Establishment of Centromeric Chromatin by the CENP-A Assembly Factor CAL1 Requires FACT-Mediated Transcription
Centromeres are essential chromosomal structures that mediate accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Centromeres are specified epigenetically by the heritable incorporation of the centromeric histone H3 variant CENP-A. While many of the primary factors that mediate centromeric deposit...
Saved in:
Published in | Developmental cell Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 73 - 84 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Elsevier Inc
06.07.2015
|
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | Centromeres are essential chromosomal structures that mediate accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Centromeres are specified epigenetically by the heritable incorporation of the centromeric histone H3 variant CENP-A. While many of the primary factors that mediate centromeric deposition of CENP-A are known, the chromatin and DNA requirements of this process have remained elusive. Here, we uncover a role for transcription in Drosophila CENP-A deposition. Using an inducible ectopic centromere system that uncouples CENP-A deposition from endogenous centromere function and cell-cycle progression, we demonstrate that CENP-A assembly by its loading factor, CAL1, requires RNAPII-mediated transcription of the underlying DNA. This transcription depends on the CAL1 binding partner FACT, but not on CENP-A incorporation. Our work establishes RNAPII passage as a key step in chaperone-mediated CENP-A chromatin establishment and propagation.
[Display omitted]
•CENP-A deposition is coupled with transcription•CAL1 recruits RNAPII onto DNA during CENP-A deposition•CAL1 interacts directly with the histone chaperone FACT•FACT depletion causes loss of transcription and defective CENP-A deposition
Centromeres are specified epigenetically by chromatin containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. Chen et al. shed light on CENP-A deposition mechanisms, showing that the CENP-A chaperone CAL1 recruits FACT and RNAPII to CENP-A assembly sites, where they trigger transcription. In the absence of FACT, transcription ceases and CENP-A deposition is defective. |
---|---|
Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Present address: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK. |
ISSN: | 1534-5807 1878-1551 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.05.012 |