Mrc1 is essential for heterochromatin maintenance in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Genes Cells

Department of Bioscience, School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda, Hyogo, Japan.

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates how heterochromatin, a form of tightly packed DNA that represses gene expression, is maintained in fission yeast during cell division to ensure cell identity.
  • Researchers developed a reporter system to analyze the persistence of subtelomeric heterochromatin and discovered that once established, it tends to remain stable through cell proliferation.
  • They identified 57 genes related to heterochromatin maintenance, focusing on Mrc1, which plays a crucial role in preserving heterochromatin structure and involves important processes like DNA replication and histone modification.

Article Abstract

In eukaryotes, maintenance of heterochromatin structure that represses gene expression during cell proliferation is essential for guaranteeing cell identity. However, how heterochromatin is maintained and transmitted to the daughter cells remains elusive. In this study, we constructed a reporter system to study the maintenance of heterochromatin in the subtelomeric region of the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We demonstrated that once subtelomeric heterochromatin was established, it tended to be maintained as a metastable structure through cell proliferation. Using this system, we screened an S. pombe genome-wide gene deletion library for subtelomeric heterochromatin maintenance factors and identified 57 genes related to various cellular processes, in addition to well-characterized heterochromatin factors. We focused on Mrc1, a mediator of DNA replication checkpoint. We found that Mrc1 maintains heterochromatin structure not only at the subtelomeres but also at the pericentromeres and mating-type regions. Furthermore, we showed that Mrc1 is required for the localization of Snf2/Hdac-containing Repressor Complex (SHREC) and the maintenance of hypoacetylation state of histone H3K14. This study complements the recent discoveries that Mrc1 functions as a histone H3-H4 chaperone in heterochromatin maintenance.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gtc.13175DOI Listing

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