Project description:We sequenced mRNA from wild type and Hst1 knock out strains of Candida lusitaniae to generate the gene expression profiles and studied the differentially expressed genes between the two conditions. RNA profiles of wild type (WT) and Hst1 knockout of Candida lusitaniae were generated by deep sequencing
Project description:The goal of this study is to identifiy centromere locations of Candida lusitaniae through ChIP-Seq analysis. We applied ChIP-Seq on two centromere proteins: Cse4 and Mif2. After peak calling, we identified one peak in each of the 8 supercontigs of Candida lusitaniae which may represent the potential centromere location.
Project description:We sequenced mRNA from wild type and Hst1 knock out strains of Candida lusitaniae to generate the gene expression profiles and studied the differentially expressed genes between the two conditions.
Project description:Cohesin is a highly conserved, multiprotein complex whose canonical function is to hold sister chromatids together to ensure accurate chromosome segregation. Cohesin association with chromatin relies on the separate Scc2-Scc4 complex that enables cohesin ring opening and topological entrapment of sister DNAs. Cohesin loading at centromeres also requires the CTF19 kinetochore subcomplex that recruits Scc2-Scc4, ensuring efficient and targeted cohesin binding. After loading at centromeres, cohesin rapidly translocates to neighboring pericentromeric regions. In an attempt to better understand how sister chromatid cohesion is regulated, we performed a proteomic screen in budding yeast that identified the Isw1 chromatin remodeler as a cohesin binding partner. We found that while cohesin can associate with both Isw1-containing complexes, ISW1a and ISW1b, however only ISW1a localizes to centromeres. There, ISW1a utilizes its chromatin remodeling activity to allow efficient translocation of cohesin loaded through CTF19 at centromeres to pericentromeres. Consistently, lack of Isw1 results in cohesin and cohesin loader retainment at CENs and periCENs. Interestingly, lack of Isw1 resulted in changes in the nucleosomal landscape at the CENs and pericentromeric regions, suggesting that chromatin organization may be a crucial determinant of cohesin loading. Finally, we provide evidence that the role of ISW1a at the CENs is to restrict the activity of the RSC complex. Taken together, our results support the notion of a key role of chromatin environment for cohesin functions.
Project description:Many repetitive DNA elements are packaged in heterochromatin, but depend on occasional transcription to maintain long-term silencing. The factors that promote transcription of repeat elements in heterochromatin are largely unknown. Here, we show that DOT1L, a histone methyltransferase that modifies lysine 79 of histone H3 (H3K79), is required for transcription of major satellite repeats to maintain pericentromeric heterochromatin (PCH), and that this function is essential for preimplantation development. DOT1L is a transcriptional activator at single-copy genes but does not have a known role in repeat element transcription. We show that H3K79me3 is specifically enriched at repetitive elements, that loss of DOT1L compromises pericentromeric major satellite transcription, and that this function depends on interaction between DOT1L and the chromatin remodeler SMARCA5. DOT1L inhibition causes chromosome breaks and cell cycle defects, and leads to embryonic lethality. Together, our findings uncover a vital new role for DOT1L in transcriptional activation of heterochromatic repeats.
Project description:Centromeres are the chromosomal loci essential for faithful chromosome segregation during cell division. Although centromeres are transcribed and produce non-coding RNAs (cenRNAs) that affect centromere function, we still lack a mechanistic understanding of how centromere transcription is regulated. Here, using a targeted RNA isoform sequencing approach, we identified the transcriptional landscape at and surrounding all centromeres in budding yeast. Overall, cenRNAs are derived from transcription readthrough of pericentromeric regions but rarely span the entire centromere and are a complex mixture of molecules that are heterogeneous in abundance, orientation, and sequence. While most pericentromeres are transcribed throughout the cell cycle, centromere accessibility to the transcription machinery is restricted to S-phase. This temporal restriction is dependent on Cbf1, a centromere-binding transcription factor, that we demonstrate acts locally as a transcriptional roadblock. Cbf1 deletion leads to an accumulation of cenRNAs at all phases of the cell cycle which correlates with increased chromosome mis-segregation that is partially rescued when the roadblock activity is restored. We propose that a Cbf1-mediated transcriptional roadblock protects yeast centromeres from untimely transcription to ensure genomic stability.