Project description:CENP-A is a centromere-specific histone 3 variant essential for centromere specification. CENP-A partially replaces canonical histone H3 at the centromeres. How the particular CENP-A/H3 ratio at centromeres is precisely maintained is unknown. It also remains unclear how CENP-A is excluded from non-centromeric chromatin. Here we identify Ccp1, an uncharacterized NAP family protein in fission yeast that antagonizes CENP-A loading at both centromeric and non-centromeric regions. Like the CENP-A loading factor HJURP, Ccp1 interacts with CENP-A, and is recruited to centromeres at the end of mitosis in a Mis16-dependent manner. These data indicate that factors with opposing CENP-A loading activities are recruited to centromeres. Furthermore, Ccp1 also cooperates with H2A.Z to evict CENP-A assembled in euchromatin. Structural analyses indicate that Ccp1 forms a homodimer that is required for its anti-CENP-A loading activity. Our study establishes mechanisms for maintenance of CENP-A homeostasis at centromeres and the prevention of ectopic assembly of centromeres. Examination of cnp1 distribution in one wild type (wt) and two ccp1 mutants.
Project description:CENP-A is a centromere-specific histone 3 variant essential for centromere specification. CENP-A partially replaces canonical histone H3 at the centromeres. How the particular CENP-A/H3 ratio at centromeres is precisely maintained is unknown. It also remains unclear how CENP-A is excluded from non-centromeric chromatin. Here we identify Ccp1, an uncharacterized NAP family protein in fission yeast that antagonizes CENP-A loading at both centromeric and non-centromeric regions. Like the CENP-A loading factor HJURP, Ccp1 interacts with CENP-A, and is recruited to centromeres at the end of mitosis in a Mis16-dependent manner. These data indicate that factors with opposing CENP-A loading activities are recruited to centromeres. Furthermore, Ccp1 also cooperates with H2A.Z to evict CENP-A assembled in euchromatin. Structural analyses indicate that Ccp1 forms a homodimer that is required for its anti-CENP-A loading activity. Our study establishes mechanisms for maintenance of CENP-A homeostasis at centromeres and the prevention of ectopic assembly of centromeres.
Project description:CENP-A chromatin specifies mammalian centromere identity, and its chaperone HJURP replenishes CENP-A when recruited by the Mis18 complex (Mis18C) via M18BP/KNL2 to CENP-C at kinetochores during interphase. However, the Mis18C recruitment mechanism remains unresolved in species lacking M18BP1, such as fission yeast. Fission yeast centromeres cluster at G2 spindle pole bodies (SPBs) when CENP-ACnp1 is replenished and where Mis18C also localizes. We show that SPBs play an unexpected role in concentrating Mis18C near centromeres through the recruitment of Mis18 by direct binding to the major SPB LInker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex component Sad1. Mis18 recruitment by Sad1 is important for CENP-ACnp1 chromatin establishment and acts in parallel with a CENP-C-mediated Mis18C recruitment pathway to maintain centromeric CENP-ACnp1, but is independent of Sad1-mediated centromere clustering. SPBs therefore provide a non-chromosomal scaffold for both Mis18C recruitment and centromere clustering during G2. This centromere-independent Mis18-SPB recruitment provides a mechanism that governs de novo CENP-ACnp1 chromatin assembly by the proximity of appropriate sequences to SPBs and highlights how nuclear spatial organization influences centromere identity.
Project description:At Schizosaccharomyces pombe centromeres, heterochromatin formation is required for de novo incorporation of the histone H3 variant CENP-A/Cnp1, which in turn directs kinetochore assembly and ultimately chromosome segregation during mitosis. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) directs heterochromatin formation via the RNAi machinery, but also through RNAiindependent RNA processing factors. Control of centromeric ncRNA transcription is therefore a key factor for proper centromere function. We here use transcriptional profiling, gene inactivation experiments, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses to demonstrate that the Mediator complex directs ncRNA transcription and regulates centromeric heterochromatin formation in fission yeast. Mediator co-localizes with Pol II at centromeres and loss of the Mediator subunit Med20 causes a dramatic increase in pericentromeric transcription and desilencing of the core centromere. As a consequence, heterochromatin formation is impaired both via the RNAi dependent and independent pathways, resulting in loss of CENP-A/Cnp1 from the core centromere, defect kinetochore function, and a severe chromosome segregation defect. Interestingly, the increased centromeric transcription observed in med20Δ appears to directly block CENP-A/Cnp1 incorporation and inhibition of Pol II transcription can suppress the observed phenotypes. Our data thus identify Mediator as a crucial regulator of ncRNA transcription at fission yeast centromeres and add another crucial layer of regulation to centromere function. 3 samples examined: wild type chromatin incubated with beads as the non antibody control, wild type chromatin incubated with RNA Polymerase II CTD domain antibody and Protein G beads, and TAP-Med7 cells chromatin incubated with IgG beads.
