Tandemly repeated genes promote RNAi-mediated heterochromatin formation via an antisilencing factor, Epe1, in fission yeast.

ABSTRACT: In most eukaryotes, constitutive heterochromatin, defined by histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me), is enriched on repetitive DNA, such as pericentromeric repeats and transposons. Furthermore, repetitive transgenes also induce heterochromatin formation in diverse model organisms. However, the mechanisms that promote heterochromatin formation at repetitive DNA elements are still not clear. Here, using fission yeast, we show that tandemly repeated mRNA genes promote RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated heterochromatin formation in cooperation with an antisilencing factor, Epe1. Although the presence of tandemly repeated genes itself does not cause heterochromatin formation, once complementary small RNAs are artificially supplied in trans, the RNAi machinery assembled on the repeated ge

SUBMITTER: Asanuma T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9851402 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov-Dec 1

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature