The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex prevents polyploidy and maintains normal chromatin structure at centromeres

Role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers in meiosis

In eukaryotic cells, DNA is wrapped around histone octamers to compact the genome. Although such compaction is required for the precise segregation of the genome during cell division, it restricts the DNA-protein interactions essential for several cellular processes. During meiosis, a specialized cell division process that produces gametes, several DNA-protein interactions are crucial for assembling meiosis-specific chromosome structures, meiotic recombination, chromosome segregation, and transcriptional regulation. The role of chromatin remodelers (CRs) in facilitating DNA-protein transactions during mitosis is well appreciated, whereas how they facilitate meiosis-specific processes is poorly understood. In this review, we summarize experimental evidence supporting the role of CRs in meiosis in various model systems and suggest future perspectives to advance the field.

Conformational switching of Arp5 subunit regulates INO80 chromatin remodeling

The INO80 chromatin remodeler is a versatile enzyme capable of several functions, including spacing nucleosomes equal distances apart, precise positioning of nucleosomes based on DNA shape/sequence and exchanging histone dimers. Within INO80, the Arp5 subunit plays a central role in INO80 remodeling, evidenced by its interactions with the histone octamer, nucleosomal and extranucleosomal DNA, and its necessity in linking INO80's ATPase activity to nucleosome movement. We find two distinct regions of Arp5 binding near the acidic pocket of nucleosomes. One region has an arginine anchor that binds nucleosomes and is vital for INO80 mobilizing nucleosomes. The other region has a hydrophobic/acid patch of Leu and Asp that binds free histone H2A-H2B dimers. These two regions have different roles in remodeling nucleosomes as seen both in vitro and in vivo and the hydrophobic/acidic patch of Arp5 is likely needed for displacing DNA from the H2A-H2B surface and dimer exchange by INO80.

Conformational switching of Arp5 subunit differentially regulates INO80 chromatin remodeling

The INO80 chromatin remodeler is a versatile enzyme capable of several functions, including spacing nucleosomes equal distances apart, precise positioning of nucleosomes based on DNA shape/sequence and exchanging histone dimers. Within INO80, the Arp5 subunit plays a central role in INO80 remodeling, evidenced by its interactions with the histone octamer, nucleosomal and extranucleosomal DNA, and its necessity in linking INO80's ATPase activity to nucleosome movement. Our investigation reveals that the grappler domain of Arp5 interacts with the acidic pocket of nucleosomes through two distinct mechanisms: an arginine anchor or a hydrophobic/acidic patch. These two modes of binding serve distinct functions within INO80 as shown in vivo by mutations in these regions resulting in varying phenotypes and in vitro by diverse effects on nucleosome mobilization. Our findings suggest that the hydrophobic/acidic patch of Arp5 is likely important for dimer exchange by INO80, while the arginine anchor is crucial for mobilizing nucleosomes.

Non-canonical role for the BAF complex subunit DPF3 in mitosis and ciliogenesis

DPF3, along with other subunits, is a well-known component of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex, which plays a key role in regulating chromatin remodeling activity and gene expression. Here, we elucidated a non-canonical localization and role for DPF3. We showed that DPF3 dynamically localizes to the centriolar satellites in interphase and to the centrosome, spindle midzone and bridging fiber area, and midbodies during mitosis. Loss of DPF3 causes kinetochore fiber instability, unstable kinetochore-microtubule attachment and defects in chromosome alignment, resulting in altered mitotic progression, cell death and genomic instability. In addition, we also demonstrated that DPF3 localizes to centriolar satellites at the base of primary cilia and is required for ciliogenesis by regulating axoneme extension. Taken together, these findings uncover a moonlighting dual function for DPF3 during mitosis and ciliogenesis.

Humanization reveals pervasive incompatibility of yeast and human kinetochore components

Kinetochores assemble on centromeres to drive chromosome segregation in eukaryotic cells. Humans and budding yeast share most of the structural subunits of the kinetochore, whereas protein sequences have diverged considerably. The conserved centromeric histone H3 variant, CenH3 (CENP-A in humans and Cse4 in budding yeast), marks the site for kinetochore assembly in most species. A previous effort to complement Cse4 in yeast with human CENP-A was unsuccessful; however, co-complementation with the human core nucleosome was not attempted. Previously, our lab successfully humanized the core nucleosome in yeast; however, this severely affected cellular growth. We hypothesized that yeast Cse4 is incompatible with humanized nucleosomes and that the kinetochore represented a limiting factor for efficient histone humanization. Thus, we argued that including the human CENP-A or a Cse4-CENP-A chimera might improve histone humanization and facilitate kinetochore function in humanized yeast. The opposite was true: CENP-A expression reduced histone humanization efficiency, was toxic to yeast, and disrupted cell cycle progression and kinetochore function in wild-type (WT) cells. Suppressors of CENP-A toxicity included gene deletions of subunits of 3 conserved chromatin remodeling complexes, highlighting their role in CenH3 chromatin positioning. Finally, we attempted to complement the subunits of the NDC80 kinetochore complex, individually and in combination, without success, in contrast to a previous study indicating complementation by the human NDC80/HEC1 gene. Our results suggest that limited protein sequence similarity between yeast and human components in this very complex structure leads to failure of complementation.

Single molecule MATAC-seq reveals key determinants of DNA replication origin efficiency

Stochastic origin activation gives rise to significant cell-to-cell variability in the pattern of genome replication. The molecular basis for heterogeneity in efficiency and timing of individual origins is a long-standing question. Here, we developed Methylation Accessibility of TArgeted Chromatin domain Sequencing (MATAC-Seq) to determine single-molecule chromatin accessibility of four specific genomic loci. MATAC-Seq relies on preferential modification of accessible DNA by methyltransferases combined with Nanopore-Sequencing for direct readout of methylated DNA-bases. Applying MATAC-Seq to selected early-efficient and late-inefficient yeast replication origins revealed large heterogeneity of chromatin states. Disruption of INO80 or ISW2 chromatin remodeling complexes leads to changes at individual nucleosomal positions that correlate with changes in their replication efficiency. We found a chromatin state with an accessible nucleosome-free region in combination with well-positioned +1 and +2 nucleosomes as a strong predictor for efficient origin activation. Thus, MATAC-Seq identifies the large spectrum of alternative chromatin states that co-exist on a given locus previously masked in population-based experiments and provides a mechanistic basis for origin activation heterogeneity during eukaryotic DNA replication. Consequently, our single-molecule chromatin accessibility assay will be ideal to define single-molecule heterogeneity across many fundamental biological processes such as transcription, replication, or DNA repair in vitro and ex vivo.

Contribution of histone variants to aneuploidy: a cancer perspective

Histone variants, which generally differ in few amino acid residues, can replace core histones (H1, H2A, H2B, and H3) to confer specific structural and functional features to regulate cellular functions. In addition to their role in DNA packaging, histones modulate key processes such as gene expression regulation and chromosome segregation, which are frequently dysregulated in cancer cells. During the years, histones variants have gained significant attention as gatekeepers of chromosome stability, raising interest in understanding how structural and functional alterations can contribute to tumourigenesis. Beside the well-established role of the histone H3 variant CENP-A in centromere specification and maintenance, a growing body of literature has described mutations, aberrant expression patterns and post-translational modifications of a variety of histone variants in several cancers, also coining the term "oncohistones." At the molecular level, mechanistic studies have been dissecting the biological mechanisms behind histones and missegregation events, with the potential to uncover novel clinically-relevant targets. In this review, we focus on the current understanding and highlight knowledge gaps of the contribution of histone variants to aneuploidy, and we have compiled a database (HistoPloidyDB) of histone gene alterations linked to aneuploidy in cancers of the The Cancer Genome Atlas project.

The Histone Variant H2A.Z C-Terminal Domain Has Locus-Specific Differential Effects on H2A.Z Occupancy and Nucleosome Localization

The incorporation of histone variant H2A.Z into nucleosomes creates specialized chromatin domains that regulate DNA-templated processes, such as gene transcription. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the diverging H2A.Z C terminus is thought to provide the H2A.Z exclusive functions. To elucidate the roles of this H2A.Z C terminus genome-wide, we used derivatives in which the C terminus was replaced with the corresponding region of H2A (ZA protein), or the H2A region plus a transcriptional activating peptide (ZA-rII'), with the intent of regenerating the H2A.Z-dependent regulation globally. The distribution of these H2A.Z derivatives indicates that the H2A.Z C-terminal region is crucial for both maintaining the occupation level of H2A.Z and the proper positioning of targeted nucleosomes. Interestingly, the specific contribution on incorporation efficiency versus nucleosome positioning varies enormously depending on the locus analyzed. Specifically, the role of H2A.Z in global transcription regulation relies on its C-terminal region. Remarkably, however, this mostly involves genes without a H2A.Z nucleosome in the promoter. Lastly, we demonstrate that the main chaperone complex which deposits H2A.Z to gene regulatory region (SWR1-C) is necessary to localize all H2A.Z derivatives at their specific loci, indicating that the differential association of these derivatives is not due to impaired interaction with SWR1-C. IMPORTANCE We provide evidence that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae C-terminal region of histone variant H2A.Z can mediate its special function in performing gene regulation by interacting with effector proteins and chaperones. These functional interactions allow H2A.Z not only to incorporate to very specific gene regulatory regions, but also to facilitate the gene expression process. To achieve this, we used a chimeric protein which lacks the native H2A.Z C-terminal region but contains an acidic activating region, a module that is known to interact with components of chromatin-remodeling entities and/or transcription modulators. We reasoned that because this activating region can fulfill the role of the H2A.Z C-terminal region, at least in part, the role of the latter would be to interact with these activating region targets.

The ins and outs of CENP-A: Chromatin dynamics of the centromere-specific histone

Centromeres are highly specialised chromosome domains defined by the presence of an epigenetic mark, the specific histone H3 variant called CENP-A (centromere protein A). They constitute the genomic regions on which kinetochores form and when defective cause segregation defects that can lead to aneuploidy and cancer. Here, we discuss how CENP-A is established and maintained to propagate centromere identity while subjected to dynamic chromatin remodelling during essential cellular processes like DNA repair, replication, and transcription. We highlight parallels and identify conserved mechanisms between different model organism with a particular focus on 1) the establishment of CENP-A at centromeres, 2) CENP-A maintenance during transcription and replication, and 3) the mechanisms that help preventing CENP-A localization at non-centromeric sites. We then give examples of how timely loading of new CENP-A to the centromere, maintenance of old CENP-A during S-phase and transcription, and removal of CENP-A at non-centromeric sites are coordinated and controlled by an intricate network of factors whose identity is slowly being unravelled.

INO80C Remodeler Maintains Genomic Stability by Preventing Promiscuous Transcription at Replication Origins

The proper coordination of transcription with DNA replication and repair is central for genomic stability. We investigate how the INO80C chromatin remodeling enzyme might coordinate these genomic processes. We find that INO80C co-localizes with the origin recognition complex (ORC) at yeast replication origins and is bound to replication initiation sites in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). In yeast· INO80C recruitment requires origin sequences but does not require ORC· suggesting that recruitment is independent of pre-replication complex assembly. In both yeast and ESCs· INO80C co-localizes at origins with Mot1 and NC2 transcription factors· and genetic studies suggest that they function together to promote genome stability. Interestingly· nascent transcript sequencing demonstrates that INO80C and Mot1 prevent pervasive transcription through origin sequences· and absence of these factors leads to formation of new DNA double-strand breaks. We propose that INO80C and Mot1/NC2 function through distinct pathways to limit origin transcription· maintaining genomic stability.

The INO80C chromatin remodeler is known to regulate transcription and genomic stability. Topal et al. find that INO80C functions with Mot1 repressor to prevent pervasive transcription at replication origins in yeast and mESCs. Increased ncRNAs lead to new DNA double-strand breaks at origins, linking transcriptional regulation to genomic stability.

CHIP and BAP1 Act in Concert to Regulate INO80 Ubiquitination and Stability for DNA Replication

The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex has roles in many essential cellular processes, including DNA replication. However, the mechanisms that regulate INO80 in these processes remain largely unknown. We previously reported that the stability of Ino80, the catalytic ATPase subunit of INO80, is regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome system and that BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1), a nuclear deubiquitinase with tumor suppressor activity, stabilizes Ino80 via deubiquitination and promotes replication fork progression. However, the E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets Ino80 for proteasomal degradation was unknown. Here, we identified the C-terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP), the E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions in cooperation with Hsp70, as an Ino80-interacting protein. CHIP polyubiquitinates Ino80 in a manner dependent on Hsp70. Contrary to our expectation that CHIP degrades Ino80, CHIP instead stabilizes Ino80 by extending its halflife. The data suggest that CHIP stabilizes Ino80 by inhibiting degradative ubiquitination. We also show that CHIP works together with BAP1 to enhance the stabilization of Ino80, leading to its chromatin binding. Interestingly, both depletion and overexpression of CHIP compromise replication fork progression with little effect on fork stalling, as similarly observed for BAP1 and Ino80, indicating that an optimal cellular level of Ino80 is important for replication fork speed but not for replication stress suppression. This work therefore idenitifes CHIP as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that stabilizes Ino80 via nondegradative ubiquitination and suggests that CHIP and BAP1 act in concert to regulate Ino80 ubiquitination to fine-tune its stability for efficient DNA replication.

A Structural Guide to the Bloom Syndrome Complex

The Bloom syndrome complex is a DNA damage repair machine. It consists of several protein components which are functional in isolation, but interdependent in cells for the maintenance of accurate homologous recombination. Mutations to any of the genes encoding these proteins cause numerous physical and developmental markers as well as phenotypes of genome instability, infertility, and cancer predisposition. Here we review the published structural and biochemical data on each of the components of the complex: the helicase BLM, the type IA topoisomerase TOP3A, and the OB-fold-containing RMI and RPA subunits. We describe how each component contributes to function, interacts with each other, and the DNA that it manipulates/repairs.

The role of gene dosage in budding yeast centrosome scaling and spontaneous diploidization

Ploidy is the number of whole sets of chromosomes in a species. Ploidy is typically a stable cellular feature that is critical for survival. Polyploidization is a route recognized to increase gene dosage, improve fitness under stressful conditions and promote evolutionary diversity. However, the mechanism of regulation and maintenance of ploidy is not well characterized. Here, we examine the spontaneous diploidization associated with mutations in components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae centrosome, known as the spindle pole body (SPB). Although SPB mutants are associated with defects in spindle formation, we show that two copies of the mutant in a haploid yeast favors diploidization in some cases, leading us to speculate that the increased gene dosage in diploids ‘rescues’ SPB duplication defects, allowing cells to successfully propagate with a stable diploid karyotype. This copy number-based rescue is linked to SPB scaling: certain SPB subcomplexes do not scale or only minimally scale with ploidy. We hypothesize that lesions in structures with incompatible allometries such as the centrosome may drive changes such as whole genome duplication, which have shaped the evolutionary landscape of many eukaryotes.

Ploidy is the number of whole sets of chromosomes in a species. Most eukaryotes alternate between a diploid (two copy) and haploid (one copy) state during their life and sexual cycle. However, as part of normal human development, specific tissues increase their DNA content. This gain of entire sets of chromosomes is known as polyploidization, and it is observed in invertebrates, plants and fungi, as well. Polyploidy is thought to improve fitness under stressful conditions and promote evolutionary diversity, but how ploidy is determined is poorly understood. Here, we use budding yeast to investigate mechanisms underlying the ploidy of wild-type cells and specific mutants that affect the centrosome, a conserved structure involved in chromosome segregation during cell division. Our work suggests that different scaling relationships (allometry) between the genome and cellular structures underlies alterations in ploidy. Furthermore, mutations in cellular structures with incompatible allometric relationships with the genome may drive genomic changes such duplications, which are underly the evolution of many species including both yeasts and humans.

Systematic analysis of bypass suppression of essential genes

Essential genes tend to be highly conserved across eukaryotes, but, in some cases, their critical roles can be bypassed through genetic rewiring. From a systematic analysis of 728 different essential yeast genes, we discovered that 124 (17%) were dispensable essential genes. Through whole-genome sequencing and detailed genetic analysis, we investigated the genetic interactions and genome alterations underlying bypass suppression. Dispensable essential genes often had paralogs, were enriched for genes encoding membrane-associated proteins, and were depleted for members of protein complexes. Functionally related genes frequently drove the bypass suppression interactions. These gene properties were predictive of essential gene dispensability and of specific suppressors among hundreds of genes on aneuploid chromosomes. Our findings identify yeast's core essential gene set and reveal that the properties of dispensable essential genes are conserved from yeast to human cells, correlating with human genes that display cell line-specific essentiality in the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) project.

INO80 Chromatin Remodeling Coordinates Metabolic Homeostasis with Cell Division

Adaptive survival requires the coordination of nutrient availability with expenditure of cellular resources. For example, in nutrient-limited environments, 50% of all S. cerevisiae genes synchronize and exhibit periodic bursts of expression in coordination with respiration and cell division in the yeast metabolic cycle (YMC). Despite the importance of metabolic and proliferative synchrony, the majority of YMC regulators are currently unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex is required to coordinate respiration and cell division with periodic gene expression. Specifically, INO80 mutants have severe defects in oxygen consumption and promiscuous cell division that is no longer coupled with metabolic status. In mutant cells, chromatin accessibility of periodic genes, including TORC1-responsive genes, is relatively static, concomitant with severely attenuated gene expression. Collectively, these results reveal that the INO80 complex mediates metabolic signaling to chromatin to restrict proliferation to metabolically optimal states.

