A diffusion model for the coordination of DNA replication in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 18757
• Main Authors: Pichugina, T., Sugawara, T., Kaykov, A., Schierding, W., Masuda, K., Uewaki, J., Grand, R. S., Allison, J. R., Martienssen, R. A., Nurse, P., Ueno, M., O’Sullivan, J. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 05.01.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/553; 631/80; Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Chromosomes; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA biosynthesis; DNA Replication; DNA, Fungal; Epigenetics; Euchromatin; Euchromatin - genetics; Eukaryotes; G1 Phase - genetics; Gene regulation; Genome, Fungal; Genomes; Genomics; Heterochromatin; Heterochromatin - genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Methyltransferases - genetics; Methyltransferases - metabolism; Microscopy; Models, Biological; multidisciplinary; Nucleotide sequence; Replication Origin; Replication origins; Schizosaccharomyces - genetics; Schizosaccharomyces - metabolism; Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - genetics; Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - metabolism; Science; Sequence Deletion; Structure-function relationships; Yeast
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep18757

The locations of proteins and epigenetic marks on the chromosomal DNA sequence are believed to demarcate the eukaryotic genome into distinct structural and functional domains that contribute to gene regulation and genome organization. However, how these proteins and epigenetic marks are organized in three dimensions remains unknown. Recent advances in proximity-ligation methodologies and high resolution microscopy have begun to expand our understanding of these spatial relationships. Here we use polymer models to examine the spatial organization of epigenetic marks, euchromatin and heterochromatin and origins of replication within the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome. These models incorporate data from microscopy and proximity-ligation experiments that inform on the positions of certain elements and contacts within and between chromosomes. Our results show a striking degree of compartmentalization of epigenetic and genomic features and lead to the proposal of a diffusion based mechanism, centred on the spindle pole body, for the coordination of DNA replication in S. pombe .