1
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A giant virus genome is densely packaged by stable nucleosomes within virions. Mol Cell 2022; 82:4458-4470.e5. [PMID: 36370708 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The two doublet histones of Marseillevirus are distantly related to the four eukaryotic core histones and wrap 121 base pairs of DNA to form remarkably similar nucleosomes. By permeabilizing Marseillevirus virions and performing genome-wide nuclease digestion, chemical cleavage, and mass spectrometry assays, we find that the higher-order organization of Marseillevirus chromatin fundamentally differs from that of eukaryotes. Marseillevirus nucleosomes fully protect DNA within virions as closely abutted 121-bp DNA-wrapped cores without linker DNA or phasing along genes. Likewise, we observed that nucleosomes reconstituted onto multi-copy tandem repeats of a nucleosome-positioning sequence are tightly packed. Dense promiscuous packing of fully wrapped nucleosomes rather than "beads on a string" with genic punctuation represents a distinct mode of DNA packaging by histones. We suggest that doublet histones have evolved for viral genome protection and may resemble an early stage of histone differentiation leading to the eukaryotic octameric nucleosome.
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2
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Talbert PB, Armache KJ, Henikoff S. Viral histones: pickpocket's prize or primordial progenitor? Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:21. [PMID: 35624484 PMCID: PMC9145170 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00454-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The common histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 are the characteristic components of eukaryotic nucleosomes, which function to wrap DNA and compact the genome as well as to regulate access to DNA for transcription and replication in all eukaryotes. In the past two decades, histones have also been found to be encoded in some DNA viruses, where their functions and properties are largely unknown, though recently histones from two related viruses have been shown to form nucleosome-like structures in vitro. Viral histones can be highly similar to eukaryotic histones in primary sequence, suggesting they have been recently picked up from eukaryotic hosts, or they can be radically divergent in primary sequence and may occur as conjoined histone doublets, triplets, or quadruplets, suggesting ancient origins prior to the divergence of modern eukaryotes. Here, we review what is known of viral histones and discuss their possible origins and functions. We consider how the viral life cycle may affect their properties and histories, and reflect on the possible roles of viruses in the origin of the nucleus of modern eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Karim-Jean Armache
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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3
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Pesenti ME, Raisch T, Conti D, Walstein K, Hoffmann I, Vogt D, Prumbaum D, Vetter IR, Raunser S, Musacchio A. Structure of the human inner kinetochore CCAN complex and its significance for human centromere organization. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2113-2131.e8. [PMID: 35525244 PMCID: PMC9235857 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Centromeres are specialized chromosome loci that seed the kinetochore, a large protein complex that effects chromosome segregation. A 16-subunit complex, the constitutive centromere associated network (CCAN), connects between the specialized centromeric chromatin, marked by the histone H3 variant CENP-A, and the spindle-binding moiety of the kinetochore. Here, we report a cryo-electron microscopy structure of human CCAN. We highlight unique features such as the pseudo GTPase CENP-M and report how a crucial CENP-C motif binds the CENP-LN complex. The CCAN structure has implications for the mechanism of specific recognition of the CENP-A nucleosome. A model consistent with our structure depicts the CENP-C-bound nucleosome as connected to the CCAN through extended, flexible regions of CENP-C. An alternative model identifies both CENP-C and CENP-N as specificity determinants but requires CENP-N to bind CENP-A in a mode distinct from the classical nucleosome octamer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion E Pesenti
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Tobias Raisch
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Duccio Conti
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Kai Walstein
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ingrid Hoffmann
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Dorothee Vogt
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Prumbaum
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ingrid R Vetter
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Andrea Musacchio
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse, 45141 Essen, Germany.
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4
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Arimura Y, Shih RM, Froom R, Funabiki H. Structural features of nucleosomes in interphase and metaphase chromosomes. Mol Cell 2021; 81:4377-4397.e12. [PMID: 34478647 PMCID: PMC8571072 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Structural heterogeneity of nucleosomes in functional chromosomes is unknown. Here, we devise the template-, reference- and selection-free (TRSF) cryo-EM pipeline to simultaneously reconstruct cryo-EM structures of protein complexes from interphase or metaphase chromosomes. The reconstructed interphase and metaphase nucleosome structures are on average indistinguishable from canonical nucleosome structures, despite DNA sequence heterogeneity, cell-cycle-specific posttranslational modifications, and interacting proteins. Nucleosome structures determined by a decoy-classifying method and structure variability analyses reveal the nucleosome structural variations in linker DNA, histone tails, and nucleosome core particle configurations, suggesting that the opening of linker DNA, which is correlated with H2A C-terminal tail positioning, is suppressed in chromosomes. High-resolution (3.4-3.5 Å) nucleosome structures indicate DNA-sequence-independent stabilization of superhelical locations ±0-1 and ±3.5-4.5. The linker histone H1.8 preferentially binds to metaphase chromatin, from which chromatosome cryo-EM structures with H1.8 at the on-dyad position are reconstituted. This study presents the structural characteristics of nucleosomes in chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Arimura
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Rochelle M Shih
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ruby Froom
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Hironori Funabiki
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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5
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Balzano E, Giunta S. Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E912. [PMID: 32784998 PMCID: PMC7463522 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are essential genetic elements that enable spindle microtubule attachment for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. While this function is preserved across species, centromeres display an array of dynamic features, including: (1) rapidly evolving DNA; (2) wide evolutionary diversity in size, shape and organization; (3) evidence of mutational processes to generate homogenized repetitive arrays that characterize centromeres in several species; (4) tolerance to changes in position, as in the case of neocentromeres; and (5) intrinsic fragility derived by sequence composition and secondary DNA structures. Centromere drive underlies rapid centromere DNA evolution due to the "selfish" pursuit to bias meiotic transmission and promote the propagation of stronger centromeres. Yet, the origins of other dynamic features of centromeres remain unclear. Here, we review our current understanding of centromere evolution and plasticity. We also detail the mutagenic processes proposed to shape the divergent genetic nature of centromeres. Changes to centromeres are not simply evolutionary relics, but ongoing shifts that on one side promote centromere flexibility, but on the other can undermine centromere integrity and function with potential pathological implications such as genome instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Balzano
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy;
| | - Simona Giunta
- Laboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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6
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Wong CYY, Ling YH, Mak JKH, Zhu J, Yuen KWY. "Lessons from the extremes: Epigenetic and genetic regulation in point monocentromere and holocentromere establishment on artificial chromosomes". Exp Cell Res 2020; 390:111974. [PMID: 32222413 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The formation of de novo centromeres on artificial chromosomes in humans (HACs) and fission yeast (SpYACs) has provided much insights to the epigenetic and genetic control on regional centromere establishment and maintenance. Similarly, the use of artificial chromosomes in point centromeric budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScYACs) and holocentric Caenorhabditis elegans (WACs) has revealed epigenetic regulation in the originally thought purely genetically-determined point centromeres and some centromeric DNA sequence features in holocentromeres, respectively. These relatively extreme and less characterized centromere organizations, on the endogenous chromosomes and artificial chromosomes, will be discussed and compared to the more well-studied regional centromere systems. This review will highlight some of the common epigenetic and genetic features in different centromere architectures, including the presence of the centromeric histone H3 variant, CENP-A or CenH3, centromeric and pericentric transcription, AT-richness and repetitiveness of centromeric DNA sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine Yan Yu Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Yick Hin Ling
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Jason Ka Ho Mak
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Jing Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Karen Wing Yee Yuen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong.
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7
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Talbert PB, Henikoff S. What makes a centromere? Exp Cell Res 2020; 389:111895. [PMID: 32035948 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Centromeres are the eukaryotic chromosomal sites at which the kinetochore forms and attaches to spindle microtubules to orchestrate chromosomal segregation in mitosis and meiosis. Although centromeres are essential for cell division, their sequences are not conserved and evolve rapidly. Centromeres vary dramatically in size and organization. Here we categorize their diversity and explore the evolutionary forces shaping them. Nearly all centromeres favor AT-rich DNA that is gene-free and transcribed at a very low level. Repair of frequent centromere-proximal breaks probably contributes to their rapid sequence evolution. Point centromeres are only ~125 bp and are specified by common protein-binding motifs, whereas short regional centromeres are 1-5 kb, typically have unique sequences, and may have pericentromeric repeats adapted to facilitate centromere clustering. Transposon-rich centromeres are often ~100-300 kb and are favored by RNAi machinery that silences transposons, by suppression of meiotic crossovers at centromeres, and by the ability of some transposons to target centromeres. Megabase-length satellite centromeres arise in plants and animals with asymmetric female meiosis that creates centromere competition, and favors satellite monomers one or two nucleosomes in length that position and stabilize centromeric nucleosomes. Holocentromeres encompass the length of a chromosome and may differ dramatically between mitosis and meiosis. We propose a model in which low level transcription of centromeres facilitates the formation of non-B DNA that specifies centromeres and promotes loading of centromeric nucleosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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8
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Linking chromatin composition and structural dynamics at the nucleosome level. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 56:46-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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9
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Zhao H, Winogradoff D, Dalal Y, Papoian GA. The Oligomerization Landscape of Histones. Biophys J 2019; 116:1845-1855. [PMID: 31005236 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, DNA is packaged within nucleosomes. The DNA of each nucleosome is typically centered around an octameric histone protein core: one central tetramer plus two separate dimers. Studying the assembly mechanisms of histones is essential for understanding the dynamics of entire nucleosomes and higher-order DNA packaging. Here, we investigate canonical histone assembly and that of the centromere-specific histone variant, centromere protein A (CENP-A), using molecular dynamics simulations. We quantitatively characterize their thermodynamical and dynamical features, showing that two H3/H4 dimers form a structurally floppy, weakly bound complex, the latter exhibiting large instability around the central interface manifested via a swiveling motion of two halves. This finding is consistent with the recently observed DNA handedness flipping of the tetrasome. In contrast, the variant CENP-A encodes distinctive stability to its tetramer with a rigid but twisted interface compared to the crystal structure, implying diverse structural possibilities of the histone variant. Interestingly, the observed tetramer dynamics alter significantly and appear to reach a new balance when H2A/H2B dimers are present. Furthermore, we found that the preferred structure for the (CENP-A/H4)2 tetramer is incongruent with the octameric structure, explaining many of the unusual dynamical behaviors of the CENP-A nucleosome. In all, these data reveal key mechanistic insights and structural details for the assembly of canonical and variant histone tetramers and octamers, providing theoretical quantifications and physical interpretations for longstanding and recent experimental observations. Based on these findings, we propose different chaperone-assisted binding and nucleosome assembly mechanisms for the canonical and CENP-A histone oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Zhao
- Biophysics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - David Winogradoff
- Chemical Physics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology
| | - Yamini Dalal
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Garegin A Papoian
- Biophysics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Chemical Physics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
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10
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Novel genetic tools for probing individual H3 molecules in each nucleosome. Curr Genet 2018; 65:371-377. [PMID: 30478690 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0910-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, genomic DNA is packaged into the nucleus together with histone proteins, forming chromatin. The fundamental repeating unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, a naturally symmetric structure that wraps DNA and is the substrate for numerous regulatory post-translational modifications. However, the biological significance of nucleosomal symmetry until recently had been unexplored. To investigate this issue, we developed an obligate pair of histone H3 heterodimers, a novel genetic tool that allowed us to modulate modification sites on individual H3 molecules within nucleosomes in vivo. We used these constructs for molecular genetic studies, for example demonstrating that H3K36 methylation on a single H3 molecule per nucleosome in vivo is sufficient to restrain cryptic transcription. We also used asymmetric nucleosomes for mass spectrometric analysis of dependency relationships among histone modifications. Furthermore, we extended this system to the centromeric H3 isoform (Cse4/CENP-A), gaining insights into centromeric nucleosomal symmetry and structure. In this review, we summarize our findings and discuss the utility of this novel approach.
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11
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Ichikawa Y, Saitoh N, Kaufman PD. An asymmetric centromeric nucleosome. eLife 2018; 7:37911. [PMID: 30136924 PMCID: PMC6125124 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleosomes contain two copies of each core histone, held together by a naturally symmetric, homodimeric histone H3-H3 interface. This symmetry has complicated efforts to determine the regulatory potential of this architecture. Through molecular design and in vivo selection, we recently generated obligately heterodimeric H3s, providing a powerful tool for discovery of the degree to which nucleosome symmetry regulates chromosomal functions in living cells (Ichikawa et al., 2017). We now have extended this tool to the centromeric H3 isoform (Cse4/CENP-A) in budding yeast. These studies indicate that a single Cse4 N- or C-terminal extension per pair of Cse4 molecules is sufficient for kinetochore function, and validate previous experiments indicating that an octameric centromeric nucleosome is required for viability in this organism. These data also support the generality of the H3 asymmetric interface for probing general questions in chromatin biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Ichikawa
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States.,Division of Cancer Biology, The Cancer Institute of JFCR, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Saitoh
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Cancer Institute of JFCR, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paul D Kaufman
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
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12
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Henikoff S, Thakur J, Kasinathan S, Talbert PB. Remarkable Evolutionary Plasticity of Centromeric Chromatin. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2017; 82:71-82. [PMID: 29196559 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2017.82.033605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Centromeres were familiar to cell biologists in the late 19th century, but for most eukaryotes the basis for centromere specification has remained enigmatic. Much attention has been focused on the cenH3 (CENP-A) histone variant, which forms the foundation of the centromere. To investigate the DNA sequence requirements for centromere specification, we applied a variety of epigenomic approaches, which have revealed surprising diversity in centromeric chromatin properties. Whereas each point centromere of budding yeast is occupied by a single precisely positioned tetrameric nucleosome with one cenH3 molecule, the "regional" centromeres of fission yeast contain unphased presumably octameric nucleosomes with two cenH3s. In Caenorhabditis elegans, kinetochores assemble all along the chromosome at sites of cenH3 nucleosomes that resemble budding yeast point centromeres, whereas holocentric insects lack cenH3 entirely. The "satellite" centromeres of most animals and plants consist of cenH3-containing particles that are precisely positioned over homogeneous tandem repeats, but in humans, different α-satellite subfamilies are occupied by CENP-A nucleosomes with very different conformations. We suggest that this extraordinary evolutionary diversity of centromeric chromatin architectures can be understood in terms of the simplicity of the task of equal chromosome segregation that is continually subverted by selfish DNA sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - Jitendra Thakur
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109
| | - Sivakanthan Kasinathan
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109.,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109
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13
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Fuse T, Katsumata K, Morohoshi K, Mukai Y, Ichikawa Y, Kurumizaka H, Yanagida A, Urano T, Kato H, Shimizu M. Parallel mapping with site-directed hydroxyl radicals and micrococcal nuclease reveals structural features of positioned nucleosomes in vivo. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186974. [PMID: 29073207 PMCID: PMC5658119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) has been widely used for analyses of nucleosome locations in many organisms. However, due to its sequence preference, the interpretations of the positions and occupancies of nucleosomes using MNase have remained controversial. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has also been utilized for analyses of MNase-digests, but some technical biases are commonly present in the NGS experiments. Here, we established a gel-based method to map nucleosome positions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using isolated nuclei as the substrate for the histone H4 S47C-site-directed chemical cleavage in parallel with MNase digestion. The parallel mapping allowed us to compare the chemically and enzymatically cleaved sites by indirect end-labeling and primer extension mapping, and thus we could determine the nucleosome positions and the sizes of the nucleosome-free regions (or nucleosome-depleted regions) more accurately, as compared to nucleosome mapping by MNase alone. The analysis also revealed that the structural features of the nucleosomes flanked by the nucleosome-free region were different from those within regularly arrayed nucleosomes, showing that the structures and dynamics of individual nucleosomes strongly depend on their locations. Moreover, we demonstrated that the parallel mapping results were generally consistent with the previous genome-wide chemical mapping and MNase-Seq results. Thus, the gel-based parallel mapping will be useful for the analysis of a specific locus under various conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Fuse
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Program in Chemistry and Life Science, School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Katsumata
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Program in Chemistry and Life Science, School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koya Morohoshi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Program in Chemistry and Life Science, School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukio Mukai
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ichikawa
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering/RISE/IMSB, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering/RISE/IMSB, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akio Yanagida
- School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Urano
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Shimane, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kato
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Shimane, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Shimizu
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Program in Chemistry and Life Science, School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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14
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Understanding nucleosome dynamics and their links to gene expression and DNA replication. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2017; 18:548-562. [PMID: 28537572 DOI: 10.1038/nrm.2017.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Advances in genomics technology have provided the means to probe myriad chromatin interactions at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. This has led to a profound understanding of nucleosome organization within the genome, revealing that nucleosomes are highly dynamic. Nucleosome dynamics are governed by a complex interplay of histone composition, histone post-translational modifications, nucleosome occupancy and positioning within chromatin, which are influenced by numerous regulatory factors, including general regulatory factors, chromatin remodellers, chaperones and polymerases. It is now known that these dynamics regulate diverse cellular processes ranging from gene transcription to DNA replication and repair.
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15
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Abstract
Centromeric chromatin undergoes major changes in composition and architecture during each cell cycle. These changes in specialized chromatin facilitate kinetochore formation in mitosis to ensure proper chromosome segregation. Thus, proper orchestration of centromeric chromatin dynamics during interphase, including replication in S phase, is crucial. We provide the current view concerning the centromeric architecture associated with satellite repeat sequences in mammals and its dynamics during the cell cycle. We summarize the contributions of deposited histone variants and their chaperones, other centromeric components - including proteins and their post-translational modifications, and RNAs - and we link the expression and deposition timing of each component during the cell cycle. Because neocentromeres occur at ectopic sites, we highlight how cell cycle processes can go wrong, leading to neocentromere formation and potentially disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Müller
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR3664, Equipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, F-75005 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, UMR3664, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Geneviève Almouzni
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR3664, Equipe Labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, F-75005 Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, UMR3664, F-75005 Paris, France
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16
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Zhao H, Winogradoff D, Bui M, Dalal Y, Papoian GA. Promiscuous Histone Mis-Assembly Is Actively Prevented by Chaperones. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:13207-13218. [PMID: 27454815 PMCID: PMC7757119 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b05355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Histone proteins are essential for the organization, expression, and inheritance of genetic material for eukaryotic cells. A centromere-specific H3 histone variant, centromere protein A (CENP-A), shares about 50% amino acid sequence identity with H3. CENP-A is required for packaging the centromere and for the proper separation of chromosomes during mitosis. Despite their distinct biological functions, previously reported crystal structures of the CENP-A/H4 and H3/H4 dimers reveal a high degree of similarity. In this work, we characterize the structural dynamics of CENP-A/H4 and H3/H4 dimers based on a dual-resolution approach, using both microsecond-scale explicit-solvent all-atom and coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our data show that the H4 histone is significantly more rigid compared with the H3 histone and its variant CENP-A, hence, serving as a reinforcing structural element within the histone core. We report that the CENP-A/H4 dimer is significantly more dynamic than its canonical counterpart H3/H4, and our results provide a physical explanation for this flexibility. Further, we observe that the centromere-specific chaperone Holliday Junction Recognition Protein (HJURP) stabilizes the CENP-A/H4 dimer by forming a specific electrostatic interaction network. Finally, replacing CENP-A S68 with E68 disrupts the binding interface between CENP-A and HJURP in all-atom MD simulation, and consistently, in vivo experiments demonstrate that replacing CENP-A S68 with E68 disrupts CENP-A's localization to the centromere. Based on all our results, we propose that, during the CENP-A/H4 deposition process, the chaperone HJURP protects various substructures of the dimer, serving both as a folding and binding chaperone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Zhao
- Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - David Winogradoff
- Chemical Physics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Minh Bui
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Yamini Dalal
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Garegin A. Papoian
- Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
- Chemical Physics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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17
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Trifonov EN, Nibhani R. Review fifteen years of search for strong nucleosomes. Biopolymers 2016; 103:432-7. [PMID: 25546738 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 12/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Don Crothers, Mikael Kubista, Jon Widom, and their teams have been first to look for strong nucleosomes, in a bid to reveal the nucleosome positioning pattern(s) carried by the nucleosome DNA sequences. They were first to demonstrate that the nucleosome stability correlates with 10-11 base sequence periodicity, and that the strong nucleosomes localize preferentially in centromeres. This review describes these findings and their connection to recent discovery of the strong nucleosomes (SNs) with visibly periodic nucleosome DNA sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reshma Nibhani
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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18
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Jeronimo C, Robert F. Histone chaperones FACT and Spt6 prevent histone variants from turning into histone deviants. Bioessays 2016; 38:420-6. [PMID: 26990181 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201500122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Histone variants are specialized histones which replace their canonical counterparts in specific nucleosomes. Together with histone post-translational modifications and DNA methylation, they contribute to the epigenome. Histone variants are incorporated at specific locations by the concerted action of histone chaperones and ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers. Recent studies have shown that the histone chaperone FACT plays key roles in preventing pervasive incorporation of two histone variants: H2A.Z and CenH3/CENP-A. In addition, Spt6, another histone chaperone, was also shown to be important for appropriate H2A.Z localization. FACT and Spt6 are both associated with elongating RNA polymerase II. Based on these two examples, we propose that the establishment and maintenance of histone variant genomic distributions depend on a transcription-coupled epigenome editing (or surveillance) function of histone chaperones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Jeronimo
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - François Robert
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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19
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Abstract
Precise positioning of nucleosomes around regulatory sites is achieved by the action of chromatin remodelers, which use the energy of ATP to slide, evict or change the composition of nucleosomes. Chromatin remodelers act to bind nucleosomes, disrupt histone-DNA interactions and translocate the DNA around the histone core to reposition nucleosomes. Hence, remodeling is expected to involve nucleosomal intermediates with a structural organization that is distinct from intact nucleosomes. We describe the identification of a partially unwrapped nucleosome structure using methods that map histone-DNA contacts genome-wide. This alternative nucleosome structure is likely formed as an intermediate or by-product during nucleosome remodeling by the RSC complex. Identification of the loss of histone-DNA contacts during chromatin remodeling by RSC in vivo has implications for the regulation of transcriptional initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivas Ramachandran
- a Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , Seattle , WA , USA
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20
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Shearing of the CENP-A dimerization interface mediates plasticity in the octameric centromeric nucleosome. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17038. [PMID: 26602160 PMCID: PMC4658507 DOI: 10.1038/srep17038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The centromeric nucleosome is a key epigenetic determinant of centromere identity and function. Consequently, deciphering how CENP-A containing nucleosomes contribute structurally to centromere function is a fundamental question in chromosome biology. Here, we performed microsecond timescale all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of CENP-A and H3 nucleosomes, and report that the octameric CENP-A core particles and nucleosomes display different dynamics from their canonical H3-containing counterparts. The most significant motion observed is within key interactions at the heart of the CENP-A octameric core, wherein shearing of contacts within the CENP-A:CENP-A' dimerization interface results in a weaker four helix bundle, and an extrusion of 10-30 bp of DNA near the pseudo-dyad. Coupled to other local and global fluctuations, the CENP-A nucleosome occupies a more rugged free energy landscape than the canonical H3 nucleosome. Taken together, our data suggest that CENP-A encodes enhanced distortability to the octameric nucleosome, which may allow for enhanced flexing of the histone core in vivo.
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21
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Díaz-Ingelmo O, Martínez-García B, Segura J, Valdés A, Roca J. DNA Topology and Global Architecture of Point Centromeres. Cell Rep 2015; 13:667-677. [PMID: 26489472 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA is wrapped in a left-handed fashion around histone octasomes containing the centromeric histone H3 variant CENP-A. However, DNA topology studies have suggested that DNA is wrapped in a right-handed manner around the CENP-A nucleosome that occupies the yeast point centromere. Here, we determine the DNA linking number difference (ΔLk) stabilized by the yeast centromere and the contribution of the centromere determining elements (CDEI, CDEII, and CDEIII). We show that the intrinsic architecture of the yeast centromere stabilizes +0.6 units of ΔLk. This topology depends on the integrity of CDEII and CDEIII, but it is independent of cbf1 binding to CDEI and of the variable length of CDEII. These findings suggest that the interaction of the CBF3 complex with CDEIII and a distal CDEII segment configures a right-handed DNA loop that excludes CDEI. This loop is then occupied by a CENP-A histone complex, which does not have to be inherently right-handed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofelia Díaz-Ingelmo
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Belén Martínez-García
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Joana Segura
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Antonio Valdés
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Joaquim Roca
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain.
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22
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Melters DP, Nye J, Zhao H, Dalal Y. Chromatin Dynamics in Vivo: A Game of Musical Chairs. Genes (Basel) 2015; 6:751-76. [PMID: 26262644 PMCID: PMC4584328 DOI: 10.3390/genes6030751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Histones are a major component of chromatin, the nucleoprotein complex fundamental to regulating transcription, facilitating cell division, and maintaining genome integrity in almost all eukaryotes. In addition to canonical, replication-dependent histones, replication-independent histone variants exist in most eukaryotes. In recent years, steady progress has been made in understanding how histone variants assemble, their involvement in development, mitosis, transcription, and genome repair. In this review, we will focus on the localization of the major histone variants H3.3, CENP-A, H2A.Z, and macroH2A, as well as how these variants have evolved, their structural differences, and their functional significance in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniël P Melters
- Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics Mechanisms Unit, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Jonathan Nye
- Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics Mechanisms Unit, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Haiqing Zhao
- Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics Mechanisms Unit, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Yamini Dalal
- Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics Mechanisms Unit, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 41 Library Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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23
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Abstract
Histone variants are an important part of the histone contribution to chromatin epigenetics. In this review, we describe how the known structural differences of these variants from their canonical histone counterparts impart a chromatin signature ultimately responsible for their epigenetic contribution. In terms of the core histones, H2A histone variants are major players while H3 variant CenH3, with a controversial role in the nucleosome conformation, remains the genuine epigenetic histone variant. Linker histone variants (histone H1 family) haven’t often been studied for their role in epigenetics. However, the micro-heterogeneity of the somatic canonical forms of linker histones appears to play an important role in maintaining the cell-differentiated states, while the cell cycle independent linker histone variants are involved in development. A picture starts to emerge in which histone H2A variants, in addition to their individual specific contributions to the nucleosome structure and dynamics, globally impair the accessibility of linker histones to defined chromatin locations and may have important consequences for determining different states of chromatin metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjinder S Cheema
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W-3P6, Canada.
| | - Juan Ausió
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W-3P6, Canada.
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24
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Zhou W, Zhu Y, Dong A, Shen WH. Histone H2A/H2B chaperones: from molecules to chromatin-based functions in plant growth and development. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 83:78-95. [PMID: 25781491 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosomal core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4) must be assembled, replaced or exchanged to preserve or modify chromatin organization and function according to cellular needs. Histone chaperones escort histones, and play key functions during nucleosome assembly/disassembly and in nucleosome structure configuration. Because of their location at the periphery of nucleosome, histone H2A-H2B dimers are remarkably dynamic. Here we focus on plant histone H2A/H2B chaperones, particularly members of the NUCLEOSOME ASSEMBLY PROTEIN-1 (NAP1) and FACILITATES CHROMATIN TRANSCRIPTION (FACT) families, discussing their molecular features, properties, regulation and function. Covalent histone modifications (e.g. ubiquitination, phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation) and H2A variants (H2A.Z, H2A.X and H2A.W) are also discussed in view of their crucial importance in modulating nucleosome organization and function. We further discuss roles of NAP1 and FACT in chromatin-based processes, such as transcription, DNA replication and repair. Specific functions of NAP1 and FACT are evident when their roles are considered with respect to regulation of plant growth and development and in plant responses to environmental stresses. Future major challenges remain in order to define in more detail the overlapping and specific roles of various members of the NAP1 family as well as differences and similarities between NAP1 and FACT family members, and to identify and characterize their partners as well as new families of chaperones to understand histone variant incorporation and chromatin target specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangbin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, International Associated Laboratory of CNRS-Fudan-HUNAU on Plant Epigenome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 20043, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, International Associated Laboratory of CNRS-Fudan-HUNAU on Plant Epigenome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 20043, China
| | - Aiwu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, International Associated Laboratory of CNRS-Fudan-HUNAU on Plant Epigenome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 20043, China
| | - Wen-Hui Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, International Associated Laboratory of CNRS-Fudan-HUNAU on Plant Epigenome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 20043, China
- Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du Général Zimmer, 67084, Strasbourg, France
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25
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Henikoff S. The Genetic Map Enters Its Second Century. Genetics 2015; 200:671-4. [PMID: 26170439 PMCID: PMC4512531 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.178434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Genetics Society of America (GSA) Medal is awarded to an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of genetics in the past 15 years. Recipients of the GSA Medal are recognized for elegant and highly meaningful contributions to modern genetics and exemplify the ingenuity of GSA members. The 2015 recipient is Steven Henikoff, whose achievements include major contributions to Drosophila genetics and epigenetics, Arabidopsis genetics and epigenetics, population and evolutionary genetics, genomic technologies, computational biology, and transcription and chromatin biology. Among these achievements, Henikoff elucidated the mechanism for position-effect variegation, revealed a central role for variant histones in nucleosome assembly at active genes, and provided new insights into genome evolution. He has also developed widely used computational tools for genome and protein analysis and new strategies for mapping chromatin-binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Henikoff
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109
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26
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Falk SJ, Guo LY, Sekulic N, Smoak EM, Mani T, Logsdon GA, Gupta K, Jansen LET, Van Duyne GD, Vinogradov SA, Lampson MA, Black BE. Chromosomes. CENP-C reshapes and stabilizes CENP-A nucleosomes at the centromere. Science 2015; 348:699-703. [PMID: 25954010 DOI: 10.1126/science.1259308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Inheritance of each chromosome depends upon its centromere. A histone H3 variant, centromere protein A (CENP-A), is essential for epigenetically marking centromere location. We find that CENP-A is quantitatively retained at the centromere upon which it is initially assembled. CENP-C binds to CENP-A nucleosomes and is a prime candidate to stabilize centromeric chromatin. Using purified components, we find that CENP-C reshapes the octameric histone core of CENP-A nucleosomes, rigidifies both surface and internal nucleosome structure, and modulates terminal DNA to match the loose wrap that is found on native CENP-A nucleosomes at functional human centromeres. Thus, CENP-C affects nucleosome shape and dynamics in a manner analogous to allosteric regulation of enzymes. CENP-C depletion leads to rapid removal of CENP-A from centromeres, indicating their collaboration in maintaining centromere identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Falk
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lucie Y Guo
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nikolina Sekulic
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Evan M Smoak
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tomoyasu Mani
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Glennis A Logsdon
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kushol Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Gregory D Van Duyne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sergei A Vinogradov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael A Lampson
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ben E Black
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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27
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Steiner FA, Henikoff S. Diversity in the organization of centromeric chromatin. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2015; 31:28-35. [PMID: 25956076 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2015.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Centromeric chromatin is distinguished primarily by nucleosomes containing the histone variant cenH3, which organizes the kinetochore that links the chromosome to the spindle apparatus. Whereas budding yeast have simple 'point' centromeres with single cenH3 nucleosomes, and fission yeast have 'regional' centromeres without obvious sequence specificity, the centromeres of most organisms are embedded in highly repetitive 'satellite' DNA. Recent studies have revealed a remarkable diversity in centromere chromatin organization among different lineages, including some that have lost cenH3 altogether. We review recent progress in understanding point, regional and satellite centromeres, as well as less well-studied centromere types, such as holocentromeres. We also discuss the formation of neocentromeres, the role of pericentric heterochromatin, and the structure and composition of the cenH3 nucleosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian A Steiner
- Basic Sciences Division and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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28
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Rhee HS, Bataille AR, Zhang L, Pugh BF. Subnucleosomal structures and nucleosome asymmetry across a genome. Cell 2014; 159:1377-88. [PMID: 25480300 PMCID: PMC4258235 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 07/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Genes are packaged into nucleosomal arrays, each nucleosome typically having two copies of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Histones have distinct posttranslational modifications, variant isoforms, and dynamics. Whether each histone copy within a nucleosome has distinct properties, particularly in relation to the direction of transcription, is unknown. Here we use chromatin immunoprecipitation-exonuclease (ChIP-exo) to resolve the organization of individual histones on a genomic scale. We detect widespread subnucleosomal structures in dynamic chromatin, including what appear to be half-nucleosomes consisting of one copy of each histone. We also detect interactions of H3 tails with linker DNA between nucleosomes, which may be negatively regulated by methylation of H3K36. Histone variant H2A.Z is enriched on the promoter-distal half of the +1 nucleosome, whereas H2BK123 ubiquitylation and H3K9 acetylation are enriched on the promoter-proximal half in a transcription-linked manner. Subnucleosome asymmetries might serve as molecular beacons that guide transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Sung Rhee
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alain R Bataille
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Liye Zhang
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - B Franklin Pugh
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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29
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Wisniewski J, Hajj B, Chen J, Mizuguchi G, Xiao H, Wei D, Dahan M, Wu C. Imaging the fate of histone Cse4 reveals de novo replacement in S phase and subsequent stable residence at centromeres. eLife 2014; 3:e02203. [PMID: 24844245 PMCID: PMC4067749 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The budding yeast centromere contains Cse4, a specialized histone H3 variant. Fluorescence pulse-chase analysis of an internally tagged Cse4 reveals that it is replaced with newly synthesized molecules in S phase, remaining stably associated with centromeres thereafter. In contrast, C-terminally-tagged Cse4 is functionally impaired, showing slow cell growth, cell lethality at elevated temperatures, and extra-centromeric nuclear accumulation. Recent studies using such strains gave conflicting findings regarding the centromeric abundance and cell cycle dynamics of Cse4. Our findings indicate that internally tagged Cse4 is a better reporter of the biology of this histone variant. Furthermore, the size of centromeric Cse4 clusters was precisely mapped with a new 3D-PALM method, revealing substantial compaction during anaphase. Cse4-specific chaperone Scm3 displays steady-state, stoichiometric co-localization with Cse4 at centromeres throughout the cell cycle, while undergoing exchange with a nuclear pool. These findings suggest that a stable Cse4 nucleosome is maintained by dynamic chaperone-in-residence Scm3.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02203.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Wisniewski
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Bassam Hajj
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Jiji Chen
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Gaku Mizuguchi
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Hua Xiao
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Debbie Wei
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Maxime Dahan
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Carl Wu
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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Cieśliński K, Ries J. The yeast kinetochore - structural insights from optical microscopy. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2014; 20:1-8. [PMID: 24763395 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In eukaryotic organisms each chromosome is captured by spindle microtubules. This interaction is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved, multi-protein complex called kinetochore. The main function of the kinetochore is to maintain correct chromosome segregation during cell division by transporting each sister chromatid to the spindle pole bodies localized at the opposite sites of the yeast nucleus. The kinetochore of budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is often used as a model system due to its simple composition compared to higher eukaryotes. This review highlights results obtained using optical imaging that revealed relative positions and stoichiometry of the major components of the budding yeast kinetochore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstanty Cieśliński
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Ries
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Henikoff S, Ramachandran S, Krassovsky K, Bryson TD, Codomo CA, Brogaard K, Widom J, Wang JP, Henikoff JG. The budding yeast Centromere DNA Element II wraps a stable Cse4 hemisome in either orientation in vivo. eLife 2014; 3:e01861. [PMID: 24737863 PMCID: PMC3983907 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In budding yeast, a single cenH3 (Cse4) nucleosome occupies the ∼120-bp functional centromere, however conflicting structural models for the particle have been proposed. To resolve this controversy, we have applied H4S47C-anchored cleavage mapping, which reveals the precise position of histone H4 in every nucleosome in the genome. We find that cleavage patterns at centromeres are unique within the genome and are incompatible with symmetrical structures, including octameric nucleosomes and (Cse4/H4)2 tetrasomes. Centromere cleavage patterns are compatible with a precisely positioned core structure, one in which each of the 16 yeast centromeres is occupied by oppositely oriented Cse4/H4/H2A/H2B hemisomes in two rotational phases within the population. Centromere-specific hemisomes are also inferred from distances observed between closely-spaced H4 cleavages, as predicted from structural modeling. Our results indicate that the orientation and rotational position of the stable hemisome at each yeast centromere is not specified by the functional centromere sequence. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01861.001 DNA is tightly packaged in cells for a variety of reasons—to allow it to fit inside the nucleus, to protect it from damage, and to help control the production of proteins from genes. The basic unit of packaged DNA is called a nucleosome, which consists of DNA wrapped around a structure formed by two pairs of four different proteins. These proteins, which are called histones, have a role that extends beyond providing structural support for DNA. When cells divide, for example, pairs of ‘sister chromosomes’ are pulled apart to ensure that the two daughter cells both have the same chromosomes as the original cell. The sister chromosomes are pulled apart from a single position called a centromere, and the nucleosomes at this position contain a histone that is different from the histones found everywhere else in the cell. However, until recently it was not clear if the nucleosomes that contained these special cenH3 histones had the same structure as other nucleosomes. Now Henikoff et al. have used a method called H4S47C-anchored cleavage mapping to study every nucleosome in the genome of the yeast S. cerevisiae. This mapping technique uses DNA sequencing to measure the precise distances between fixed points on the DNA in the nucleosome. Knowing these distances tells researchers a great deal about the number and position of the histones within each nucleosome in the genome. Using this approach, Henikoff et al. found that nucleosomes at centromeres are different from other nucleosomes in histone number and arrangement. In particular, the nucleosome at each yeast centromere contains only one each of the four different histones in an asymmetrical orientation, in contrast to all other yeast nucleosomes, which contain two sets of four histones in a symmetrical arrangement. Furthermore, each nucleosome at a centromere can adopt one of two orientations: these orientations are mirror images of each other, and they occur with equal probability. It should also be possible to use the mapping technique developed by Henikoff et al. to study the larger and more complex centromeres found in other organisms, including humans. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01861.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
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Reply to "CENP-A octamers do not confer a reduction in nucleosome height by AFM". Nat Struct Mol Biol 2014; 21:5-8. [PMID: 24389543 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Codomo CA, Furuyama T, Henikoff S. CENP-A octamers do not confer a reduction in nucleosome height by AFM. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2014; 21:4-5. [PMID: 24389542 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Codomo
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Takehito Furuyama
- 1] Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. [2] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- 1] Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. [2] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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A network of players in H3 histone variant deposition and maintenance at centromeres. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2014; 1839:241-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2013.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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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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