. Chromosome domain architecture and dynamic organization of the fission yeast genome. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:2975-86. [PMID: 26096785 PMCID: PMC4598268 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Revised: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Advanced techniques including the chromosome conformation capture (3C) methodology and its derivatives are complementing microscopy approaches to study genome organization, and are revealing new details of three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture at increasing resolution. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) comprises a small genome featuring organizational elements of more complex eukaryotic systems, including conserved heterochromatin assembly machinery. Here we review key insights into genome organization revealed in this model system through a variety of techniques. We discuss the predominant role of Rabl-like configuration for interphase chromosome organization and the dynamic changes that occur during mitosis and meiosis. High resolution Hi-C studies have also revealed the presence of locally crumpled chromatin regions called "globules" along chromosome arms, and implicated a critical role for pericentromeric heterochromatin in imposing fundamental constraints on the genome to maintain chromosome territoriality and stability. These findings have shed new light on the connections between genome organization and function. It is likely that insights gained from the S. pombe system will also broadly apply to higher eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Mizuguchi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Jemima Barrowman
- 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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10
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Mojardín L, Botet J, Moreno S, Salas M. Chromosome segregation and organization are targets of 5'-Fluorouracil in eukaryotic cells. Cell Cycle 2015; 14:206-18. [PMID: 25483073 DOI: 10.4161/15384101.2014.974425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The antimetabolite 5'-Fluorouracil (5FU) is an analog of uracil commonly employed as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of a range of cancers including colorectal tumors. To assess the cellular effects of 5FU, we performed a genome-wide screening of the haploid deletion library of the eukaryotic model Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Our analysis validated previously characterized drug targets including RNA metabolism, but it also revealed unexpected mechanisms of action associated with chromosome segregation and organization (post-translational histone modification, histone exchange, heterochromatin). Further analysis showed that 5FU affects the heterochromatin structure (decreased levels of histone H3 lysine 9 methylation) and silencing (down-regulation of heterochromatic dg/dh transcripts). To our knowledge, this is the first time that defects in heterochromatin have been correlated with increased cytotoxicity to an anticancer drug. Moreover, the segregation of chromosomes, a process that requires an intact heterochromatin at centromeres, was impaired after drug exposure. These defects could be related to the induction of genes involved in chromatid cohesion and kinetochore assembly. Interestingly, we also observed that thiabendazole, a microtubule-destabilizing agent, synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effects of 5FU. These findings point to new targets and drug combinations that could potentiate the effectiveness of 5FU-based treatments.
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Key Words
- 5FU, 5′-Fluorouracil, 5FU
- 5′-Fluorouracil
- Anticancer drug
- CENP-A, centromere-associated protein A
- CLRC, Clr4 methyltransferase complex
- ChIP, chromatin immunoprecipitation
- FUTP, fluorouridine triphosphate
- FdUMP, fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate
- FdUTP, fluorodeoxyuridine triphosphate
- G1 phase, gap 1 phase of cell cycle
- GO, Gene Ontology
- H3K9me, H3 lysine 9 methylation
- HAT, histone acetyltransferase
- HDAC, histone deacetylase
- HMT, histone methyltransferase
- HP1, heterochromatin protein 1
- HULC, histone H2B ubiquitin ligase complex
- MNAse, micrococcal nuclease
- RDRC, RNA-directed RNA polymerase complex
- RITS, RNA-induced transcriptional silencing
- RNAi, interference RNA
- S phase, synthesis phase of cell cycle
- Schizosaccharomyces pombe
- TBZ, thiabendazole
- centromere
- chromosome organization
- chromosome segregation
- cnt, central core
- dsRNA, double-stranded RNA
- heterochromatin
- histone modification
- imr, innermost repeats
- siRNA, small interfering RNA
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mojardín
- a Instituto de Biología Molecular "Eladio Viñuela" (CSIC), Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-Universidad Autónoma) ; Cantoblanco , Madrid , Spain
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11
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Inner Kinetochore Protein Interactions with Regional Centromeres of Fission Yeast. Genetics 2015; 201:543-61. [PMID: 26275423 PMCID: PMC4596668 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.179788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe lack the highly repetitive sequences that make most other "regional" centromeres refractory to analysis. To map fission yeast centromeres, we applied H4S47C-anchored cleavage mapping and native and cross-linked chromatin immunoprecipitation with paired-end sequencing. H3 nucleosomes are nearly absent from the central domain, which is occupied by centromere-specific H3 (cenH3 or CENP-A) nucleosomes with two H4s per particle that are mostly unpositioned and are more widely spaced than nucleosomes elsewhere. Inner kinetochore proteins CENP-A, CENP-C, CENP-T, CENP-I, and Scm3 are highly enriched throughout the central domain except at tRNA genes, with no evidence for preferred kinetochore assembly sites. These proteins are weakly enriched and less stably incorporated in H3-rich heterochromatin. CENP-A nucleosomes protect less DNA from nuclease digestion than H3 nucleosomes, while CENP-T protects a range of fragment sizes. Our results suggest that CENP-T particles occupy linkers between CENP-A nucleosomes and that classical regional centromeres differ from other centromeres by the absence of CENP-A nucleosome positioning.
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12
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Scott KC, Bloom KS. Lessons learned from counting molecules: how to lure CENP-A into the kinetochore. Open Biol 2015; 4:rsob.140191. [PMID: 25500356 PMCID: PMC4281711 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.140191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin C Scott
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kerry S Bloom
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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13
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Allshire RC, Ekwall K. Epigenetic Regulation of Chromatin States in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a018770. [PMID: 26134317 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a018770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This article discusses the advances made in epigenetic research using the model organism fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. S. pombe has been used for epigenetic research since the discovery of position effect variegation (PEV). This is a phenomenon in which a transgene inserted within heterochromatin is variably expressed, but can be stably inherited in subsequent cell generations. PEV occurs at centromeres, telomeres, ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci, and mating-type regions of S. pombe chromosomes. Heterochromatin assembly in these regions requires enzymes that modify histones and the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery. One of the key histone-modifying enzymes is the lysine methyltransferase Clr4, which methylates histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9), a classic hallmark of heterochromatin. The kinetochore is assembled on specialized chromatin in which histone H3 is replaced by the variant CENP-A. Studies in fission yeast have contributed to our understanding of the establishment and maintenance of CENP-A chromatin and the epigenetic activation and inactivation of centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin C Allshire
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Karl Ekwall
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Biosciences, NOVUM, S-141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
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14
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Grand RS, Pichugina T, Gehlen LR, Jones MB, Tsai P, Allison JR, Martienssen R, O'Sullivan JM. Chromosome conformation maps in fission yeast reveal cell cycle dependent sub nuclear structure. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:12585-99. [PMID: 25342201 PMCID: PMC4227791 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful progression through the cell cycle requires spatial and temporal regulation of gene transcript levels and the number, positions and condensation levels of chromosomes. Here we present a high resolution survey of genome interactions in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using synchronized cells to investigate cell cycle dependent changes in genome organization and transcription. Cell cycle dependent interactions were captured between and within S. pombe chromosomes. Known features of genome organization (e.g. the clustering of telomeres and retrotransposon long terminal repeats (LTRs)) were observed throughout the cell cycle. There were clear correlations between transcript levels and chromosomal interactions between genes, consistent with a role for interactions in transcriptional regulation at specific stages of the cell cycle. In silico reconstructions of the chromosome organization within the S. pombe nuclei were made by polymer modeling. These models suggest that groups of genes with high and low, or differentially regulated transcript levels have preferred positions within the S. pombe nucleus. We conclude that the S. pombe nucleus is spatially divided into functional sub-nuclear domains that correlate with gene activity. The observation that chromosomal interactions are maintained even when chromosomes are fully condensed in M phase implicates genome organization in epigenetic inheritance and bookmarking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph S Grand
- Liggins institute, University of Auckland, Grafton Auckland 1032, NZ Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ
| | - Tatyana Pichugina
- Liggins institute, University of Auckland, Grafton Auckland 1032, NZ
| | - Lutz R Gehlen
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ
| | - M Beatrix Jones
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ
| | - Peter Tsai
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, NZ
| | - Jane R Allison
- Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ
| | - Robert Martienssen
- HHMI-GBMF, Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY 11724, USA
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15
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Costa J, Fu C, Khare VM, Tran PT. csi2p modulates microtubule dynamics and organizes the bipolar spindle for chromosome segregation. Mol Biol Cell 2014; 25:3900-8. [PMID: 25253718 PMCID: PMC4244199 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-09-1370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper chromosome segregation is of paramount importance for proper genetic inheritance. Defects in chromosome segregation can lead to aneuploidy, which is a hallmark of cancer cells. Eukaryotic chromosome segregation is accomplished by the bipolar spindle. Additional mechanisms, such as the spindle assembly checkpoint and centromere positioning, further help to ensure complete segregation fidelity. Here we present the fission yeast csi2+. csi2p localizes to the spindle poles, where it regulates mitotic microtubule dynamics, bipolar spindle formation, and subsequent chromosome segregation. csi2 deletion (csi2Δ) results in abnormally long mitotic microtubules, high rate of transient monopolar spindles, and subsequent high rate of chromosome segregation defects. Because csi2Δ has multiple phenotypes, it enables estimates of the relative contribution of the different mechanisms to the overall chromosome segregation process. Centromere positioning, microtubule dynamics, and bipolar spindle formation can all contribute to chromosome segregation. However, the major determinant of chromosome segregation defects in fission yeast may be microtubule dynamic defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judite Costa
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Institut Curie-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 144, Paris 75005 France
| | - Chuanhai Fu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - V Mohini Khare
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Phong T Tran
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Institut Curie-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 144, Paris 75005 France
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16
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Centromeric barrier disruption leads to mitotic defects in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2014; 4:633-42. [PMID: 24531725 PMCID: PMC4059236 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.010397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Centromeres are cis-acting chromosomal domains that direct kinetochore formation, enabling faithful chromosome segregation and preserving genome stability. The centromeres of most eukaryotic organisms are structurally complex, composed of nonoverlapping, structurally and functionally distinct chromatin subdomains, including the specialized core chromatin that underlies the kinetochore and pericentromeric heterochromatin. The genomic and epigenetic features that specify and preserve the adjacent chromatin subdomains critical to centromere identity are currently unknown. Here we demonstrate that chromatin barriers regulate this process in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Reduced fitness and mitotic chromosome segregation defects occur in strains that carry exogenous DNA inserted at centromere 1 chromatin barriers. Abnormal phenotypes are accompanied by changes in the structural integrity of both the centromeric core chromatin domain, containing the conserved CENP-ACnp1 protein, and the flanking pericentric heterochromatin domain. Barrier mutant cells can revert to wild-type growth and centromere structure at a high frequency after the spontaneous excision of integrated exogenous DNA. Our results reveal a previously undemonstrated role for chromatin barriers in chromosome segregation and in the prevention of genome instability.
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17
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Abstract
The propagation of all organisms depends on the accurate and orderly segregation of chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis. Budding yeast has long served as an outstanding model organism to identify the components and underlying mechanisms that regulate chromosome segregation. This review focuses on the kinetochore, the macromolecular protein complex that assembles on centromeric chromatin and maintains persistent load-bearing attachments to the dynamic tips of spindle microtubules. The kinetochore also serves as a regulatory hub for the spindle checkpoint, ensuring that cell cycle progression is coupled to the achievement of proper microtubule-kinetochore attachments. Progress in understanding the composition and overall architecture of the kinetochore, as well as its properties in making and regulating microtubule attachments and the spindle checkpoint, is discussed.
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18
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Kim KD, Tanizawa H, Iwasaki O, Corcoran CJ, Capizzi JR, Hayden JE, Noma KI. Centromeric motion facilitates the mobility of interphase genomic regions in fission yeast. J Cell Sci 2013; 126:5271-83. [PMID: 23986481 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.133678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersed genetic elements, such as retrotransposons and Pol-III-transcribed genes, including tRNA and 5S rRNA, cluster and associate with centromeres in fission yeast through the function of condensin. However, the dynamics of these condensin-mediated genomic associations remains unknown. We have examined the 3D motions of genomic loci including the centromere, telomere, rDNA repeat locus, and the loci carrying Pol-III-transcribed genes or long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons in live cells at as short as 1.5-second intervals. Treatment with carbendazim (CBZ), a microtubule-destabilizing agent, not only prevents centromeric motion, but also reduces the mobility of the other genomic loci during interphase. Further analyses demonstrate that condensin-mediated associations between centromeres and the genomic loci are clonal, infrequent and transient. However, when associated, centromeres and the genomic loci migrate together in a coordinated fashion. In addition, a condensin mutation that disrupts associations between centromeres and the genomic loci results in a concomitant decrease in the mobility of the loci. Our study suggests that highly mobile centromeres pulled by microtubules in cytoplasm serve as 'genome mobility elements' by facilitating physical relocations of associating genomic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Dong Kim
- The Wistar Institute, Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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19
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Lando D, Endesfelder U, Berger H, Subramanian L, Dunne PD, McColl J, Klenerman D, Carr AM, Sauer M, Allshire RC, Heilemann M, Laue ED. Quantitative single-molecule microscopy reveals that CENP-A(Cnp1) deposition occurs during G2 in fission yeast. Open Biol 2013; 2:120078. [PMID: 22870388 PMCID: PMC3411111 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.120078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The inheritance of the histone H3 variant CENP-A in nucleosomes at centromeres following DNA replication is mediated by an epigenetic mechanism. To understand the process of epigenetic inheritance, or propagation of histones and histone variants, as nucleosomes are disassembled and reassembled in living eukaryotic cells, we have explored the feasibility of exploiting photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM). PALM of single molecules in living cells has the potential to reveal new concepts in cell biology, providing insights into stochastic variation in cellular states. However, thus far, its use has been limited to studies in bacteria or to processes occurring near the surface of eukaryotic cells. With PALM, one literally observes and ‘counts’ individual molecules in cells one-by-one and this allows the recording of images with a resolution higher than that determined by the diffraction of light (the so-called super-resolution microscopy). Here, we investigate the use of different fluorophores and develop procedures to count the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-ACnp1 with single-molecule sensitivity in fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe). The results obtained are validated by and compared with ChIP-seq analyses. Using this approach, CENP-ACnp1 levels at fission yeast (S. pombe) centromeres were followed as they change during the cell cycle. Our measurements show that CENP-ACnp1 is deposited solely during the G2 phase of the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lando
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
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20
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Steglich B, Filion GJ, van Steensel B, Ekwall K. The inner nuclear membrane proteins Man1 and Ima1 link to two different types of chromatin at the nuclear periphery in S. pombe. Nucleus 2012; 3:77-87. [PMID: 22156748 DOI: 10.4161/nucl.18825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Metazoan chromatin at the nuclear periphery is generally characterized by lowly expressed genes and repressive chromatin marks and presents a sub-compartment with properties distinct from the nuclear interior. To test whether the S. pombe nuclear periphery behaves similarly, we used DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID) to map the target loci of two inner nuclear membrane proteins, Ima1 and Man1. We found that peripheral chromatin shows low levels of RNA-Polymerase II and nucleosome occupancy, both characteristic of repressed chromatin regions. Consistently, lowly expressed genes preferentially associate with the periphery and highly expressed genes are depleted from it. When looking at peripheral intergenic regions (IGRs), we found that divergent IGRs are enriched compared with convergent IGRs, indicating that transcription preferentially points away from the periphery rather than toward it. Interestingly, we found that Ima1 and Man1 have common, but also separate target regions in the genome. Ima1-interacting loci were enriched for the RNAi components Dcr1 and Rdp1. This agrees with previous findings that Dcr1 is localized at the nuclear periphery. In contrast, Man1 target loci were bound by the heterochromatin protein Swi6, especially at subtelomeric regions. Subtelomeric chromatin was shown to form a unique chromatin type lacking both repressive and active chromatin features and containing low levels of the histone variant H2A.Z. Thus, we find that the fission yeast nuclear periphery shows similar properties to those of metazoan cells, despite the absence of a nuclear lamina. Our results point to a role of nuclear membrane proteins in organizing chromatin domains and loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babett Steglich
- Center for Biosciences, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
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21
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Tamm T, Grallert A, Grossman EPS, Alvarez-Tabares I, Stevens FE, Hagan IM. Brr6 drives the Schizosaccharomyces pombe spindle pole body nuclear envelope insertion/extrusion cycle. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 195:467-84. [PMID: 22042620 PMCID: PMC3206342 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201106076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Insertion into and release of the cytoplasmic domain of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe spindle pole body from a nuclear envelope fenestra during mitosis requires Brr6. The fission yeast interphase spindle pole body (SPB) is a bipartite structure in which a bulky cytoplasmic domain is separated from a nuclear component by the nuclear envelope. During mitosis, the SPB is incorporated into a fenestra that forms within the envelope during mitotic commitment. Closure of this fenestra during anaphase B/mitotic exit returns the cytoplasmic component to the cytoplasmic face of an intact interphase nuclear envelope. Here we show that Brr6 is transiently recruited to SPBs at both SPB insertion and extrusion. Brr6 is required for both SPB insertion and nuclear envelope integrity during anaphase B/mitotic exit. Genetic interactions with apq12 and defective sterol assimilation suggest that Brr6 may alter envelope composition at SPBs to promote SPB insertion and extrusion. The restriction of the Brr6 domain to eukaryotes that use a polar fenestra in an otherwise closed mitosis suggests a conserved role in fenestration to enable a single microtubule organizing center to nucleate both cytoplasmic and nuclear microtubules on opposing sides of the nuclear envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiina Tamm
- Cancer Research UK Cell Division Group, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester M20 4BX, England, UK
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22
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De S, Varsally W, Falciani F, Brogna S. Ribosomal proteins' association with transcription sites peaks at tRNA genes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2011; 17:1713-26. [PMID: 21757508 PMCID: PMC3162336 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2808411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/13/2011] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomal proteins (RPs) are essential components of ribosomes, but several RPs are also present at transcription sites of eukaryotic chromosomes. Here, we report a genome-wide ChIP-on-chip analysis of the association of three representative 60S RPs with sites in the Schizosaccharomyces pombe chromosomes. All three proteins tend to bind at the same subset of coding and noncoding loci. The data demonstrate selective RNA-dependent interactions between RPs and many transcription sites and suggest that the RPs bind as components of a preassembled multiprotein complex, perhaps 60S or pre-60S subunits. These findings further indicate that the presence of RPs complexes at transcription sites might be a general feature of eukaryotic cells and functionally important. Unexpectedly, the RPs' chromosomal association is highest at centromeres and tRNA genes-the RPs were found at 167 of the 171 tRNA genes assayed. These findings raise the intriguing possibility that RP complexes are involved in tRNA biogenesis and possibly centromere functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip De
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Wazeer Varsally
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Falciani
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Saverio Brogna
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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23
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Architecture and development of the Neurospora crassa hypha – a model cell for polarized growth. Fungal Biol 2011; 115:446-74. [PMID: 21640311 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2010] [Revised: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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24
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The essentiality of the fungus-specific Dam1 complex is correlated with a one-kinetochore-one-microtubule interaction present throughout the cell cycle, independent of the nature of a centromere. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2011; 10:1295-305. [PMID: 21571923 DOI: 10.1128/ec.05093-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
A fungus-specific outer kinetochore complex, the Dam1 complex, is essential in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nonessential in fission yeast, and absent from metazoans. The reason for the reductive evolution of the functionality of this complex remains unknown. Both Candida albicans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe have regional centromeres as opposed to the short-point centromeres of S. cerevisiae. The interaction of one microtubule per kinetochore is established both in S. cerevisiae and C. albicans early during the cell cycle, which is in contrast to the multiple microtubules that bind to a kinetochore only during mitosis in S. pombe. Moreover, the Dam1 complex is associated with the kinetochore throughout the cell cycle in S. cerevisiae and C. albicans but only during mitosis in S. pombe. Here, we show that the Dam1 complex is essential for viability and indispensable for proper mitotic chromosome segregation in C. albicans. The kinetochore localization of the Dam1 complex is independent of the kinetochore-microtubule interaction, but the function of this complex is monitored by a spindle assembly checkpoint. Strikingly, the Dam1 complex is required to prevent precocious spindle elongation in premitotic phases. Thus, constitutive kinetochore localization associated with a one-microtubule-one kinetochore type of interaction, but not the length of a centromere, is correlated with the essentiality of the Dam1 complex.
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25
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van Wolfswinkel JC, Ketting RF. The role of small non-coding RNAs in genome stability and chromatin organization. J Cell Sci 2010; 123:1825-39. [PMID: 20484663 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.061713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Small non-coding RNAs make up much of the RNA content of a cell and have the potential to regulate gene expression on many different levels. Initial discoveries in the 1990s and early 21st century focused on determining mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation mediated by small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). More recent research, however, has identified new classes of RNAs and new regulatory mechanisms, expanding the known regulatory potential of small non-coding RNAs to encompass chromatin regulation. In this Commentary, we provide an overview of these chromatin-related mechanisms and speculate on the extent to which they are conserved among eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josien C van Wolfswinkel
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Centre Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
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26
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Bayne EH, White SA, Kagansky A, Bijos DA, Sanchez-Pulido L, Hoe KL, Kim DU, Park HO, Ponting CP, Rappsilber J, Allshire RC. Stc1: a critical link between RNAi and chromatin modification required for heterochromatin integrity. Cell 2010; 140:666-77. [PMID: 20211136 PMCID: PMC2875855 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2009] [Revised: 11/23/2009] [Accepted: 01/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In fission yeast, RNAi directs heterochromatin formation at centromeres, telomeres, and the mating type locus. Noncoding RNAs transcribed from repeat elements generate siRNAs that are incorporated into the Argonaute-containing RITS complex and direct it to nascent homologous transcripts. This leads to recruitment of the CLRC complex, including the histone methyltransferase Clr4, promoting H3K9 methylation and heterochromatin formation. A key question is what mediates the recruitment of Clr4/CLRC to transcript-bound RITS. We have identified a LIM domain protein, Stc1, that is required for centromeric heterochromatin integrity. Our analyses show that Stc1 is specifically required to establish H3K9 methylation via RNAi, and interacts both with the RNAi effector Ago1, and with the chromatin-modifying CLRC complex. Moreover, tethering Stc1 to a euchromatic locus is sufficient to induce silencing and heterochromatin formation independently of RNAi. We conclude that Stc1 associates with RITS on centromeric transcripts and recruits CLRC, thereby coupling RNAi to chromatin modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H. Bayne
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
| | - Sharon A. White
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
| | - Alexander Kagansky
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
| | - Dominika A. Bijos
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
| | - Luis Sanchez-Pulido
- MRC Functional Genomics Unit, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Kwang-Lae Hoe
- Integrative Omics Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Uk Kim
- Integrative Omics Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Oh Park
- Bioneer Corporation, Daejeon 306-220, Republic of Korea
| | - Chris P. Ponting
- MRC Functional Genomics Unit, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Juri Rappsilber
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
| | - Robin C. Allshire
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology and Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
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27
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Aygün O, Grewal SIS. Assembly and functions of heterochromatin in the fission yeast genome. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2010; 75:259-67. [PMID: 21502415 PMCID: PMC6309827 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2010.75.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic genomes, heterochromatin regulates various chromosomal processes including suppression of transcription and illegitimate recombination as well as proper segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Recent studies using the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe model system have revealed a complex interplay among RNA polymerase II transcription, RNAi machinery, and factors involved in posttranslational modifications of histones that are critical for the assembly and maintenance of heterochromatin. Heterochromatin proteins targeted to specific sites in the genome can spread across extended chromosomal domains and mediate epigenetic genome control by providing a recruitment platform for various factors including chromatin-modifying activities. In this chapter, we discuss mechanisms of heterochromatin assembly in fission yeast and highlight emerging evidence suggesting the involvement of heterochromatin factors in the suppression of noncoding RNAs across the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Aygün
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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28
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Diverse roles of HP1 proteins in heterochromatin assembly and functions in fission yeast. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:8998-9003. [PMID: 19443688 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0813063106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Conserved chromosomal HP1 proteins capable of binding to histone H3 methylated at lysine 9 are believed to provide a dynamic platform for the recruitment and/or spreading of various regulatory proteins involved in diverse chromosomal processes. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe HP1 family members Chp2 and Swi6 are important for heterochromatin assembly and transcriptional silencing, but their precise roles are not fully understood. Here, we show that Swi6 and Chp2 associate with histone deacetylase (HDAC) protein complexes containing class I HDAC Clr6 and class II HDAC Clr3 (a component of Snf2/HDAC repressor complex), which are critical for transcriptional silencing of centromeric repeats targeted by the heterochromatin machinery. Mapping of RNA polymerase (Pol) II distribution in single and double mutant backgrounds revealed that Swi6 and Chp2 proteins and their associated HDAC complexes have overlapping functions in limiting Pol II occupancy across pericentromeric heterochromatin domains. The purified Swi6 fraction also contains factors involved in various chromosomal processes such as chromatin remodeling and DNA replication. Also, Swi6 copurifies with Mis4 protein, a cohesin loading factor essential for sister chromatid cohesion, and with centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A, which is incorporated into chromatin in a heterochromatin-dependent manner. These analyses suggest that among other functions, HP1 proteins associate with chromatin-modifying factors that in turn cooperate to assemble repressive chromatin; thus, precluding accessibility of underlying DNA sequences to transcriptional machinery.
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30
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Abstract
The centromere is the region of the chromosome where the kinetochore forms. Kinetochores are the attachment sites for spindle microtubules that separate duplicated chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis. Kinetochore formation depends on a special chromatin structure containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. The epigenetic mechanisms that maintain CENP-A chromatin throughout the cell cycle have been studied extensively but little is known about the mechanism that targets CENP-A to naked centromeric DNA templates. In a recent report published in Science, such de novo centromere assembly of CENP-A is shown to be dependent on heterochromatin and the RNA interference pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Durand-Dubief
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Biosciences and Medical Nutrition/School of Life Sciences, University College Sodertorn, Sweden
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31
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Abstract
The centromere is the DNA region that ensures genetic stability and is therefore of vital importance. Paradoxically, centromere proteins and centromeric structural domains are conserved despite that fact that centromere DNA sequences are highly variable and are not conserved. Remarkably, heritable states at the centromere can be propagated independent of the underlying centromeric DNA sequences. This review describes the epigenetic mechanisms governing centromere behavior, i.e., the mechanisms that control centromere assembly and propagation. A centromeric histone variant, CenH3, and histone modifications play key roles at centromeric chromatin. Histone modifications and RNA interference are important in assembly of pericentric heterochromatin structures. The molecular machinery that is directly involved in epigenetic control of centromeres is shared with regulation of gene expression. Nucleosome remodeling factors, histone chaperones, histone-modifying enzymes, transcription factors, and even RNA polymerase II itself control epigenetic states at centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Ekwall
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Biosciences/School of Life Sciences, University College Södertörn, 141 89 Huddinge, Sweden.
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32
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Msc1 acts through histone H2A.Z to promote chromosome stability in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Genetics 2007; 177:1487-97. [PMID: 17947424 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.078691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As a central component of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway, the conserved protein kinase Chk1 mediates cell cycle progression when DNA damage is generated. Msc1 was identified as a multicopy suppressor capable of facilitating survival in response to DNA damage of cells mutant for chk1. We demonstrate that loss of msc1 function results in an increased rate of chromosome loss and that an msc1 null allele exhibits genetic interactions with mutants in key kinetochore components. Multicopy expression of msc1 robustly suppresses a temperature-sensitive mutant (cnp1-1) in the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A, and localization of CENP-A to the centromere is compromised in msc1 null cells. We present several lines of evidence to suggest that Msc1 carries out its function through the histone H2A variant H2A.Z, encoded by pht1 in fission yeast. Like an msc1 mutant, a pht1 mutant also exhibits chromosome instability and genetic interactions with kinetochore mutants. Suppression of cnp1-1 by multicopy msc1 requires pht1. Likewise, suppression of the DNA damage sensitivity of a chk1 mutant by multicopy msc1 also requires pht1. We present the first genetic evidence that histone H2A.Z may participate in centromere function in fission yeast and propose that Msc1 acts through H2A.Z to promote chromosome stability and cell survival following DNA damage.
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33
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Castillo AG, Mellone BG, Partridge JF, Richardson W, Hamilton GL, Allshire RC, Pidoux AL. Plasticity of fission yeast CENP-A chromatin driven by relative levels of histone H3 and H4. PLoS Genet 2007; 3:e121. [PMID: 17677001 PMCID: PMC1934396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.0030121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2007] [Accepted: 06/07/2007] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The histone H3 variant CENP-A assembles into chromatin exclusively at centromeres. The process of CENP-A chromatin assembly is epigenetically regulated. Fission yeast centromeres are composed of a central kinetochore domain on which CENP-A chromatin is assembled, and this is flanked by heterochromatin. Marker genes are silenced when placed within kinetochore or heterochromatin domains. It is not known if fission yeast CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin is confined to specific sequences or whether histone H3 is actively excluded. Here, we show that fission yeast CENP-A(Cnp1) can assemble on noncentromeric DNA when it is inserted within the central kinetochore domain, suggesting that in fission yeast CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin assembly is driven by the context of a sequence rather than the underlying DNA sequence itself. Silencing in the central domain is correlated with the amount of CENP-A(Cnp1) associated with the marker gene and is also affected by the relative level of histone H3. Our analyses indicate that kinetochore integrity is dependent on maintaining the normal ratio of H3 and H4. Excess H3 competes with CENP-A(Cnp1) for assembly into central domain chromatin, resulting in less CENP-A(Cnp1) and other kinetochore proteins at centromeres causing defective kinetochore function, which is manifest as aberrant mitotic chromosome segregation. Alterations in the levels of H3 relative to H4 and CENP-A(Cnp1) influence the extent of DNA at centromeres that is packaged in CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin and the composition of this chromatin. Thus, CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin assembly in fission yeast exhibits plasticity with respect to the underlying sequences and is sensitive to the levels of CENP-A(Cnp1) and other core histones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araceli G Castillo
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara G Mellone
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Janet F Partridge
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - William Richardson
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Georgina L Hamilton
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robin C Allshire
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
| | - Alison L Pidoux
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Alfredsson-Timmins J, Henningson F, Bjerling P. The Clr4 methyltransferase determines the subnuclear localization of the mating-type region in fission yeast. J Cell Sci 2007; 120:1935-43. [PMID: 17504808 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.03457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome has a non-random spatial distribution in the cell nucleus. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, it has been shown that the centromeres, telomeres and the mating-type region localize to the nuclear membrane (NM), the former by attaching to the spindle pole body (SPB). In addition, reporter genes inserted into these areas are transcriptionally repressed because of the formation of specialized chromatin structures. Performing live cell analysis we found that in a wild-type strain the mating-type region was positioned in the proximity of the SPB, the location where the pericentromeric heterochromatin is also found. In a strain lacking the histone methyltransferase Clr4, crucial for the formation of heterochromatin, the mating-type region had a random localization in the nucleus. Moreover, in a strain in which the two boundary elements IR-L and IR-R had been deleted, the mating-type region was displaced from its position at the proximity of the SPB, but remained in the vicinity of the NM. Moreover, in all investigated strains with silencing deficiencies the distance between the mating-type region and the SPB increased. This result indicates a correlation between transcriptional derepression and displacement of the region. Two different models of how the mating-type chromatin is organized in the nucleus are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Alfredsson-Timmins
- University of Uppsala, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology (IMBIM), Box 582, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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35
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10 GFP-based Microscopic Approaches for Whole Chromosome Analysis in Yeasts. METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/s0580-9517(06)36010-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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36
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Masuda H, Toda T, Miyamoto R, Haraguchi T, Hiraoka Y. Modulation of Alp4 function in Schizosaccharomyces pombe induces novel phenotypes that imply distinct functions for nuclear and cytoplasmic gamma-tubulin complexes. Genes Cells 2006; 11:319-36. [PMID: 16611237 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2006.00946.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The gamma-tubulin complex acts as a nucleation unit for microtubule assembly. It remains unknown, however, how spatial and temporal regulation of the complex activity affects microtubule-mediated cellular processes. Alp4 is one of the essential components of the S. pombe gamma-tubulin complex. We show here that overproduction of a carboxy-terminal form of Alp4 (Alp4C) and its derivatives tagged to a nuclear localization signal or to a nuclear export signal affect localization of gamma-tubulin complexes and induces novel phenotypes that reflect distinct functions of nuclear and cytoplasmic gamma-tubulin complexes. Nuclear Alp4C induces a Wee1-dependent G2 delay, reduces the levels of the gamma-tubulin complex at the spindle pole body, and results in defects in mitotic progression including spindle assembly, cytoplasmic microtubule disassembly, and chromosome segregation. In contrast, cytoplasmic Alp4C induces oscillatory nuclear movement and affects levels of cell polarity markers, Bud6 and Tip1, at the cell ends. These results demonstrate that regulation of nuclear gamma-tubulin complex activity is essential for cell cycle progression through the G2/M boundary and M phase, whereas regulation of cytoplasmic gamma-tubulin complex activity is important for nuclear positioning and cell polarity control during interphase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohisa Masuda
- Cell Biology Group and CREST/JST, Kansai Advanced Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan.
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37
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Lin YT, Chen Y, Wu G, Lee WH. Hec1 sequentially recruits Zwint-1 and ZW10 to kinetochores for faithful chromosome segregation and spindle checkpoint control. Oncogene 2006; 25:6901-14. [PMID: 16732327 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1209687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation is essential for maintaining the genomic integrity, which requires coordination among chromosomes, kinetochores, centrosomes and spindles during mitosis. Previously, we discovered a novel coiled-coil protein, highly expressed in cancer 1 (Hec1), which is indispensable for this process. However, the precise underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that Hec1 directly interacts with human ZW10 interacting protein (Zwint-1), a binding partner of Zeste White 10 (ZW10) that is required for chromosome motility and spindle checkpoint control. In mitotic cells, Hec1 transiently forms complexes with Zwint-1 and ZW10 in a temporal and spatial manner. Although the three proteins have variable cell cycle-dependent expression profiles, they can only be co-immunoprecipitated during M phase. Immunofluorescent study showed that Hec1 and Zwint-1 co-localize at kinetochores beginning at prophase and that ZW10 joins them later at prometaphase. Depletion of Hec1 impairs the recruitment of both Zwint-1 and ZW10 to kinetochores, while depletion of Zwint-1 abrogates the kinetochore localization of ZW10 but not Hec1. The results suggest that the localization of Hec1 at kinetochores is required for the sequential recruitment of Zwint-1 and ZW10. Disrupting this recruitment by inhibiting the expression of Hec1 or Zwint-1 causes chromosome missegregation, spindle checkpoint failure, and eventually cell death upon cytokinesis. Taken together, these results, at least in part, provide a molecular basis to explain how Hec1 plays a crucial role for spindle checkpoint control and faithful chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y-T Lin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4037, USA
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38
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Abstract
The organization of eukaryotic genomes requires a harmony between efficient compaction and accessibility. This is achieved through its packaging into chromatin. Chromatin can be subdivided into two general structural and functional compartments: euchromatin and heterochromatin. Euchromatin comprises most of the expressed genome, while heterochromatin participates intimately in the production of structures such as centromeres and telomeres essential for chromosome function. Studies in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe have begun to highlight the genetic pathways critical for the assembly and epigenetic maintenance of heterochromatin, including key roles played by the RNAi machinery, H3 lysine 9 methylation and heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1). Recent studies have also identified a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase universally required for H3 K9 methylation. Here we outline these studies and propose several models for the role of this E3 ligase in heterochromatin assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Horn
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 373 Plantation St., Biotech 2, Suite 210, Worcester, 01605, USA
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39
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Scott KC, Merrett SL, Willard HF. A heterochromatin barrier partitions the fission yeast centromere into discrete chromatin domains. Curr Biol 2006; 16:119-29. [PMID: 16431364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.11.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2005] [Revised: 10/18/2005] [Accepted: 11/23/2005] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Centromeres are cis-acting chromosomal domains that direct kinetochore formation, enabling faithful chromosome segregation. Centromeric regions of higher eukaryotes are structurally complex, consisting of various epigenetically modified chromatin types including specialized chromatin at the kinetochore itself, pericentromeric heterochromatin, and flanking euchromatin. Although the features necessary for the establishment and maintenance of discrete chromatin domains remain poorly understood, two models have been proposed based either on the passive convergence of competing activities involved in individual domain formation or, alternatively, on the action of specific genomic sequences and associated proteins to actively block the propagation of one chromatin type into another. RESULTS Functional analysis of centromeric sequences located at the intersection of Schizosaccharomyces pombe central core chromatin and outer repeat heterochromatin identified a chromatin barrier that contains a transfer RNA (tRNA) gene. Deletion or modification of the barrier sequences result in the propagation of pericentromeric heterochromatin beyond its normal boundary. The tRNA gene is transcriptionally active, and barrier activity requires sequences necessary for RNA polymerase III transcription. Moreover, absence of the barrier results in abnormal meiotic chromosome segregation. CONCLUSIONS The identification of DNA sequences with chromatin barrier activity at the fission yeast centromere provides a model for establishment of centromeric chromatin domains in higher eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin C Scott
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University, 101 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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40
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Greenall A, Williams ES, Martin KA, Palmer JM, Gray J, Liu C, Whitehall SK. Hip3 Interacts with the HIRA Proteins Hip1 and Slm9 and Is Required for Transcriptional Silencing and Accurate Chromosome Segregation. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:8732-9. [PMID: 16428807 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m512170200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The fission yeast HIRA proteins Hip1 and Slm9 are members of an evolutionarily conserved family of histone chaperones that are implicated in nucleosome assembly. Here we have used single-step affinity purification and mass spectrometry to identify factors that interact with both Hip1 and Slm9. This analysis identified Hip3, a previously uncharacterized 187-kDa protein, with similarity to S. cerevisiae Hir3. Consistent with this, cells disrupted for hip3+ exhibit a range of growth defects that are similar to those associated with loss of Hip1 and Slm9. These include temperature sensitivity, a cell cycle delay, and synthetic lethality with cdc25-22. Furthermore, genetic analysis also indicates that disruption of hip3+ is epistatic with mutation of hip1+ and slm9+. Mutation of hip3+ alleviates transcriptional silencing at several heterochromatic loci, including in the outer (otr) centromeric repeats, indicating that Hip3 is required for the integrity of pericentric heterochromatin. As a result, loss of Hip3 function leads to high levels of minichromosome loss and an increased frequency of lagging chromosomes during mitosis. Importantly, the function of Hip1, Slm9, and Hip3 is not restricted to constitutive heterochromatic loci, since these proteins also repress the expression of a number of genes, including the Tf2 retrotransposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Greenall
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, United Kingdom
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41
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Fang Y, Spector DL. Centromere positioning and dynamics in living Arabidopsis plants. Mol Biol Cell 2005; 16:5710-8. [PMID: 16195344 PMCID: PMC1289415 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e05-08-0706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2005] [Revised: 09/13/2005] [Accepted: 09/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The organization and dynamics of the genome have been shown to influence gene expression in many organisms. Data from mammalian tissue culture cells have provided conflicting conclusions with regard to the extent to which chromatin organization is inherited from mother to daughter nuclei. To gain insight into chromatin organization and dynamics, we developed transgenic Arabidopsis lines in which centromeres were tagged with a green fluorescent protein fusion of the centromere-specific histone H3. Using four-dimensional (4-D) live cell imaging, we show that Arabidopsis centromeres are constrained at the nuclear periphery during interphase and that the organization of endoreduplicated sister centromeres is cell type dependent with predominant clustering in root epidermal cells and dispersion in leaf epidermal cells. 4-D tracking of the entire set of centromeres through mitosis, in growing root meristematic cells, demonstrated that global centromere position is not precisely transmitted from the mother cell to daughter cells. These results provide important insight into our understanding of chromatin organization among different cells of a living organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuda Fang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
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42
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Thon G, Hansen KR, Altes SP, Sidhu D, Singh G, Verhein-Hansen J, Bonaduce MJ, Klar AJS. The Clr7 and Clr8 directionality factors and the Pcu4 cullin mediate heterochromatin formation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Genetics 2005; 171:1583-95. [PMID: 16157682 PMCID: PMC1456086 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.105.048298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fission yeast heterochromatin is formed at centromeres, telomeres, and in the mating-type region where it mediates the transcriptional silencing of the mat2-P and mat3-M donor loci and the directionality of mating-type switching. We conducted a genetic screen for directionality mutants. This screen revealed the essential role of two previously uncharacterized factors, Clr7 and Clr8, in heterochromatin formation. Clr7 and Clr8 are required for localization of the Swi6 chromodomain protein and for histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, thereby influencing not only mating-type switching but also transcriptional silencing in all previously characterized heterochromatic regions, chromosome segregation, and meiotic recombination in the mating-type region. We present evidence for physical interactions between Clr7 and the mating-type region and between Clr7 and the S. pombe cullin Pcu4, indicating that a complex containing these proteins mediates an early step in heterochromatin formation and implying a role for ubiquitination at this early stage prior to the action of the Clr4 histone methyl-transferase. Like Clr7 and Clr8, Pcu4 is required for histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, and bidirectional centromeric transcripts that are normally processed into siRNA by the RNAi machinery in wild-type cells are easily detected in cells lacking Clr7, Clr8, or Pcu4. Another physical interaction, between the nucleoporin Nup189 and Clr8, suggests that Clr8 might be involved in tethering heterochromatic regions to the nuclear envelope by association with the nuclear-pore complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneviève Thon
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimasgade 2A, DK-1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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43
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Liu X, McLeod I, Anderson S, Yates JR, He X. Molecular analysis of kinetochore architecture in fission yeast. EMBO J 2005; 24:2919-30. [PMID: 16079914 PMCID: PMC1187945 DOI: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2004] [Accepted: 07/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinetochore composition and structure are critical for understanding how kinetochores of different types perform similar functions in chromosome segregation. We used affinity purification to investigate the kinetochore composition and assembly in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We identified a conserved DASH complex that functions to ensure precise chromosome segregation. Unlike DASH in budding yeast that is localized onto kinetochores throughout the cell cycle, SpDASH is localized onto kinetochores only in mitosis. We also identified two independent groups of kinetochore components, one of which, the Sim4 complex, contains several novel Fta proteins in addition to known kinetochore components. DASH is likely to be associated with the Sim4 complex via Dad1 protein. The other group, Ndc80-MIND-Spc7 complex, contains the conserved Ndc80 and MIND complexes and Spc7 protein. We propose that fission yeast kinetochore is comprised of at least two major structural motifs that are biochemically separable. Our results suggest a high degree of conservation between the kinetochores of budding yeast and fission yeast even though many individual protein subunits do not have a high degree of sequence similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingkun Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ian McLeod
- Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Scott Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xiangwei He
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Tel.: +1 713 798 2093; Fax: +1 713 798 8142; E-mail:
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44
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Walfridsson J, Bjerling P, Thalen M, Yoo EJ, Park SD, Ekwall K. The CHD remodeling factor Hrp1 stimulates CENP-A loading to centromeres. Nucleic Acids Res 2005; 33:2868-79. [PMID: 15908586 PMCID: PMC1133792 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gki579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres of fission yeast are arranged with a central core DNA sequence flanked by repeated sequences. The centromere-associated histone H3 variant Cnp1 (SpCENP-A) binds exclusively to central core DNA, while the heterochromatin proteins and cohesins bind the surrounding outer repeats. CHD (chromo-helicase/ATPase DNA binding) chromatin remodeling factors were recently shown to affect chromatin assembly in vitro. Here, we report that the CHD protein Hrp1 plays a key role at fission yeast centromeres. The hrp1Δ mutant disrupts silencing of the outer repeats and central core regions of the centromere and displays chromosome segregation defects characteristic for dysfunction of both regions. Importantly, Hrp1 is required to maintain high levels of Cnp1 and low levels of histone H3 and H4 acetylation at the central core region. Hrp1 interacts directly with the centromere in early S-phase when centromeres are replicated, suggesting that Hrp1 plays a direct role in chromatin assembly during DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eung-Jae Yoo
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Sang Dai Park
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Karl Ekwall
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +46 8 6084713; Fax: +46 8 6084510;
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45
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Petrie VJ, Wuitschick JD, Givens CD, Kosinski AM, Partridge JF. RNA interference (RNAi)-dependent and RNAi-independent association of the Chp1 chromodomain protein with distinct heterochromatic loci in fission yeast. Mol Cell Biol 2005; 25:2331-46. [PMID: 15743828 PMCID: PMC1061622 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.25.6.2331-2346.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of centromeric heterochromatin in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is dependent on the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Dicer cleaves centromeric transcripts to produce short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that actively recruit components of heterochromatin to centromeres. Both centromeric siRNAs and the heterochromatin component Chp1 are components of the RITS (RNA-induced initiation of transcriptional gene silencing) complex, and the association of RITS with centromeres is linked to Dicer activity. In turn, centromeric binding of RITS promotes Clr4-mediated methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (K9), recruitment of Swi6, and formation of heterochromatin. Similar to centromeres, the mating type locus (Mat) is coated in K9-methylated histone H3 and is bound by Swi6. Here we report that Chp1 associates with the mating type locus and telomeres and that Chp1 localization to heterochromatin depends on its chromodomain and the C-terminal domain of the protein. Another protein component of the RITS complex, Tas3, also binds to Mat and telomeres. Tas3 interacts with Chp1 through the C-terminal domain of Chp1, and this interaction is necessary for Tas3 stability. Interestingly, in cells lacking the Argonaute (Ago1) protein component of the RITS complex, or lacking Dicer (and hence siRNAs), Chp1 and Tas3 can still bind to noncentromeric loci, although their association with centromeres is lost. Thus, Chp1 and Tas3 exist as an Ago1-independent subcomplex that associates with noncentromeric heterochromatin independently of the RNAi pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J Petrie
- Department of Biochemistry, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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46
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Abstract
Chromatin at centromeres is distinct from the chromatin in which the remainder of the genome is assembled. Two features consistently distinguish centromeres: the presence of the histone H3 variant CENP-A and, in most organisms, the presence of heterochromatin. In fission yeast, domains of silent "heterochromatin" flank the CENP-A chromatin domain that forms a platform upon which the kinetochore is assembled. Thus, fission yeast centromeres resemble their metazoan counterparts where the kinetochore is embedded in centromeric heterochromatin. The centromeric outer repeat chromatin is underacetylated on histones H3 and H4, and methylated on lysine 9 of histone H3, which provides a binding site for the chromodomain protein Swi6 (orthologue of Heterochromatin Protein 1, HP1). The remarkable demonstration that the assembly of repressive heterochromatin is dependent on the RNA interference machinery provokes many questions about the mechanisms of this process that may be tractable in fission yeast. Heterochromatin ensures that a high density of cohesin is recruited to centromeric regions, but it could have additional roles in centromere architecture and the prevention of merotely, and it might also act as a trigger for kinetochore assembly. In addition, we discuss an epigenetic model for ensuring that CENP-A is targeted and replenished at the kinetochore domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Pidoux
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
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47
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Asakawa H, Hayashi A, Haraguchi T, Hiraoka Y. Dissociation of the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex releases centromeres from the spindle-pole body during meiotic prophase in fission yeast. Mol Biol Cell 2005; 16:2325-38. [PMID: 15728720 PMCID: PMC1087238 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e04-11-0996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, centromeres remain clustered at the spindle-pole body (SPB) during mitotic interphase. In contrast, during meiotic prophase centromeres dissociate from the SPB. Here we examined the behavior of centromere proteins in living meiotic cells of S. pombe. We show that the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex proteins (Nuf2, Ndc80, Spc24, and Spc25) disappear from the centromere in meiotic prophase when the centromeres are separated from the SPB. The centromere protein Mis12 also dissociates during meiotic prophase; however, Mis6 remains throughout meiosis. When cells are induced to meiosis by inactivation of Pat1 kinase (a key negative regulator of meiosis), centromeres remain associated with the SPB during meiotic prophase. However, inactivation of Nuf2 by a mutation causes the release of centromeres from the SPB in pat1 mutant cells, suggesting that the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex connects centromeres to the SPB. We further found that removal of the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex from the centromere and centromere-SPB dissociation are caused by mating pheromone signaling. Because pat1 mutant cells also show aberrant chromosome segregation in the first meiotic division and this aberration is compensated by mating pheromone signaling, dissociation of the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex may be associated with remodeling of the kinetochore for meiotic chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruhiko Asakawa
- Cell Biology Group and CREST Research Project, Kansai Advanced Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan
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48
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Abstract
Here, epigenetic regulation of centromeric chromatin in fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) is reviewed, focussing on the role of histone modifications and the link to RNA interference (RNAi). Fission yeast centromeres are organized into two structurally and functionally distinct domains, both of which are required for centromere function. The central core domain anchors the kinetochore structure while the flanking heterochromatin domain is important for sister centromere cohesion. The chromatin structure of both domains is regulated epigenetically. In the central core domain, the histone H3 variant Cnp1(CENP-A) plays a key role. In the flanking heterochromatin domain, histones are kept underacetylated by the histone deacetylases (HDACs) Clr3, Clr6 and Sir2, and methylated by Clr4 methyltransferase (HMTase) to create a specific binding site for the Swi6 protein. Swi6 then directly mediates cohesin binding to the centromeric heterochromatin. Recently, a surprising link was made between heterochromatin formation and RNAi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Ekwall
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Biosciences/University College Sodertorn, Dept. of Natural Sciences, Sweden.
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49
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Abstract
Fission yeast centromeres are composed of two distinctive chromatin domains. The central domain nucleosomes contain the histone H3-like protein CENP-A(Cnp1). In contrast, the flanking repeats are coated with silent chromatin in which Swi6 (HP1) binds histone H3 methylated on lysine 9 that is induced by the action of the RNA interference pathway on non-coding centromeric transcripts. The overall structure is similar to that of metazoan centromeres where the kinetochore is embedded in surrounding heterochromatin. Kinetochore specific proteins associate with the central domain and affect silencing in that region. The flanking heterochromatin is required to recruit cohesin and mediate tight physical cohesion between sister centromeres. The loss of silencing that accompanies defects in heterochromatin has been invaluable as a tool in the investigation of centromere function. Both the heterochromatin and kinetochore regions are required for the de novo assembly of a functional centromere on DNA constructs, suggesting that heterochromatin may provide an environment that promotes kinetochore assembly within the central domain. The process is clearly epigenetically regulated. Fission yeast kinetochores associate with 2-4 microtubules, and flanking heterochromatin may be required to promote the orientation of multiple microtubule binding sites on one kinetochore towards the same pole and thus prevent merotelic orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Pidoux
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR, UK.
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50
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Rudd MK, Schueler MG, Willard HF. Sequence organization and functional annotation of human centromeres. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2004; 68:141-9. [PMID: 15338612 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2003.68.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M K Rudd
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
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