Evidence for Regulation of ECM3 Expression by Methylation of Histone H3 Lysine 4 and Intergenic Transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Diverse and dynamic forms of gene regulation by the S. cerevisiae histone methyltransferase Set1

Gene transcription is an essential and highly regulated process. In eukaryotic cells, the structural organization of nucleosomes with DNA wrapped around histone proteins impedes transcription. Chromatin remodelers, transcription factors, co-activators, and histone-modifying enzymes work together to make DNA accessible to RNA polymerase. Histone lysine methylation can positively or negatively regulate gene transcription. Methylation of histone 3 lysine 4 by SET-domain-containing proteins is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to humans. In higher eukaryotes, mutations in SET-domain proteins are associated with defects in the development and segmentation of embryos, skeletal and muscle development, and diseases, including several leukemias. Since histone methyltransferases are evolutionarily conserved, the mechanisms of gene regulation mediated by these enzymes are also conserved. Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an excellent model system to study the impact of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation on eukaryotic gene regulation. Unlike larger eukaryotes, yeast cells have only one enzyme that catalyzes H3K4 methylation, Set1. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the impact of Set1-catalyzed H3K4 methylation on gene transcription in S. cerevisiae. We describe the COMPASS complex, factors that influence H3K4 methylation, and the roles of Set1 in gene silencing at telomeres and heterochromatin, as well as repression and activation at euchromatic loci. We also discuss proteins that "read" H3K4 methyl marks to regulate transcription and summarize alternate functions for Set1 beyond H3K4 methylation.

Non-coding RNAs as cell wall regulators in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an extracellular organelle crucial for preserving its cellular integrity and detecting environmental cues. The cell wall is composed of mannoproteins attached to a polysaccharide network and is continuously remodelled as cells undergo cell division, mating, gametogenesis or adapt to stressors. This makes yeast an excellent model to study the regulation of genes important for cell wall formation and maintenance. Given that certain yeast strains are pathogenic, a better understanding of their life cycle is of clinical relevance. This is why transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing genes involved in cell wall biogenesis or maintenance have been the focus of numerous studies. However, little is known about the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcripts that are thought to possess little or no protein coding potential, in controlling the expression of cell wall-related genes. This review outlines currently known mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated regulation of gene expression in S. cerevisiae and describes examples of lncRNA-regulated genes encoding cell wall proteins. We suggest that the association of currently annotated lncRNAs with the coding sequences and/or promoters of cell wall-related genes highlights a potential role for lncRNAs as important regulators of the yeast cell wall structure.

The Paf1 Complex Broadly Impacts the Transcriptome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Polymerase Associated Factor 1 complex (Paf1C) is a multifunctional regulator of eukaryotic gene expression important for the coordination of transcription with chromatin modification and post-transcriptional processes. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the functions of Paf1C combine to regulate the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcriptome. While previous studies focused on the roles of Paf1C in controlling mRNA levels, here, we took advantage of a genetic background that enriches for unstable transcripts, and demonstrate that deletion of PAF1 affects all classes of Pol II transcripts including multiple classes of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). By conducting a de novo differential expression analysis independent of gene annotations, we found that Paf1 positively and negatively regulates antisense transcription at multiple loci. Comparisons with nascent transcript data revealed that many, but not all, changes in RNA levels detected by our analysis are due to changes in transcription instead of post-transcriptional events. To investigate the mechanisms by which Paf1 regulates protein-coding genes, we focused on genes involved in iron and phosphate homeostasis, which were differentially affected by PAF1 deletion. Our results indicate that Paf1 stimulates phosphate gene expression through a mechanism that is independent of any individual Paf1C-dependent histone modification. In contrast, the inhibition of iron gene expression by Paf1 correlates with a defect in H3 K36 trimethylation. Finally, we showed that one iron regulon gene, FET4, is coordinately controlled by Paf1 and transcription of upstream noncoding DNA. Together, these data identify roles for Paf1C in controlling both coding and noncoding regions of the yeast genome.