The intron in centromeric noncoding RNA facilitates RNAi-mediated formation of heterochromatin.

ABSTRACT: In fission yeast, the formation of centromeric heterochromatin is induced through the RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated pathway. Some pre-mRNA splicing mutants (prp) exhibit defective formation of centromeric heterochromatin, suggesting that splicing factors play roles in the formation of heterochromatin, or alternatively that the defect is caused by impaired splicing of pre-mRNAs encoding RNAi factors. Herein, we demonstrate that the splicing factor spPrp16p is enriched at the centromere, and associates with Cid12p (a factor in the RNAi pathway) and the intron-containing dg ncRNA. Interestingly, removal of the dg intron, mutations of its splice sites, or replacement of the dg intron with an euchromatic intron significantly decreased H3K9 dimethylation. We also revealed that splicing of dg

SUBMITTER: Mutazono M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5322907 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature