Parasitic plasmids are anchored to inactive regions of eukaryotic chromosomes through a nucleosome signal.

ABSTRACT: Natural plasmids are common in prokaryotes, but few have been documented in eukaryotes. The natural 2µ plasmid present in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of these best-characterized exceptions. This highly stable genetic element has coexisted with its host for millions of years, faithfully segregating at each cell division through a mechanism that remains unclear. Using proximity ligation methods (such as Hi-C, Micro-C) to map the contacts between 2µ plasmid and yeast chromosomes under dozens of different biological conditions, we found that the plasmid is tethered preferentially to regions with low transcriptional activity, often corresponding to long, inactive genes. These contacts do not depend on common chromosome-structuring factors, such as members of the structural mainten

SUBMITTER: Girard F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11962162 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature