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Muhammad A, Sarkadi Z, van Emden T, Mazumder A, Capella M, Fekete G, Sreechakram VNS, Al-Sady B, Papp B, Barrales RR, Braun S. A systematic quantitative approach comprehensively defines domain-specific functional pathways linked to Schizosaccharomyces pombe heterochromatin regulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.13.579970. [PMID: 38405799 PMCID: PMC10888830 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.579970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Heterochromatin plays a critical role in regulating gene expression and maintaining genome integrity. While structural and enzymatic components have been linked to heterochromatin establishment, a comprehensive view of the underlying pathways at diverse heterochromatin domains remains elusive. Here, we developed a systematic approach to identify factors involved in heterochromatin silencing at pericentromeres, subtelomeres, and the silent mating type locus in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Using quantitative measures, iterative genetic screening, and domain-specific heterochromatin reporters, we identified 369 mutants with different degrees of reduced or enhanced silencing. As expected, mutations in the core heterochromatin machinery globally decreased silencing. However, most other mutants exhibited distinct qualitative and quantitative profiles that indicate domain-specific functions. For example, decreased mating type silencing was linked to mutations in heterochromatin maintenance genes, while compromised subtelomere silencing was associated with metabolic pathways. Furthermore, similar phenotypic profiles revealed shared functions for subunits within complexes. We also discovered that the uncharacterized protein Dhm2 plays a crucial role in maintaining constitutive and facultative heterochromatin, while its absence caused phenotypes akin to DNA replication-deficient mutants. Collectively, our systematic approach unveiled a landscape of domain-specific heterochromatin regulators controlling distinct states and identified Dhm2 as a previously unknown factor linked to heterochromatin inheritance and replication fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abubakar Muhammad
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Zsuzsa Sarkadi
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Thomas van Emden
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Agnisrota Mazumder
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matias Capella
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Present address: Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Gergely Fekete
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Vishnu N Suma Sreechakram
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bassem Al-Sady
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Balázs Papp
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- HCEMM-BRC Metabolic Systems Biology Lab, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ramón Ramos Barrales
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Present address: Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - Sigurd Braun
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- BioMedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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2
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Sidhwani P, Straight AF. Epigenetic inheritance and boundary maintenance at human centromeres. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102694. [PMID: 37657353 PMCID: PMC10530090 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Centromeres are chromosomal regions that provide the foundation for microtubule attachment during chromosome segregation. Centromeres are epigenetically defined by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant centromere protein A (CENP-A) and, in many organisms, are surrounded by transcriptionally repressed pericentromeric chromatin marked by trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me3). Pericentromeric regions facilitate sister chromatid cohesion during mitosis, thereby supporting centromere function. Heterochromatin has a known propensity to spread into adjacent euchromatic domains unless it is properly bounded. Heterochromatin spreading into the centromere can disrupt kinetochore function, perturbing chromosome segregation and genome stability. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, tRNA genes provide barriers to heterochromatin spread at the centromere, the absence of which results in abnormal meiotic chromosome segregation. How heterochromatin-centromere boundaries are established in humans is not understood. We propose models for stable epigenetic inheritance of centromeric domains in humans and discuss advances that will enable the discovery of novel regulators of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Sidhwani
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States. https://twitter.com/@pra_sidh
| | - Aaron F Straight
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.
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3
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Ueno M. Exploring Genetic Interactions with Telomere Protection Gene pot1 in Fission Yeast. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020370. [PMID: 36830739 PMCID: PMC9953254 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of telomere length has a significant impact on cancer risk and aging in humans. Circular chromosomes are found in humans and are often unstable during mitosis, resulting in genome instability. Some types of cancer have a high frequency of a circular chromosome. Fission yeast is a good model for studying the formation and stability of circular chromosomes as deletion of pot1 (encoding a telomere protection protein) results in rapid telomere degradation and chromosome fusion. Pot1 binds to single-stranded telomere DNA and is conserved from fission yeast to humans. Loss of pot1 leads to viable strains in which all three fission yeast chromosomes become circular. In this review, I will introduce pot1 genetic interactions as these inform on processes such as the degradation of uncapped telomeres, chromosome fusion, and maintenance of circular chromosomes. Therefore, exploring genes that genetically interact with pot1 contributes to finding new genes and/or new functions of genes related to the maintenance of telomeres and/or circular chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Ueno
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan; ; Tel.: +81-82-424-7768
- Hiroshima Research Center for Healthy Aging (HiHA), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan
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4
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Shan CM, Fang Y, Jia S. Leaving histone unturned for epigenetic inheritance. FEBS J 2023; 290:310-320. [PMID: 34726351 PMCID: PMC9058036 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications in histones play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression programs, and the modified histones can be passed on to subsequent generations as an epigenetic memory. The fission yeast has been a great model organism for studying histone modifications in heterochromatin assembly and epigenetic inheritance. Here, we review findings in this organism that cemented the idea of chromatin-based inheritance and highlight recent studies that reveal the role of histone turnover in regulating this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Min Shan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Present address: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yimeng Fang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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5
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Oh J, Yeom S, Park J, Lee JS. The regional sequestration of heterochromatin structural proteins is critical to form and maintain silent chromatin. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:5. [PMID: 35101096 PMCID: PMC8805269 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00435-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe are good models for heterochromatin study. In S. pombe, H3K9 methylation and Swi6, an ortholog of mammalian HP1, lead to heterochromatin formation. However, S. cerevisiae does not have known epigenetic silencing markers and instead has Sir proteins to regulate silent chromatin formation. Although S. cerevisiae and S. pombe form and maintain heterochromatin via mechanisms that appear to be fundamentally different, they share important common features in the heterochromatin structural proteins. Heterochromatin loci are localized at the nuclear periphery by binding to perinuclear membrane proteins, thereby producing distinct heterochromatin foci, which sequester heterochromatin structural proteins. In this review, we discuss the nuclear peripheral anchoring of heterochromatin foci and its functional relevance to heterochromatin formation and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junsoo Oh
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondeahak-gil, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Soojin Yeom
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondeahak-gil, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeon Park
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondeahak-gil, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Shin Lee
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondeahak-gil, Chuncheon, 24341, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Shi S, Zhou Y, Lu Y, Sun H, Xue J, Wu Z, Lei M. Ccq1-Raf2 interaction mediates CLRC recruitment to establish heterochromatin at telomeres. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:4/11/e202101106. [PMID: 34493579 PMCID: PMC8424379 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
This study unveils a role of Ccq1–Raf2 interaction in CLRC recruitment to establish heterochromatin at telomeres, providing a positive feedback mechanism between shelterin and CLRC for subtelomeric heterochromatin assembly. Telomeres, highly ordered DNA-protein complexes at eukaryotic linear chromosome ends, are specialized heterochromatin loci conserved among eukaryotes. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the shelterin complex is important for subtelomeric heterochromatin establishment. Despite shelterin has been demonstrated to mediate the recruitment of the Snf2/histone deacetylase–containing repressor complex (SHREC) and the Clr4 methyltransferase complex (CLRC) to telomeres, the mechanism involved in telomeric heterochromatin assembly remains elusive due to the multiple functions of the shelterin complex. Here, we found that CLRC plays a dominant role in heterochromatin establishment at telomeres. In addition, we identified a series of amino acids in the shelterin subunit Ccq1 that are important for the specific interaction between Ccq1 and the CLRC subunit Raf2. Finally, we demonstrated that the Ccq1–Raf2 interaction is essential for the recruitment of CLRC to telomeres, that contributes to histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, nucleosome stability and the shelterin-chromatin association, promoting a positive feedback mechanism for the nucleation and spreading of heterochromatin at subtelomeres. Together, our findings provide a mechanistic understanding of subtelomeric heterochromatin assembly by shelterin-dependent CLRC recruitment to chromosomal ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanze Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanjia Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenfang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China .,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China .,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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7
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Spreading and epigenetic inheritance of heterochromatin require a critical density of histone H3 lysine 9 tri-methylation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100699118. [PMID: 34035174 PMCID: PMC8179192 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100699118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, a single genome gives rise to a multitude of cell types by enforcing appropriate gene expression patterns. Epigenetic mechanisms involving modification of histones, including tri-methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me3), assemble and propagate repressive heterochromatin to prevent untimely gene expression. Dysregulation of epigenetic gene-silencing mechanisms is a hallmark of a variety of diseases including cancer. However, the requirements for epigenetic transmission of heterochromatin are not well understood. This study reveals the mechanism by which methylated histones provide an epigenetic template for heterochromatin propagation. We discover that a critical threshold of H3K9me3 is required for effective chromatin-association of the histone methyltransferase, which binds to and catalyzes additional H3K9me to propagate heterochromatin and enforce stable gene silencing. Heterochromatin assembly requires methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me) and serves as a paradigm for understanding the importance of histone modifications in epigenetic genome control. Heterochromatin is nucleated at specific genomic sites and spreads across extended chromosomal domains to promote gene silencing. Moreover, heterochromatic structures can be epigenetically inherited in a self-templating manner, which is critical for stable gene repression. The spreading and inheritance of heterochromatin are believed to be dependent on preexisting H3K9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3), which is recognized by the histone methyltransferase Clr4/Suv39h via its chromodomain, to promote further deposition of H3K9me. However, the process involving the coupling of the “read” and “write” capabilities of histone methyltransferases is poorly understood. From an unbiased genetic screen, we characterize a dominant-negative mutation in histone H3 (H3G13D) that impairs the propagation of endogenous and ectopic heterochromatin domains in the fission yeast genome. H3G13D blocks methylation of H3K9 by the Clr4/Suv39h methyltransferase and acts in a dosage-dependent manner to interfere with the spreading and maintenance of heterochromatin. Our analyses show that the incorporation of unmethylatable histone H3G13D into chromatin decreases H3K9me3 density and thereby compromises the read-write capability of Clr4/Suv39h. Consistently, enhancing the affinity of Clr4/Suv39h for methylated H3K9 is sufficient to overcome the defects in heterochromatin assembly caused by H3G13D. Our work directly implicates methylated histones in the transmission of epigenetic memory and shows that a critical density threshold of H3K9me3 is required to promote epigenetic inheritance of heterochromatin through the read-write mechanism.
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8
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A single m 6A modification in U6 snRNA diversifies exon sequence at the 5' splice site. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3244. [PMID: 34050143 PMCID: PMC8163875 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23457-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a modification that plays pivotal roles in RNA metabolism and function, although its functions in spliceosomal U6 snRNA remain unknown. To elucidate its role, we conduct a large-scale transcriptome analysis of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain lacking this modification and found a global change of pre-mRNA splicing. The most significantly impacted introns are enriched for adenosine at the fourth position pairing the m6A in U6 snRNA, and exon sequences weakly recognized by U5 snRNA. This suggests cooperative recognition of 5' splice site by U6 and U5 snRNPs, and also a role of m6A facilitating efficient recognition of the splice sites weakly interacting with U5 snRNA, indicating that U6 snRNA m6A relaxes the 5' exon constraint and allows protein sequence diversity along with explosively increasing number of introns over the course of eukaryotic evolution.
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9
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Shan CM, Bao K, Diedrich J, Chen X, Lu C, Yates JR, Jia S. The INO80 Complex Regulates Epigenetic Inheritance of Heterochromatin. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108561. [PMID: 33378674 PMCID: PMC7896557 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
One key aspect of epigenetic inheritance is that chromatin structures can be stably inherited through generations after the removal of the signals that establish such structures. In fission yeast, the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway is critical for the targeting of histone methyltransferase Clr4 to pericentric repeats to establish heterochromatin. However, pericentric heterochromatin cannot be properly inherited in the absence of RNAi, suggesting the existence of mechanisms that counteract chromatin structure inheritance. Here, we show that mutations of components of the INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex allow pericentric heterochromatin inheritance in RNAi mutants. The ability of INO80 to counter heterochromatin inheritance is attributed to one subunit, Iec5, which promotes histone turnover at heterochromatin but has little effects on nucleosome positioning at heterochromatin, gene expression, or the DNA damage response. These analyses demonstrate the importance of the INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex in controlling heterochromatin inheritance and maintaining the proper heterochromatin landscape of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Min Shan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Kehan Bao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jolene Diedrich
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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10
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Sun L, Liu XM, Li WZ, Yi YY, He X, Wang Y, Jin QW. The molecular chaperone Hsp90 regulates heterochromatin assembly through stabilizing multiple complexes in fission yeast. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs244863. [PMID: 32499408 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.244863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, both RNAi machinery and RNAi-independent factors mediate transcriptional and posttranscriptional silencing and heterochromatin formation. Here, we show that the silencing of reporter genes at major native heterochromatic loci (centromeres, telomeres, mating-type locus and rDNA regions) and an artificially induced heterochromatin locus is alleviated in a fission yeast hsp90 mutant, hsp90-G84C Also, H3K9me2 enrichment at heterochromatin regions, especially at the mating-type locus and subtelomeres, is compromised, suggesting heterochromatin assembly defects. We further discovered that Hsp90 is required for stabilization or assembly of the RNA-induced transcriptional silencing (RITS) and Argonaute siRNA chaperone (ARC) RNAi effector complexes, the RNAi-independent factor Fft3, the shelterin complex subunit Poz1 and the Snf2/HDAC-containing repressor complex (SHREC). Our ChIP data suggest that Hsp90 regulates the efficient recruitment of the methyltransferase/ubiquitin ligase complex CLRC by shelterin to chromosome ends and targeting of the SHREC and Fft3 to mating type locus and/or rDNA region. Finally, our genetic analyses demonstrated that increased heterochromatin spreading restores silencing at subtelomeres in the hsp90-G84C mutant. Thus, this work uncovers a conserved factor critical for promoting RNAi-dependent and -independent heterochromatin assembly and gene silencing through stabilizing multiple effectors and effector complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Xiao-Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Wen-Zhu Li
- Life Sciences Institute and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Xiangwei He
- Life Sciences Institute and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yamei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Quan-Wen Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
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11
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Irie H, Yamamoto I, Tarumoto Y, Tashiro S, Runge KW, Ishikawa F. Telomere-binding proteins Taz1 and Rap1 regulate DSB repair and suppress gross chromosomal rearrangements in fission yeast. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008335. [PMID: 31454352 PMCID: PMC6733473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic rearrangements (gross chromosomal rearrangements, GCRs) threatens genome integrity and cause cell death or tumor formation. At the terminus of linear chromosomes, a telomere-binding protein complex, called shelterin, ensures chromosome stability by preventing chromosome end-to-end fusions and regulating telomere length homeostasis. As such, shelterin-mediated telomere functions play a pivotal role in suppressing GCR formation. However, it remains unclear whether the shelterin proteins play any direct role in inhibiting GCR at non-telomeric regions. Here, we have established a GCR assay for the first time in fission yeast and measured GCR rates in various mutants. We found that fission yeast cells lacking shelterin components Taz1 or Rap1 (mammalian TRF1/2 or RAP1 homologues, respectively) showed higher GCR rates compared to wild-type, accumulating large chromosome deletions. Genetic dissection of Rap1 revealed that Rap1 contributes to inhibiting GCRs via two independent pathways. The N-terminal BRCT-domain promotes faithful DSB repair, as determined by I-SceI-mediated DSB-induction experiments; moreover, association with Poz1 mediated by the central Poz1-binding domain regulates telomerase accessibility to DSBs, leading to suppression of de novo telomere additions. Our data highlight unappreciated functions of the shelterin components Taz1 and Rap1 in maintaining genome stability, specifically by preventing non-telomeric GCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Irie
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Io Yamamoto
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yusuke Tarumoto
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sanki Tashiro
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kurt W. Runge
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Fuyuki Ishikawa
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
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12
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Armstrong CA, Moiseeva V, Collopy LC, Pearson SR, Ullah TR, Xi ST, Martin J, Subramaniam S, Marelli S, Amelina H, Tomita K. Fission yeast Ccq1 is a modulator of telomerase activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:704-716. [PMID: 29216371 PMCID: PMC5778466 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Shelterin, the telomeric protein complex, plays a crucial role in telomere homeostasis. In fission yeast, telomerase is recruited to chromosome ends by the shelterin component Tpz1 and its binding partner Ccq1, where telomerase binds to the 3' overhang to add telomeric repeats. Recruitment is initiated by the interaction of Ccq1 with the telomerase subunit Est1. However, how telomerase is released following elongation remains to be established. Here, we show that Ccq1 also has a role in the suppression of telomere elongation, when coupled with the Clr4 histone H3 methyl-transferase complex and the Clr3 histone deacetylase and nucleosome remodelling complex, SHREC. We have dissected the functions of Ccq1 by establishing a Ccq1-Est1 fusion system, which bypasses the telomerase recruitment step. We demonstrate that Ccq1 forms two distinct complexes for positive and negative telomerase regulation, with Est1 and Clr3 respectively. The negative form of Ccq1 promotes dissociation of Ccq1-telomerase from Tpz1, thereby restricting local telomerase activity. The Clr4 complex also has a negative regulation activity with Ccq1, independently of SHREC. Thus, we propose a model in which Ccq1-Est1 recruits telomerase to mediate telomere extension, whilst elongated telomeric DNA recruits Ccq1 with the chromatin-remodelling complexes, which in turn releases telomerase from the telomere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Armstrong
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Vera Moiseeva
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Laura C Collopy
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Siân R Pearson
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Tomalika R Ullah
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK.,MSc Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Shidong T Xi
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK.,Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jennifer Martin
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK.,MSc Human Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Shaan Subramaniam
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK.,Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sara Marelli
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Hanna Amelina
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Kazunori Tomita
- Chromosome Maintenance Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, UK
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13
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van Emden TS, Forn M, Forné I, Sarkadi Z, Capella M, Martín Caballero L, Fischer-Burkart S, Brönner C, Simonetta M, Toczyski D, Halic M, Imhof A, Braun S. Shelterin and subtelomeric DNA sequences control nucleosome maintenance and genome stability. EMBO Rep 2018; 20:embr.201847181. [PMID: 30420521 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201847181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres and the shelterin complex cap and protect the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres are flanked by the subtelomeric sequences that have also been implicated in telomere regulation, although their role is not well defined. Here, we show that, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the telomere-associated sequences (TAS) present on most subtelomeres are hyper-recombinogenic, have metastable nucleosomes, and unusual low levels of H3K9 methylation. Ccq1, a subunit of shelterin, protects TAS from nucleosome loss by recruiting the heterochromatic repressor complexes CLRC and SHREC, thereby linking nucleosome stability to gene silencing. Nucleosome instability at TAS is independent of telomeric repeats and can be transmitted to an intrachromosomal locus containing an ectopic TAS fragment, indicating that this is an intrinsic property of the underlying DNA sequence. When telomerase recruitment is compromised in cells lacking Ccq1, DNA sequences present in the TAS promote recombination between chromosomal ends, independent of nucleosome abundance, implying an active function of these sequences in telomere maintenance. We propose that Ccq1 and fragile subtelomeres co-evolved to regulate telomere plasticity by controlling nucleosome occupancy and genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S van Emden
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marta Forn
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ignasi Forné
- Protein Analysis Unit (ZfP), BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Zsuzsa Sarkadi
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matías Capella
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Lucía Martín Caballero
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sabine Fischer-Burkart
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Cornelia Brönner
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marco Simonetta
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David Toczyski
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mario Halic
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Axel Imhof
- Protein Analysis Unit (ZfP), BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sigurd Braun
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany .,International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, Martinsried, Germany
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14
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Okazaki K, Kato H, Iida T, Shinmyozu K, Nakayama JI, Murakami Y, Urano T. RNAi-dependent heterochromatin assembly in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe requires heat-shock molecular chaperones Hsp90 and Mas5. Epigenetics Chromatin 2018; 11:26. [PMID: 29866182 PMCID: PMC5985592 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-018-0199-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Heat-shock molecular chaperone proteins (Hsps) promote the loading of small interfering RNA (siRNA) onto RNA interference (RNAi) effector complexes. While the RNAi process is coupled with heterochromatin assembly in several model organisms, it remains unclear whether the Hsps contribute to epigenetic gene regulation. In this study, we used the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model organism and investigated the roles of Hsp90 and Mas5 (a nucleocytoplasmic type-I Hsp40 protein) in RNAi-dependent heterochromatin assembly. Results Using a genetic screen and biochemical analyses, we identified Hsp90 and Mas5 as novel silencing factors. Mutations in the genes encoding these factors caused derepression of silencing at the pericentromere, where heterochromatin is assembled in an RNAi-dependent manner, but not at the subtelomere, where RNAi is dispensable. The mutations also caused a substantial reduction in the level of dimethylation of histone H3 at Lys9 at the pericentromere, where association of the Argonaute protein Ago1 was also abrogated. Consistently, siRNA corresponding to the pericentromeric repeats was undetectable in these mutant cells. In addition, levels of Tas3, which is a protein in the RNA-induced transcriptional silencing complex along with Ago1, were reduced in the absence of Mas5. Conclusions Our results suggest that the Hsps Hsp90 and Mas5 contribute to RNAi-dependent heterochromatin assembly. In particular, Mas5 appears to be required to stabilize Tas3 in vivo. We infer that impairment of Hsp90 and Hsp40 also may affect the integrity of the epigenome in other organisms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-018-0199-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Okazaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.,KNC Laboratories Co. Ltd., Kobe, Hyogo, 651-2271, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kato
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Tetsushi Iida
- Division of Cytogenetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 1111 Yata, Mishima, 411-8540, Japan.,Laboratory for Genome Regeneration, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Kaori Shinmyozu
- Proteomics Support Unit, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.,National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Nakayama
- Division of Chromatin Regulation, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yota Murakami
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Takeshi Urano
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
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15
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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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16
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Begnis M, Apte MS, Masuda H, Jain D, Wheeler DL, Cooper JP. RNAi drives nonreciprocal translocations at eroding chromosome ends to establish telomere-free linear chromosomes. Genes Dev 2018; 32:537-554. [PMID: 29654060 PMCID: PMC5959237 DOI: 10.1101/gad.311712.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Begnis et al. show that HAATI, which is a mode of telomerase-minus survival in which canonical telomeres are superseded by blocks of nontelomeric rDNA heterochromatin that have spread to all chromosome ends, is formed and maintained. Their findings demonstrate that HAATI arises when telomere loss triggers a newly recognized illegitimate recombination pathway that requires RNAi factors, uncovering novel roles for ncRNAs in assembling a telomere-free chromosome end protection device. The identification of telomerase-negative HAATI (heterochromatin amplification-mediated and telomerase-independent) cells, in which telomeres are superseded by nontelomeric heterochromatin tracts, challenged the idea that canonical telomeres are essential for chromosome linearity and raised crucial questions as to how such tracts translocate to eroding chromosome ends and confer end protection. Here we show that HAATI arises when telomere loss triggers a newly recognized illegitimate translocation pathway that requires RNAi factors. While RNAi is necessary for the translocation events that mobilize ribosomal DNA (rDNA) tracts to all chromosome ends (forming “HAATIrDNA” chromosomes), it is dispensable for HAATIrDNA maintenance. Surprisingly, Dicer (Dcr1) plays a separate, RNAi-independent role in preventing formation of the rare HAATI subtype in which a different repetitive element (the subtelomeric element) replaces telomeres. Using genetics and fusions between shelterin components and rDNA-binding proteins, we mapped the mechanism by which rDNA loci engage crucial end protection factors—despite the absence of telomere repeats—and secure end protection. Sequence analysis of HAATIrDNA genomes allowed us to propose RNA and DNA polymerase template-switching models for the mechanism of RNAi-triggered rDNA translocations. Collectively, our results reveal unforeseen roles for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in assembling a telomere-free chromosome end protection device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Begnis
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.,Telomere Biology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, London WC2A 3LY, United Kingdom
| | - Manasi S Apte
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Hirohisa Masuda
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Devanshi Jain
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - David Lee Wheeler
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Julia Promisel Cooper
- Telomere Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.,Telomere Biology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, London WC2A 3LY, United Kingdom
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17
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Gomez-Escobar N, Almobadel N, Alzahrani O, Feichtinger J, Planells-Palop V, Alshehri Z, Thallinger GG, Wakeman JA, McFarlane RJ. Translin and Trax differentially regulate telomere-associated transcript homeostasis. Oncotarget 2017; 7:33809-20. [PMID: 27183912 PMCID: PMC5085120 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Translin and Trax proteins are highly conserved nucleic acid binding proteins that have been implicated in RNA regulation in a range of biological processes including tRNA processing, RNA interference, microRNA degradation during oncogenesis, spermatogenesis and neuronal regulation. Here, we explore the function of this paralogue pair of proteins in the fission yeast. Using transcript analysis we demonstrate a reciprocal mechanism for control of telomere-associated transcripts. Mutation of tfx1+ (Trax) elevates transcript levels from silenced sub-telomeric regions of the genome, but not other silenced regions, such as the peri-centromeric heterochromatin. In the case of some sub-telomeric transcripts, but not all, this elevation is dependent on the Trax paralogue, Tsn1 (Translin). In a reciprocal fashion, Tsn1 (Translin) serves to repress levels of transcripts (TERRAs) from the telomeric repeats, whereas Tfx1 serves to maintain these elevated levels. This reveals a novel mechanism for the regulation of telomeric transcripts. We extend this to demonstrate that human Translin and Trax also control telomere-associated transcript levels in human cells in a telomere-specific fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Gomez-Escobar
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Nasser Almobadel
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Othman Alzahrani
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Feichtinger
- Computational Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.,Omics Center Graz, BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Vicente Planells-Palop
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Zafer Alshehri
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Gerhard G Thallinger
- Computational Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.,Omics Center Graz, BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jane A Wakeman
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
| | - Ramsay J McFarlane
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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18
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Structure of the fission yeast S. pombe telomeric Tpz1-Poz1-Rap1 complex. Cell Res 2017; 27:1503-1520. [PMID: 29160296 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2017.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeric shelterin complex caps chromosome ends and plays a crucial role in telomere maintenance and protection. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, shelterin is composed of telomeric single- and double-stranded DNA-binding protein subcomplexes Pot1-Tpz1 and Taz1-Rap1, which are bridged by their interacting protein Poz1. However, the structure of Poz1 and how Poz1 functions as an interaction hub in the shelterin complex remain unclear. Here we report the crystal structure of Poz1 in complex with Poz1-binding motifs of Tpz1 and Rap1. The crystal structure shows that Poz1 employs two different binding surfaces to interact with Tpz1 and Rap1. Unexpectedly, the structure also reveals that Poz1 adopts a dimeric conformation. Mutational analyses suggest that proper interactions between Tpz1, Poz1, and Rap1 in the shelterin core complex are required for telomere length homeostasis and heterochromatin structure maintenance at telomeres. Structural resemblance between Poz1 and the TRFH domains of other shelterin proteins in fission yeast and humans suggests a model for the evolution of shelterin proteins.
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19
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Brönner C, Salvi L, Zocco M, Ugolini I, Halic M. Accumulation of RNA on chromatin disrupts heterochromatic silencing. Genome Res 2017; 27:1174-1183. [PMID: 28404620 PMCID: PMC5495069 DOI: 10.1101/gr.216986.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a conserved role in regulating gene expression, chromatin dynamics, and cell differentiation. They serve as a platform for RNA interference (RNAi)–mediated heterochromatin formation or DNA methylation in many eukaryotic organisms. We found in Schizosaccharomyces pombe that heterochromatin is lost at transcribed regions in the absence of RNA degradation. We show that heterochromatic RNAs are retained on chromatin, form DNA:RNA hybrids, and need to be degraded by the Ccr4-Not complex or RNAi to maintain heterochromatic silencing. The Ccr4-Not complex is localized to chromatin independently of H3K9me and degrades chromatin-associated transcripts, which is required for transcriptional silencing. Overexpression of heterochromatic RNA, but not euchromatic RNA, leads to chromatin localization and loss of silencing of a distant ade6 reporter in wild-type cells. Our results demonstrate that chromatin-bound RNAs disrupt heterochromatin organization and need to be degraded in a process of heterochromatin formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Brönner
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, University of Munich (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Luca Salvi
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, University of Munich (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Manuel Zocco
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, University of Munich (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ilaria Ugolini
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, University of Munich (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Mario Halic
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene Center, University of Munich (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
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20
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Roche B, Arcangioli B, Martienssen RA. RNA interference is essential for cellular quiescence. Science 2016; 354:science.aah5651. [PMID: 27738016 DOI: 10.1126/science.aah5651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Quiescent cells play a predominant role in most organisms. Here we identify RNA interference (RNAi) as a major requirement for quiescence (G0 phase of the cell cycle) in Schizosaccharomyces pombe RNAi mutants lose viability at G0 entry and are unable to maintain long-term quiescence. We identified suppressors of G0 defects in cells lacking Dicer (dcr1Δ), which mapped to genes involved in chromosome segregation, RNA polymerase-associated factors, and heterochromatin formation. We propose a model in which RNAi promotes the release of RNA polymerase in cycling and quiescent cells: (i) RNA polymerase II release mediates heterochromatin formation at centromeres, allowing proper chromosome segregation during mitotic growth and G0 entry, and (ii) RNA polymerase I release prevents heterochromatin formation at ribosomal DNA during quiescence maintenance. Our model may account for the codependency of RNAi and histone H3 lysine 9 methylation throughout eukaryotic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Roche
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - B Arcangioli
- Dynamics of the Genome Unit, Department of Genomes and Genetics, Institut Pasteur, UMR3525, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris 75015, France
| | - R A Martienssen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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21
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Zofall M, Smith DR, Mizuguchi T, Dhakshnamoorthy J, Grewal SIS. Taz1-Shelterin Promotes Facultative Heterochromatin Assembly at Chromosome-Internal Sites Containing Late Replication Origins. Mol Cell 2016; 62:862-874. [PMID: 27264871 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Facultative heterochromatin regulates gene expression, but its assembly is poorly understood. Previously, we identified facultative heterochromatin islands in the fission yeast genome and found that RNA elimination machinery promotes island assembly at meiotic genes. Here, we report that Taz1, a component of the telomere protection complex Shelterin, is required to assemble heterochromatin islands at regions corresponding to late replication origins that are sites of double-strand break formation during meiosis. The loss of Taz1 or other Shelterin subunits, including Ccq1 that interacts with Clr4/Suv39h, abolishes heterochromatin at late origins and causes derepression of associated genes. Moreover, the late-origin regulator Rif1 affects heterochromatin at Taz1-dependent islands and subtelomeric regions. We explore the connection between facultative heterochromatin and replication control and show that heterochromatin machinery affects replication timing. These analyses reveal the role of Shelterin in facultative heterochromatin assembly at late origins, which has important implications for genome stability and gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Zofall
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Deborah R Smith
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Takeshi Mizuguchi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jothy Dhakshnamoorthy
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - 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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22
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Wang J, Jia ST, Jia S. New Insights into the Regulation of Heterochromatin. Trends Genet 2016; 32:284-294. [PMID: 27005444 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2016.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
All living organisms are constantly exposed to stresses from internal biological processes and surrounding environments, which induce many adaptive changes in cellular physiology and gene expression programs. Unexpectedly, constitutive heterochromatin, which is generally associated with the stable maintenance of gene silencing, is also dynamically regulated in response to stimuli. In this review we discuss the mechanism of constitutive heterochromatin assembly, its dynamic nature, and its responses to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sharon T Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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23
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Wang J, Cohen AL, Letian A, Tadeo X, Moresco JJ, Liu J, Yates JR, Qiao F, Jia S. The proper connection between shelterin components is required for telomeric heterochromatin assembly. Genes Dev 2016; 30:827-39. [PMID: 26988418 PMCID: PMC4826398 DOI: 10.1101/gad.266718.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Telomeric regions contain prominent sites of heterochromatin, which is associated with unique histone modification profiles such as the methylation of histone H3 at Lys9 (H3K9me). In fission yeast, the conserved telomeric shelterin complex recruits the histone H3K9 methyltransferase complex CLRC to establish subtelomeric heterochromatin. Although many shelterin mutations affect subtelomeric heterochromatin assembly, the mechanism remains elusive due to the diverse functions of shelterin. Through affinity purification, we found that shelterin directly associates with CLRC through the Ccq1 subunit. Surprisingly, mutations that disrupt interactions between shelterin subunits compromise subtelomeric heterochromatin without affecting CLRC interaction with shelterin component Pot1, located at chromosome ends. We further discovered that telomeric repeats are refractory to heterochromatin spreading and that artificial restoration of shelterin connections or increased heterochromatin spreading rescued heterochromatin defects in these shelterin mutants. Thus, subtelomeric heterochromatin assembly requires both the recruitment of CLRC by shelterin to chromosome ends and the proper connection of shelterin components, which allows CLRC to skip telomeric repeats to internal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Allison L Cohen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Anudari Letian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Xavier Tadeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - James J Moresco
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jinqiang Liu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Feng Qiao
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
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24
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Barrales RR, Forn M, Georgescu PR, Sarkadi Z, Braun S. Control of heterochromatin localization and silencing by the nuclear membrane protein Lem2. Genes Dev 2016; 30:133-48. [PMID: 26744419 PMCID: PMC4719305 DOI: 10.1101/gad.271288.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptionally silent chromatin localizes to the nuclear periphery, which provides a special microenvironment for gene repression. A variety of nuclear membrane proteins interact with repressed chromatin, yet the functional role of these interactions remains poorly understood. Here, we show that, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the nuclear membrane protein Lem2 associates with chromatin and mediates silencing and heterochromatin localization. Unexpectedly, we found that these functions can be separated and assigned to different structural domains within Lem2, excluding a simple tethering mechanism. Chromatin association and tethering of centromeres to the periphery are mediated by the N-terminal LEM (LAP2-Emerin-MAN1) domain of Lem2, whereas telomere anchoring and heterochromatin silencing require exclusively its conserved C-terminal MSC (MAN1-Src1 C-terminal) domain. Particularly, silencing by Lem2 is epistatic with the Snf2/HDAC (histone deacetylase) repressor complex SHREC at telomeres, while its necessity can be bypassed by deleting Epe1, a JmjC protein with anti-silencing activity. Furthermore, we found that loss of Lem2 reduces heterochromatin association of SHREC, which is accompanied by increased binding of Epe1. This reveals a critical function of Lem2 in coordinating these antagonistic factors at heterochromatin. The distinct silencing and localization functions mediated by Lem2 suggest that these conserved LEM-containing proteins go beyond simple tethering to play active roles in perinuclear silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Ramos Barrales
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marta Forn
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Paula Raluca Georgescu
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Zsuzsa Sarkadi
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sigurd Braun
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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Larin ML, Harding K, Williams EC, Lianga N, Doré C, Pilon S, Langis É, Yanofsky C, Rudner AD. Competition between Heterochromatic Loci Allows the Abundance of the Silencing Protein, Sir4, to Regulate de novo Assembly of Heterochromatin. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005425. [PMID: 26587833 PMCID: PMC4654584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in the locations and boundaries of heterochromatin are critical during development, and de novo assembly of silent chromatin in budding yeast is a well-studied model for how new sites of heterochromatin assemble. De novo assembly cannot occur in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and one to two divisions are needed for complete silent chromatin assembly and transcriptional repression. Mutation of DOT1, the histone H3 lysine 79 (K79) methyltransferase, and SET1, the histone H3 lysine 4 (K4) methyltransferase, speed de novo assembly. These observations have led to the model that regulated demethylation of histones may be a mechanism for how cells control the establishment of heterochromatin. We find that the abundance of Sir4, a protein required for the assembly of silent chromatin, decreases dramatically during a G1 arrest and therefore tested if changing the levels of Sir4 would also alter the speed of de novo establishment. Halving the level of Sir4 slows heterochromatin establishment, while increasing Sir4 speeds establishment. yku70Δ and ubp10Δ cells also speed de novo assembly, and like dot1Δ cells have defects in subtelomeric silencing, suggesting that these mutants may indirectly speed de novo establishment by liberating Sir4 from telomeres. Deleting RIF1 and RIF2, which suppresses the subtelomeric silencing defects in these mutants, rescues the advanced de novo establishment in yku70Δ and ubp10Δ cells, but not in dot1Δ cells, suggesting that YKU70 and UBP10 regulate Sir4 availability by modulating subtelomeric silencing, while DOT1 functions directly to regulate establishment. Our data support a model whereby the demethylation of histone H3 K79 and changes in Sir4 abundance and availability define two rate-limiting steps that regulate de novo assembly of heterochromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. Larin
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katherine Harding
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth C. Williams
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noel Lianga
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carole Doré
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophie Pilon
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Éric Langis
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Corey Yanofsky
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adam D. Rudner
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Bayne EH, Bijos DA, White SA, de Lima Alves F, Rappsilber J, Allshire RC. A systematic genetic screen identifies new factors influencing centromeric heterochromatin integrity in fission yeast. Genome Biol 2015; 15:481. [PMID: 25274039 PMCID: PMC4210515 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-014-0481-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Heterochromatin plays important roles in the regulation and stability of eukaryotic genomes. Both heterochromatin components and pathways that promote heterochromatin assembly, including RNA interference, RNAi, are broadly conserved between the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and humans. As a result, fission yeast has emerged as an important model system for dissecting mechanisms governing heterochromatin integrity. Thus far, over 50 proteins have been found to contribute to heterochromatin assembly at fission yeast centromeres. However, previous studies have not been exhaustive, and it is therefore likely that further factors remain to be identified. Results To gain a more complete understanding of heterochromatin assembly pathways, we have performed a systematic genetic screen for factors required for centromeric heterochromatin integrity. In addition to known RNAi and chromatin modification components, we identified several proteins with previously undescribed roles in heterochromatin regulation. These included both known and newly characterised splicing-associated proteins, which are required for proper processing of centromeric transcripts by the RNAi pathway, and COP9 signalosome components Csn1 and Csn2, whose role in heterochromatin assembly can be explained at least in part by a role in the Ddb1-dependent degradation of the heterochromatin regulator Epe1. Conclusions This work has revealed new factors involved in RNAi-directed heterochromatin assembly in fission yeast. Our findings support and extend previous observations that implicate components of the splicing machinery as a platform for RNAi, and demonstrate a novel role for the COP9 signalosome in heterochromatin regulation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-014-0481-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Bayne
- Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, UK.
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Liu J, Yu C, Hu X, Kim JK, Bierma JC, Jun HI, Rychnovsky SD, Huang L, Qiao F. Dissecting Fission Yeast Shelterin Interactions via MICro-MS Links Disruption of Shelterin Bridge to Tumorigenesis. Cell Rep 2015; 12:2169-80. [PMID: 26365187 PMCID: PMC4591219 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 07/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Shelterin, a six-member complex, protects telomeres from nucleolytic attack and regulates their elongation by telomerase. Here, we have developed a strategy, called MICro-MS (Mapping Interfaces via Crosslinking-Mass Spectrometry), that combines crosslinking-mass spectrometry and phylogenetic analysis to identify contact sites within the complex. This strategy allowed identification of separation-of-function mutants of fission yeast Ccq1, Poz1, and Pot1 that selectively disrupt their respective interactions with Tpz1. The various telomere dysregulation phenotypes observed in these mutants further emphasize the critical regulatory roles of Tpz1-centered shelterin interactions in telomere homeostasis. Furthermore, the conservation between fission yeast Tpz1-Pot1 and human TPP1-POT1 interactions led us to map a human melanoma-associated POT1 mutation (A532P) to the TPP1-POT1 interface. Diminished TPP1-POT1 interaction caused by hPOT1-A532P may enable unregulated telomere extension, which, in turn, helps cancer cells to achieve replicative immortality. Therefore, our study reveals a connection between shelterin connectivity and tumorigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinqiang Liu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Clinton Yu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4560, USA
| | - Xichan Hu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Jin-Kwang Kim
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Jan C Bierma
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Hyun-Ik Jun
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA
| | - Scott D Rychnovsky
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, USA
| | - Lan Huang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4560, USA
| | - Feng Qiao
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA.
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28
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Wang J, Reddy BD, Jia S. Rapid epigenetic adaptation to uncontrolled heterochromatin spreading. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 25774602 PMCID: PMC4395908 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin, a highly compact chromatin state characterized by histone H3K9 methylation and HP1 protein binding, silences the underlying DNA and influences the expression of neighboring genes. However, the mechanisms that regulate heterochromatin spreading are not well understood. In this study, we show that the conserved Mst2 histone acetyltransferase complex in fission yeast regulates histone turnover at heterochromatin regions to control heterochromatin spreading and prevents ectopic heterochromatin assembly. The combined loss of Mst2 and the JmjC domain protein Epe1 results in uncontrolled heterochromatin spreading and massive ectopic heterochromatin, leading to severe growth defects due to the inactivation of essential genes. Interestingly, these cells quickly recover by accumulating heterochromatin at genes essential for heterochromatin assembly, leading to their reduced expression to restrain heterochromatin spreading. Our studies discover redundant pathways that control heterochromatin spreading and prevent ectopic heterochromatin assembly and reveal a fast epigenetic adaptation response to changes in heterochromatin landscape. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06179.001 The DNA in the nucleus of a cell is wrapped around histone proteins to form a compact structure known as chromatin. Chromatin's structure can control how the genes in DNA are expressed. Loosely packed chromatin contains active genes, whereas densely packed chromatin (also called ‘heterochromatin’) contains silenced genes that are not expressed. The assembly of DNA into heterochromatin needs to be carefully controlled. Otherwise, the DNA next to heterochromatin regions can become densely packed as well (via a process called ‘heterochromatin spreading’), and the genes within this DNA are incorrectly silenced. Incorrect gene silencing is often associated with diseases such as cancer. Cells add chemical groups onto the histone proteins to influence how chromatin is compacted. Densely packed chromatin contains histones with many methyl groups but few acetyl groups. A protein called Epe1, which potentially removes methyl groups, helps to prevent heterochromatin spreading in yeast cells. Wang et al. found that an enzyme called Mst2, which adds acetyl groups onto histones, also limits heterochromatin spreading and prevents extra heterochromatin from assembling at undesirable locations. Wang et al. then generated yeast cells that lacked both Epe1 and Mst2. At first, these cells were sickly and unable to grow, because several essential genes were incorrectly silenced due to rampant heterochromatin spreading. However, the cells quickly overcame this growth defect by gaining an additional mutation. Normally mutations occur through changes in DNA sequences. However, Wang et al. found that the cells acquired this mutation by packing a gene required for heterochromatin assembly into heterochromatin. This in turn stopped more chromatin from becoming packed too densely. Changes to chromatin can also be passed on to the yeast's offspring, and such a change could help the offspring to better cope with changes in heterochromatin levels. Future work could test how often inheritable changes to chromatin modification help organisms adapt to environmental stresses, or if similar changes allow cancer cells to become tolerant to anticancer drugs. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06179.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Bharat D Reddy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
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29
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Wang J, Lawry ST, Cohen AL, Jia S. Chromosome boundary elements and regulation of heterochromatin spreading. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:4841-52. [PMID: 25192661 PMCID: PMC4234687 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1725-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin is generally classified as euchromatin or heterochromatin, each with distinct histone modifications, compaction levels, and gene expression patterns. Although the proper formation of heterochromatin is essential for maintaining genome integrity and regulating gene expression, heterochromatin can also spread into neighboring regions in a sequence-independent manner, leading to the inactivation of genes. Because the distance of heterochromatin spreading is stochastic, the formation of boundaries, which block the spreading of heterochromatin, is critical for maintaining stable gene expression patterns. Here we review the current understanding of the mechanisms underlying heterochromatin spreading and boundary formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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30
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Ragunathan K, Jih G, Moazed D. Epigenetics. Epigenetic inheritance uncoupled from sequence-specific recruitment. Science 2014; 348:1258699. [PMID: 25831549 DOI: 10.1126/science.1258699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Changes in histone posttranslational modifications are associated with epigenetic states that define distinct patterns of gene expression. It remains unclear whether epigenetic information can be transmitted through histone modifications independently of specific DNA sequence, DNA methylation, or RNA interference. Here we show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, ectopically induced domains of histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me), a conserved marker of heterochromatin, are inherited through several mitotic and meiotic cell divisions after removal of the sequence-specific initiator. The putative JmjC domain H3K9 demethylase, Epe1, and the chromodomain of the H3K9 methyltransferase, Clr4/Suv39h, play opposing roles in maintaining silent H3K9me domains. These results demonstrate how a direct "read-write" mechanism involving Clr4 propagates histone modifications and allows histones to act as carriers of epigenetic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushik Ragunathan
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gloria Jih
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Danesh Moazed
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Wang J, Tadeo X, Hou H, Andrews S, Moresco JJ, Yates JR, Nagy PL, Jia S. Tls1 regulates splicing of shelterin components to control telomeric heterochromatin assembly and telomere length. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:11419-32. [PMID: 25245948 PMCID: PMC4191416 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin preferentially forms at repetitive DNA elements through RNAi-mediated targeting of histone-modifying enzymes. It was proposed that splicing factors interact with the RNAi machinery or regulate the splicing of repeat transcripts to directly participate in heterochromatin assembly. Here, by screening the fission yeast deletion library, we comprehensively identified factors required for telomeric heterochromatin assembly, including a novel gene tls1+. Purification of Tls1 and mass spectrometry analysis of its interacting proteins show that Tls1 associates with the spliceosome subunit Brr2. RNA sequencing analysis shows that the splicing of a subset of mRNAs are affected in tls1Δ cells, including mRNAs of shelterin components rap1+ and poz1+. Importantly, replacing rap1+ and poz1+ with their cDNAs significantly alleviated heterochromatin defects of tls1Δ cells, suggesting that the missplicing of shelterin components is the cause of such defects, and that splicing factors regulate telomeric heterochromatin through the proper splicing of heterochromatin factors. In addition to its role in telomeric heterochromatin assembly, Tls1-mediated splicing of shelterin mRNAs also regulates telomere length. Given that its human homologue C9ORF78 also associates with the spliceosome and is overexpressed in multiple cancer cell lines, our results suggest that C9ORF78 overexpression might alter the proper splicing of genes during cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xavier Tadeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Haitong Hou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stuart Andrews
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - James J Moresco
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Peter L Nagy
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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