Unique roles for histone H3K9me states in RNAi and heritable silencing of transcription.

ABSTRACT: Heterochromatic DNA domains have important roles in the regulation of gene expression and maintenance of genome stability by silencing repetitive DNA elements and transposons. From fission yeast to mammals, heterochromatin assembly at DNA repeats involves the activity of small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) associated with the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Typically, sRNAs, originating from long noncoding RNAs, guide Argonaute-containing effector complexes to complementary nascent RNAs to initiate histone H3 lysine 9 di- and trimethylation (H3K9me2 and H3K9me3, respectively) and the formation of heterochromatin. H3K9me is in turn required for the recruitment of RNAi to chromatin to promote the amplification of sRNA. Yet, how heterochromatin formation, which silences transcription, can proceed b

SUBMITTER: Jih G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5576860 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature