RNA Pol II transcription antagonises mitotic chromosome assembly and segregation by condensin
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Condensin drives mitotic chromosome assembly by folding chromatin into loops and is enriched in the vicinity of highly expressed genes, but the significance of such proximity with respect to condensin activity has remained unclear. Here, by modulating the occupancy of RNA Pol II in vivo, we show that transcription plays no role in the steady state association of condensin with DNA. Rather, transcription stalls and even displaces condensin, hindering its ability to fold chromatin and to support chromosome segregation. Our results highlight a key aspect of the integrated functioning of condensin and suggest that a tight control of transcription underlies mitotic chromosome assembly.
Project description:Genome/chromosome organization is highly ordered and controls nuclear events. Here, we show that the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) interacts with the Cnd2 kleisin subunit of condensin to mediate interphase and mitotic chromosome organization in fission yeast. TBP recruits condensin onto RNA polymerase III-transcribed (Pol III) genes and highly transcribed Pol II genes; condensin in turn associates these genes with centromeres. Inhibition of the Cnd2-TBP interaction disrupts condensin localization across the genome and the proper assembly of mitotic chromosomes, leading to severe defects in chromosome segregation and eventually causing cellular lethality. We propose that the Cnd2-TBP interaction coordinates transcription with chromosomal architecture by linking dispersed gene loci with centromeres. This chromosome arrangement can contribute to the efficient transmission of physical force at the kinetochore to chromosomal arms, thereby supporting the fidelity of chromosome segregation. Genome-wide distributions of condensin and Pol III factors in fission yeast.
Project description:Genome/chromosome organization is highly ordered and controls nuclear events. Here, we show that the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) interacts with the Cnd2 kleisin subunit of condensin to mediate interphase and mitotic chromosome organization in fission yeast. TBP recruits condensin onto RNA polymerase III-transcribed (Pol III) genes and highly transcribed Pol II genes; condensin in turn associates these genes with centromeres. Inhibition of the Cnd2-TBP interaction disrupts condensin localization across the genome and the proper assembly of mitotic chromosomes, leading to severe defects in chromosome segregation and eventually causing cellular lethality. We propose that the Cnd2-TBP interaction coordinates transcription with chromosomal architecture by linking dispersed gene loci with centromeres. This chromosome arrangement can contribute to the efficient transmission of physical force at the kinetochore to chromosomal arms, thereby supporting the fidelity of chromosome segregation.
Project description:Protein phosphorylation by protein kinases and phosphatases is an important regulatory mechanism that controls mitotic progression. Protein Phosphatase 6 (PP6) is an essential enzyme with conserved roles in chromosome segregation and spindle assembly from yeast to humans. Here, we develop a baculovirus-mediated gene silencing approach and combine it with mass spectrometry-based quantitative phosphoproteomics to overcome the lack of PP6-specific inhibitors and comprehensively determine changes in phosphorylation and protein abundance upon depletion of the catalytic subunit of PP6 (PP6c). We identify 400 phosphopeptides on 267 proteins that increase in phosphorylation occupancy upon PP6c depletion in mitosis and reveal new PP6c-dependent regulatory pathways. We demonstrate that PP6c directly opposes casein kinase 2-dependent phosphorylation of the condensin I subunit NCAP-G and show that depletion of PP6c results in defects in chromosome and condensation and segregation in anaphase, consistent with deregulation of condensin I function.
Project description:Condensins are genome organisers that shape chromosomes and promote their accurate transmission. Several studies have also implicated condensins in gene expression, although the mechanisms have remained enigmatic. Here, we report on the role of condensin in gene expression in fission and budding yeasts. In contrast to previous studies, we provide compelling evidence that condensin plays no direct role in the maintenance of the transcriptome, neither during interphase nor during mitosis. We further show that the changes in gene expression in post-mitotic fission yeast cells that result from condensin inactivation are largely a consequence of chromosome missegregation during anaphase, which notably depletes the RNA-exosome from daughter cells. Crucially, preventing karyotype abnormalities in daughter cells restores a normal transcriptome despite condensin inactivation. Thus, chromosome instability, rather than a direct role of condensin in the transcription process, changes gene expression. This knowledge challenges the concept of gene regulation by canonical condensin complexes.
Project description:Inspection of Hi-C and ChIP-seq data suggests that condensin DC is an X-chromosome enriched loop extruder that stalls at rex sites. Insertion of rex site on X-chromosome suggests orientation independent barrier function of rex sites. Insertion of rex site on chromosome-II results in recruitment and spreading of condensin DC that coincides with TAD formation.
Project description:Chromatin fibres dynamically change their organisation during cell cycle. In interphase nucleus, chromatin fibres are evenly distributed whereas their spatial occupancy are reorganised to form condensed chromosomes in mitosis. This process called chromosome condensation is necessary for an accomplishment of faithful chromosome segregation. One of the Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes complexes, Condensin, is indispensable for chromosome condensation. It remains, however, unknown how Condensin plays its role in shaping mitotic chromosome. Here we show that chromatin fibres change their interacting partners; short-range contacts in interphase nucleus are converted into long-range interactions to shape condensed chromosomes. This conversion of interactions among chromatin fibres results in the formation of larger domains within mitotic chromosomes. Condensin is solely in charge of the conversion and large domain formation in fission yeast mitosis. Our results show how fission yeast Condensin is involved in shaping mitotic chromosomes.
Project description:Chromatin fibres dynamically change their organisation during cell cycle. In interphase nucleus, chromatin fibres are evenly distributed whereas their spatial occupancy are reorganised to form condensed chromosomes in mitosis. This process called chromosome condensation is necessary for an accomplishment of faithful chromosome segregation. One of the Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes complexes, Condensin, is indispensable for chromosome condensation. It remains, however, unknown how Condensin plays its role in shaping mitotic chromosome. Here we show that chromatin fibres change their interacting partners; short-range contacts in interphase nucleus are converted into long-range interactions to shape condensed chromosomes. This conversion of interactions among chromatin fibres results in the formation of larger domains within mitotic chromosomes. Condensin is solely in charge of the conversion and large domain formation in fission yeast mitosis. Our results show how fission yeast Condensin is involved in shaping mitotic chromosomes.
Project description:Mitotic chromosome morphogenesis occurs through condensin-mediated disassembly of the interphase conformation and formation of extended prophase loop arrays that then shorten by condensin-dependent helical winding
Project description:Mammalian genomes are folded by the distinct actions of SMC complexes which include the chromatin loop-extruding cohesin, the sister-chromatid cohesive cohesin, and the mitotic chromosome-associated condensins 1-3. While these complexes function at different stages of the cell cycle, they co-exist on chromatin during the G2/M-phase transition, when genome structure undergoes a dramatic reorganization 1,2. Yet, how distinct SMC complexes affect each other and how their mutual interplay orchestrates the dynamic folding of 3D genome remains elusive. Here, we engineered all possible cohesin/condensin configurations on mitotic chromosomes to delineate the concerted, mutually influential action of SMC complexes. We find that: (i) Condensin disrupts extrusive-cohesin binding at CTCF sites, thereby promoting the disassembly of interphase TADs and loops during mitotic progression. Conversely, extrusive-cohesin impedes condensin mediated mitotic chromosome spiralization. (ii) Condensin diminishes cohesive-cohesin peaks and, conversely, cohesive-cohesin antagonizes condensin-mediated mitotic chromosome longitudinal shortening. Co-presence of extrusive- and cohesive-cohesin synergizes these effects and dramatically inhibits mitotic chromosome condensation. (iii) Extrusive-cohesin positions cohesive-cohesin at CTCF binding sites. However, cohesive-cohesin by itself cannot be arrested by CTCF molecules, is insufficient to establish TADs or loops and lacks loop extrusion capacity, implying non-overlapping function with extrusive-cohesin. (iv) Cohesive-cohesin restricts extrusive-cohesin mediated chromatin loop expansion. Collectively, our data describe a comprehensive three-way interplay among major SMC complexes that dynamically sculpts chromatin architecture during cell cycle progression.