Centromeres are the foundation for mitotic kinetochore assembly and thus are essential for chromosome segregation. Centromeres are epigenetically defined by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. CENP-A nucleosome assembly is uncoupled from replication and occurs in G1, but how cells control this timing is incompletely understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudies of genome regulation routinely use high-throughput DNA sequencing approaches to determine where specific proteins interact with DNA, and they rely on DNA amplification and short-read sequencing, limiting their quantitative application in complex genomic regions. To address these limitations, we developed directed methylation with long-read sequencing (DiMeLo-seq), which uses antibody-tethered enzymes to methylate DNA near a target protein's binding sites in situ. These exogenous methylation marks are then detected simultaneously with endogenous CpG methylation on unamplified DNA using long-read, single-molecule sequencing technologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe previously discovered that competition between fission yeast actin binding proteins (ABPs) for binding F-actin facilitates their sorting to different cellular networks. Specifically, competition between endocytic actin patch ABPs fimbrin Fim1 and cofilin Adf1 enhances their activities, and prevents tropomyosin Cdc8's association with actin patches. However, these interactions do not explain how Fim1 is prevented from associating strongly with other F-actin networks such as the contractile ring.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnderstanding patterns of reproduction, dispersal and recruitment in deep-sea communities is increasingly important with the need to manage resource extraction and conserve species diversity. Glass sponges are usually found in deep water (>1000 m) worldwide but form kilometre-long reefs on the continental shelf of British Columbia and Alaska that are under threat from trawling and resource exploration. Due to their deep-water habitat, larvae have not yet been found and the level of genetic connectivity between reefs and nonreef communities is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF