Project description:Maintenance of open and repressed chromatin states is crucial for regulation of gene expression. To study the genes involved in maintaining chromatin states we generated a random mutant library using the Hermes transposon mutagenesis system in fission yeast Schizosacchromyces pombe. The silencing of reporter genes inserted in the euchromatic region adjacent to the heterochromatic mating type locus was monitored. We identified Leo1-Paf1, a subcomplex of the RNA Polymerase II Associated Factor 1 Complex (Paf1C), required to prevent spreading of heterochromatin into euchromatin. Through high-resolution genome-wide ChIP (ChIP-exo) we mapped the heterochromatin mark H3K9me2 in leo1∆ cells. Loss of Leo1-Paf1 led to increased heterochromatin stability at several facultative heterochromatin loci. The RNAi machinery is the major pathway for heterochromatin formation in S. pombe. However, small RNA sequencing showed that heterochromatin assembly in leo1∆ cells was RNAi-independent. By examining histone turnover rate in leo1∆ cells, we showed that deletion of Leo1 decreased nucleosome turnover, which led to heterochromatin spreading. Our data revealed that Leo1-Paf1 promotes chromatin state fluctuations by enhancing histone turnover.
Project description:Maintenance of open and repressed chromatin states is crucial for regulation of gene expression. To study the genes involved in maintaining chromatin states we generated a random mutant library using the Hermes transposon mutagenesis system in fission yeast Schizosacchromyces pombe. The silencing of reporter genes inserted in the euchromatic region adjacent to the heterochromatic mating type locus was monitored. We identified Leo1-Paf1, a subcomplex of the RNA Polymerase II Associated Factor 1 Complex (Paf1C), required to prevent spreading of heterochromatin into euchromatin. Through high-resolution genome-wide ChIP (ChIP-exo) we mapped the heterochromatin mark H3K9me2 in leo1∆ cells. Loss of Leo1-Paf1 led to increased heterochromatin stability at several facultative heterochromatin loci. The RNAi machinery is the major pathway for heterochromatin formation in S. pombe. However, small RNA sequencing showed that heterochromatin assembly in leo1∆ cells was RNAi-independent. By examining histone turnover rate in leo1∆ cells, we showed that deletion of Leo1 decreased nucleosome turnover, which led to heterochromatin spreading. Our data revealed that Leo1-Paf1 promotes chromatin state fluctuations by enhancing histone turnover.
Project description:S2 cells were incubated for 48 hours with dsRNA directed against Atu (or GFP for control), and subsequently total RNA was purified with the RiboMinus method and processed for sequencing.
Project description:Cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) interacts with Cyclin K to form a functional nuclear kinase that promotes processive transcription elongation through phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD). To gain a broader understanding of CDK12 cellular function, we used chemical-genetic and phosphoproteomic screening to identify a landscape of nuclear human CDK12 substrates, including regulators of transcription, chromatin organization, and RNA splicing. We further validated LEO1, a subunit of the PAF1 complex (PAF1C), as a bona fide cellular substrate of CDK12. Acute depletion of LEO1, or substituting LEO1 phosphorylation sites with alanine, attenuated PAF1C association with elongating Pol II and impaired processive transcription elongation. We also found that LEO1 interacts with, and is dephosphorylated by, the Integrator-PP2A complex (INTAC) and that INTAC promotes the association of PAF1C with Pol II. Together, this study reveals a previously unknown role for CDK12 and INTAC in regulating LEO1 phosphorylation for transcriptional regulation, providing important insights into gene transcription and its regulation.
Project description:Cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) interacts with Cyclin K to form a a functional nuclear kinase complex, which has been reported to phosphorylate the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) for transcriptional regulation and co-transcriptional RNA processing. However, the precise mechanisms and targets of CDK12 action remain largely unknown. Here, we combined a chemical genetic screen and phosphoproteomic strategies and identified a landscape of nuclear CDK12 substrates, which included proteins that regulate transcription, chromatin organization, and RNA splicing. Next, we confirmed that the LEO1 subunit of the transcription elongation factor PAF1 complex (PAF1C) is a bona fide substrate of CDK12. Acute depletion of LEO1 reduces Pol II occupancy on the chromatin, while mutations of LEO1 phosphorylation sites to non-phosphorylatable alanine residues attenuated the association of PAF1C with elongating Pol II and chromatin, resulting in impaired processive transcription elongation. Furthermore, LEO1 C-terminus could interact with and be dephosphorylated by the Integrator-PP2A complex (INTAC), while acute depletion of INTAC in cells promotes the association between PAF1C and elongating Pol II on the chromatin. Together, this study provides a novel transcriptional regulatory mechanism that the CDK12-INTAC axis fine-tunes LEO1 phosphorylation for processive transcription elongation.
Project description:Phf5a regulates occupancy of Paf1 complex in mouse myotubes. In this study we assayed for genome-wide localization of Leo1 subunit of the Paf1 complex in mouse myoblasts or myotubes under conditions of shControl or shPhf5a knockdown. These results revealed that downregualtion of Phf5a results in significant decrease of Leo1 binding to its targets in myotubes.
Project description:Phf5a regulates transcription elongation in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), through regulation of the Paf1 complex. In this study we assayed for genome-wide localization of Paf1, Leo1 and Cdc73 subunits of the Paf1 complex in mouse ESCs under conditions of shControl and shPhf5a knockdown. These results revealed that downregualtion of Phf5a results in the significant decrease of Paf1 complex binding to its targets in ESCs.
Project description:S2 cells were left untreated or incubated for 48 hours with dsRNA directed against Myc or Atu. Subsequently, chromatin was processed for chromatin immunoprecipitation with a rabbit polyclonal antibody agains Myc.