scholarly journals Centromere transcription allows CENP-A to transit from chromatin association to stable incorporation

2018 ◽  
Vol 217 (6) ◽  
pp. 1957-1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg O.M. Bobkov ◽  
Nick Gilbert ◽  
Patrick Heun
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Culture Cells ◽  
Tissue Culture Cells ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Loading System ◽  
Stable Incorporation

Centromeres are essential for chromosome segregation and are specified epigenetically by the presence of the histone H3 variant CENP-A. In flies and humans, replenishment of the centromeric mark is uncoupled from DNA replication and requires the removal of H3 “placeholder” nucleosomes. Although transcription at centromeres has been previously linked to the loading of new CENP-A, the underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster tissue culture cells to show that centromeric presence of actively transcribing RNA polymerase II temporally coincides with de novo deposition of dCENP-A. Using a newly developed dCENP-A loading system that is independent of acute transcription, we found that short inhibition of transcription impaired dCENP-A incorporation into chromatin. Interestingly, initial targeting of dCENP-A to centromeres was unaffected, revealing two stability states of newly loaded dCENP-A: a salt-sensitive association with the centromere and a salt-resistant chromatin-incorporated form. This suggests that transcription-mediated chromatin remodeling is required for the transition of dCENP-A to fully incorporated nucleosomes at the centromere.

scholarly journals Induction of spontaneous human neocentromere formation and long-term maturation

2021 ◽  
Vol 220 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Murillo-Pineda ◽  
Luis P. Valente ◽  
Marie Dumont ◽  
João F. Mata ◽  
Daniele Fachinetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Engineering System ◽  
Chromosome Engineering ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Chromosomal Passenger ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Functional Kinetochore

Human centromeres form primarily on α-satellite DNA but sporadically arise de novo at naive ectopic loci, creating neocentromeres. Centromere inheritance is driven primarily by chromatin containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. Here, we report a chromosome engineering system for neocentromere formation in human cells and characterize the first experimentally induced human neocentromere at a naive locus. The spontaneously formed neocentromere spans a gene-poor 100-kb domain enriched in histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylated (H3K9me3). Long-read sequencing revealed this neocentromere was formed by purely epigenetic means and assembly of a functional kinetochore correlated with CENP-A seeding, eviction of H3K9me3 and local accumulation of mitotic cohesin and RNA polymerase II. At formation, the young neocentromere showed markedly reduced chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) occupancy and poor sister chromatin cohesion. However, long-term tracking revealed increased CPC assembly and low-level transcription providing evidence for centromere maturation over time.

scholarly journals Quiescent cells actively replenish CENP-A nucleosomes to maintain centromere identity and proliferative potential

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Zachary Swartz ◽  
Liliana S. McKay ◽  
Kuan-Chung Su ◽  
Abbas Padeganeh ◽  
Paul S. Maddox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Proliferative Potential ◽  
Quiescent Cells ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Culture Cells ◽  
Tissue Culture Cells ◽  
Robust Model ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Cycle Dependent

SummaryCentromeres provide a robust model for epigenetic inheritance as they are specified by sequence-independent mechanisms involving the histone H3-variant CENP-A. Prevailing models indicate that the high intrinsic stability of CENP-A nucleosomes maintains centromere identity indefinitely. Here, we demonstrate that CENP-A is not stable at centromeres, but is instead gradually and continuously incorporated in quiescent cells including G0-arrested tissue culture cells and prophase I-arrested oocytes. Quiescent CENP-A incorporation involves the canonical CENP-A deposition machinery, but displays distinct requirements from cell cycle-dependent deposition. We demonstrate that Plk1 is required specifically for G1 CENP-A deposition, whereas transcription promotes CENP-A incorporation in quiescent oocytes. Preventing CENP-A deposition during quiescence results in significantly reduced CENP-A levels and perturbs chromosome segregation following the resumption of cell division. In contrast to quiescent cells, terminally differentiated cells fail to maintain CENP-A levels. Our work reveals that quiescent cells actively maintain centromere identity providing an indicator of proliferative potential.

scholarly journals De Novo Kinetochore Assembly Requires the Centromeric Histone H3 Variant

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 5649-5660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Collins ◽  
Andrea R. Castillo ◽  
Sean Y. Tatsutani ◽  
Sue Biggins
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Centromeric Chromatin ◽  
Centromeric Dna ◽  
Kinetochore Assembly ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Chromosome Attachment ◽  
Dna Specificity

Kinetochores mediate chromosome attachment to the mitotic spindle to ensure accurate chromosome segregation. Budding yeast is an excellent organism for kinetochore assembly studies because it has a simple defined centromere sequence responsible for the localization of >65 proteins. In addition, yeast is the only organism where a conditional centromere is available to allow studies of de novo kinetochore assembly. Using a conditional centromere, we found that yeast kinetochore assembly is not temporally restricted and can occur in both G1 phase and prometaphase. We performed the first investigation of kinetochore assembly in the absence of the centromeric histone H3 variant Cse4 and found that all proteins tested depend on Cse4 to localize. Consistent with this observation, Cse4-depleted cells had severe chromosome segregation defects. We therefore propose that yeast kinetochore assembly requires both centromeric DNA specificity and centromeric chromatin.

scholarly journals H3.3 kinetics predicts chromatin compaction status of parental genomes in early embryos

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi-meng Guo ◽  
Xing-ping Liu ◽  
Li-quan Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Chromatin Organization ◽  
Maternal Factors ◽  
Chromatin Compaction ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Mobile Fraction ◽  
Highly Correlated

Abstract Background After fertilization, the fusion of gametes results in the formation of totipotent zygote. During sperm-egg fusion, maternal factors participate in parental chromatin remodeling. H3.3 is a histone H3 variant that plays essential roles in mouse embryogenesis. Methods Here, we used transgenic early embryos expressing H3.3-eGFP or H2B-mCherry to elucidate changes of histone mobility. Results We used FRAP analysis to identify that maternally stored H3.3 has a more significant change than H2B during maternal-to-embryonic transition. We also found that H3.3 mobile fraction, which may be regulated by de novo H3.3 incorporation, reflects chromatin compaction of parental genomes in GV oocytes and early embryos. Conclusions Our results show that H3.3 kinetics in GV oocytes and early embryos is highly correlated with chromatin compaction status of parental genomes, indicating critical roles of H3.3 in higher-order chromatin organization.

scholarly journals Imaging the fate of histone Cse4 reveals de novo replacement in S phase and subsequent stable residence at centromeres

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Wisniewski ◽  
Bassam Hajj ◽  
Jiji Chen ◽  
Gaku Mizuguchi ◽  
Hua Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Nuclear Accumulation ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Functionally Impaired ◽  
Cell Cycle Dynamics ◽  
Cell Lethality

The budding yeast centromere contains Cse4, a specialized histone H3 variant. Fluorescence pulse-chase analysis of an internally tagged Cse4 reveals that it is replaced with newly synthesized molecules in S phase, remaining stably associated with centromeres thereafter. In contrast, C-terminally-tagged Cse4 is functionally impaired, showing slow cell growth, cell lethality at elevated temperatures, and extra-centromeric nuclear accumulation. Recent studies using such strains gave conflicting findings regarding the centromeric abundance and cell cycle dynamics of Cse4. Our findings indicate that internally tagged Cse4 is a better reporter of the biology of this histone variant. Furthermore, the size of centromeric Cse4 clusters was precisely mapped with a new 3D-PALM method, revealing substantial compaction during anaphase. Cse4-specific chaperone Scm3 displays steady-state, stoichiometric co-localization with Cse4 at centromeres throughout the cell cycle, while undergoing exchange with a nuclear pool. These findings suggest that a stable Cse4 nucleosome is maintained by dynamic chaperone-in-residence Scm3.

scholarly journals ISWI is a RanGTP-dependent MAP required for chromosome segregation

2009 ◽  
Vol 187 (6) ◽  
pp. 813-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Yokoyama ◽  
Sofia Rybina ◽  
Rachel Santarella-Mellwig ◽  
Iain W. Mattaj ◽  
Eric Karsenti
Keyword(s):  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
S2 Cells ◽  
Culture Cells ◽  
Egg Extract ◽  
Drosophila S2 Cells ◽  
Egg Extracts ◽  
Localization Signal

Production of RanGTP around chromosomes induces spindle assembly by activating nuclear localization signal (NLS)–containing factors. Here, we show that the NLS protein ISWI, a known chromatin-remodeling ATPase, is a RanGTP-dependent microtubule (MT)-associated protein. Recombinant ISWI induces MT nucleation, stabilization, and bundling in vitro. In Xenopus culture cells and egg extract, ISWI localizes within the nucleus in interphase and on spindles during mitosis. Depletion of ISWI in egg extracts does not affect spindle assembly, but in anaphase spindle MTs disappear and chromosomes do not segregate. We show directly that ISWI is required for the RanGTP-dependent stabilization of MTs during anaphase independently of its effect on chromosomes. ISWI depletion in Drosophila S2 cells induces defects in spindle MTs and chromosome segregation in anaphase, and the cells eventually stop growing. Our results demonstrate that distinctly from its role in spindle assembly, RanGTP maintains spindle MTs in anaphase through the local activation of ISWI and that this is essential for proper chromosome segregation.

scholarly journals Histone H3 Variant Regulates RNA Polymerase II Transcription Termination and Dual Strand Transcription of siRNA Loci in Trypanosoma brucei