Project description:At Schizosaccharomyces pombe centromeres, heterochromatin formation is required for de novo incorporation of the histone H3 variant CENP-A/Cnp1, which in turn directs kinetochore assembly and ultimately chromosome segregation during mitosis. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) directs heterochromatin formation via the RNAi machinery, but also through RNAiindependent RNA processing factors. Control of centromeric ncRNA transcription is therefore a key factor for proper centromere function. We here use transcriptional profiling, gene inactivation experiments, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses to demonstrate that the Mediator complex directs ncRNA transcription and regulates centromeric heterochromatin formation in fission yeast. Mediator co-localizes with Pol II at centromeres and loss of the Mediator subunit Med20 causes a dramatic increase in pericentromeric transcription and desilencing of the core centromere. As a consequence, heterochromatin formation is impaired both via the RNAi dependent and independent pathways, resulting in loss of CENP-A/Cnp1 from the core centromere, defect kinetochore function, and a severe chromosome segregation defect. Interestingly, the increased centromeric transcription observed in med20Δ appears to directly block CENP-A/Cnp1 incorporation and inhibition of Pol II transcription can suppress the observed phenotypes. Our data thus identify Mediator as a crucial regulator of ncRNA transcription at fission yeast centromeres and add another crucial layer of regulation to centromere function.
Project description:Specialized chromatin containing CENP-A nucleosomes instead of H3 nucleosomes is found at all centromeres. However, the mechanisms that specify the locations at which CENP-A chromatin is assembled remain elusive in organisms with regional, epigenetically regulated centromeres. It is known that normal centromeric DNA is transcribed in several systems including the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Here, we show that factors which preserve stable histone H3 chromatin during transcription also play a role in preventing promiscuous CENP-A(Cnp1) deposition in fission yeast. Mutations in the histone chaperone FACT impair the maintenance of H3 chromatin on transcribed regions and promote widespread CENP-A(Cnp1) incorporation at non-centromeric sites. FACT has little or no effect on CENP-A(Cnp1) assembly at endogenous centromeres where CENP-A(Cnp1) is normally assembled. In contrast, Clr6 complex II (Clr6-CII; equivalent to Rpd3S) histone deacetylase function has a more subtle impact on the stability of transcribed H3 chromatin and acts to prevent the ectopic accumulation of CENP-A(Cnp1) at specific loci, including subtelomeric regions, where CENP-A(Cnp1) is preferentially assembled. Moreover, defective Clr6-CII function allows the de novo assembly of CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin on centromeric DNA, bypassing the normal requirement for heterochromatin. Thus, our analyses show that alterations in the process of chromatin assembly during transcription can destabilize H3 nucleosomes and thereby allow CENP-A(Cnp1) to assemble in its place. We propose that normal centromeres provide a specific chromatin context that limits reassembly of H3 chromatin during transcription and thereby promotes the establishment of CENP-A(Cnp1) chromatin and associated kinetochores. These findings have important implications for genetic and epigenetic processes involved in centromere specification. In total, 24 samples: 22 ChIP DNA files (10 different conditions), 2 Input files.
Project description:Centromeres are specialized chromatin regions marked by the presence of nucleosomes containing the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A, which is essential for chromosome segregation. Assembly and disassembly of nucleosomes is intimately linked to DNA topology and DNA topoisomerases have previously been implicated in the dynamics of canonical H3 nucleosomes. Here we show that Schizosaccharomyces pombe Top3 and its partner Rqh1 are involved in controlling the levels of CENP-ACnp1 at centromeres. Both top3 and rqh1 mutants display defects in chromosome segregation. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and tiling microarrays we show that Top3 unlike Top1 and Top2 is highly enriched at centromeric central domains, demonstrating that Top3 is the major topoisomerase in this region. Moreover, centromeric Top3 occupancy positively correlates with CENP-ACnp1 occupancy. Intriguingly, both top3 and rqh1 mutants display increased relative enrichment of CENP-ACnp1 at centromeric central domains. Thus, Top3 and Rqh1 normally limit the levels of CENP-ACnp1 in this region. This new role is independent of the established function of Top3 and Rqh1 in homologous recombination downstream of Rad51. Therefore, we hypothesize that the Top3-Rqh1 complex has an important role in controlling centromere DNA topology which in turn affects the dynamics of CENP-ACnp1 nucleosomes.