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e1005758 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Reynolds ◽  
Brigitte T. Hofmeister ◽  
Laura Cliffe ◽  
Magdy Alabady ◽  
T. Nicolai Siegel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Transcription Termination ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii Transcription

scholarly journals Post-mitotic accumulation of histone variant H3.3 in new cortical neurons establishes neuronal transcriptome, identity, and connectivity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen H Funk ◽  
Yaman Qalieh ◽  
Daniel Z Doyle ◽  
Mandy M Lam ◽  
Kenneth Y Kwan
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Histone Variants ◽  
Total Histone ◽  
Critical Window ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Transcriptomic Changes ◽  
Encoding Genes

Histone variants, which can be expressed outside of S-phase and deposited DNA synthesis-independently, provide replacement histones in terminally post-mitotic cells, including neurons. Histone variants can also serve active roles in gene regulation by modulating chromatin states or enabling nucleosome turnover at regulatory regions. Here, we find that newborn cortical excitatory neurons substantially accumulate the histone H3 variant H3.3 immediately post-mitosis. Co-deletion of H3.3-encoding genes H3f3a and H3f3b from new neurons abrogates this accumulation, and causes widespread disruptions in the developmental establishment of the neuronal transcriptome. These broad transcriptomic changes coincide with neuronal maturation phenotypes in acquisition of distinct neuronal identities and formation of axon tracts. Stage-dependent deletion of H3f3a and H3f3b from (1) cycling neural progenitor cells, (2) neurons immediately after terminal mitosis, or (3) several days later, reveals the first post-mitotic days as a critical window for de novo H3.3. After H3.3 accumulation within this developmental window, co-deletion of H3f3a and H3f3b from neurons causes progressive H3.3 depletion over several months without widespread transcriptional disruptions. Our study thus uncovers a key role for H3.3 in establishing neuronal transcriptome, identity, and connectivity immediately post-mitosis that is distinct from its role in maintaining total histone H3 levels over the neuronal lifespan.

scholarly journals Mis6/CENP-I maintains CENP-A nucleosomes against centromeric non-coding transcription during mitosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayato Hirai ◽  
Yuki Shogaki ◽  
Masamitsu Sato
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Fission Yeast ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Core Region ◽  
The Core ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

Centromeres are established by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. CENP-A is recruited to centromeres by the Mis18-HJURP machinery. During mitosis, CENP-A recruitment ceases, implying the necessity of CENP-A maintenance at centromeres, although the exact underlying mechanism remains elusive. Herein, we show that the kinetochore protein Mis6 (CENP-I) retains CENP-A during mitosis in fission yeast. Eliminating Mis6 during mitosis caused immediate loss of pre-existing CENP-A at centromeres. CENP-A loss occurred due to the transcriptional upregulation of non-coding RNAs at the central core region of centromeres, as confirmed by the observation RNA polymerase II inhibition preventing CENP-A loss from centromeres in the mis6 mutant. Thus, we concluded that Mis6 blocks the indiscriminate transcription of non-coding RNAs at the core centromere, thereby retaining the epigenetic inheritance of CENP-A during mitosis.

scholarly journals snRNA and Heterochromatin Formation Are Involved in DNA Excision during Macronuclear Development in Stichotrichous Ciliates

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 1934-1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan A. Juranek ◽  
Sina Rupprecht ◽  
Jan Postberg ◽  
Hans J. Lipps
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Histone H3 ◽  
Heterochromatin Formation ◽  
Macronuclear Development ◽  
Dna Elimination ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Specific Sequences

ABSTRACT Several models for specific excision of micronucleus-specific DNA sequences during macronuclear development in ciliates exist. While the template-guided recombination model suggests recombination events resulting in specific DNA excision and reordering of macronucleus-destined sequences (MDS) guided by a template, there is evidence that an RNA interference-related mechanism is involved in DNA elimination in holotrichous ciliates. We describe that in the stichotrichous ciliate Stylonychia, snRNAs homologous to micronucleus-specific sequences are synthesized during macronuclear differentiation. Western and in situ analyses demonstrate that histone H3 becomes methylated at K9 de novo during macronuclear differentiation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that micronucleus-specific sequences are associated with methylated H3. To link both observations, expression of a PIWI homolog, member of the RNA-induced silencing complex, was silenced. In these cells, the methylated micronucleus-specific histone H3 variant “X” is still present in macronuclear anlagen and no K9 methylation of histone H3 is observed. We suggest that snRNA recruits chromatin-modifying enzymes to sequences to be excised. Based on our and earlier observations, we believe that this mechanism is not sufficient for specific excision of sequences and reordering of MDS in the developing macronucleus and propose a model for internal eliminated sequence excision and MDS reordering in stichotrichous ciliates.

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