The budding yeast RSC complex maintains ploidy by promoting spindle pole body insertion

Ploidy is tightly regulated in eukaryotic cells and is critical for cell function and survival. Cells coordinate multiple pathways to ensure replicated DNA is segregated accurately to prevent abnormal changes in chromosome number. In this study, we characterize an unanticipated role for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae "remodels the structure of chromatin" (RSC) complex in ploidy maintenance. We show that deletion of any of six nonessential RSC genes causes a rapid transition from haploid to diploid DNA content because of nondisjunction events. Diploidization is accompanied by diagnostic changes in cell morphology and is stably maintained without further ploidy increases. We find that RSC promotes chromosome segregation by facilitating spindle pole body (SPB) duplication. More specifically, RSC plays a role in distributing two SPB insertion factors, Nbp1 and Ndc1, to the new SPB. Thus, we provide insight into a role for a SWI/SNF family complex in SPB duplication and ploidy maintenance.

The INO80 remodeller in transcription, replication and repair

The accessibility of eukaryotic genomes to the action of enzymes involved in transcription, replication and repair is maintained despite the organization of DNA into nucleosomes. This access is often regulated by the action of ATP-dependent nucleosome remodellers. The INO80 class of nucleosome remodellers has unique structural features and it is implicated in a diverse array of functions, including transcriptional regulation, DNA replication and DNA repair. Underlying these diverse functions is the catalytic activity of the main ATPase subunit, which in the context of a multisubunit complex can shift nucleosomes and carry out histone dimer exchange. In vitro studies showed that INO80 promotes replication fork progression on a chromatin template, while in vivo it was shown to facilitate replication fork restart after stalling and to help evict RNA polymerase II at transcribed genes following the collision of a replication fork with transcription. More recent work in yeast implicates INO80 in the general eviction and degradation of nucleosomes following high doses of oxidative DNA damage. Beyond these replication and repair functions, INO80 was shown to repress inappropriate transcription at promoters in the opposite direction to the coding sequence. Here we discuss the ways in which INO80's diverse functions help maintain genome integrity.This article is part of the themed issue 'Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'.

Genome maintenance functions of the INO80 chromatin remodeller

Chromatin modification is conserved in all eukaryotes and is required to facilitate and regulate DNA-templated processes. For example, chromatin manipulation, such as histone post-translational modification and nucleosome positioning, play critical roles in genome stability pathways. The INO80 chromatin-remodelling complex, which regulates the abundance and positioning of nucleosomes, is particularly important for proper execution of inducible responses to DNA damage. This review discusses the participation and activity of the INO80 complex in DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint pathways, with emphasis on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system. Furthermore, the role of ATM/ATR kinases, central regulators of DNA damage signalling, in the regulation of INO80 function will be reviewed. In addition, emerging themes of chromatin remodelling in mitotic stability pathways and chromosome segregation will be introduced. These studies are critical to understanding the dynamic chromatin landscape that is rapidly and reversibly modified to maintain the integrity of the genome.This article is part of the themed issue 'Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'.

Identification of Two Distinct Classes of the Human INO80 Complex Genome-Wide

Chromatin remodeling and histone modifying enzymes play a critical role in shaping the regulatory output of a cell. Although much is known about these classes of proteins, identifying the mechanisms by which they coordinate gene expression programs remains an exciting topic of investigation. One factor that may contribute to the targeting and activity of chromatin regulators is local chromatin landscape. We leveraged genomic approaches and publically-available datasets to characterize the chromatin landscape at targets of the human INO80 chromatin remodeling complex (INO80-C). Our data revealed two classes of INO80-C targets with distinct chromatin signatures. The predominant INO80-C class was enriched for open chromatin, H3K27ac, and representative subunits from each of the three INO80-C modules (RUVBL1, RUVBL2, MCRS1, YY1). We named this class Canonical INO80. Notably, we identified an unexpected class of INO80-C targets that contained only the INO80 ATPase and harbored a repressive chromatin signature characterized by inaccessible chromatin, H3K27me3, and the methyltransferase EZH2. We named this class Non-Canonical INO80 (NC-INO80). Biochemical approaches indicated that INO80-C and the H3K27 acetyltransferase P300 physically interact, suggesting INO80-C and P300 may jointly coordinate chromatin accessibility at Canonical INO80 sites. No interaction was detected between INO80-C and EZH2, indicating INO80-C and EZH2 may engage in a separate form of regulatory crosstalk at NC-INO80 targets. Our data indicate that INO80-C is more compositionally heterogenous at its genomic targets than anticipated. Moreover, our data suggest there is an important link between INO80-C and histone modifying enzymes that may have consequences in developmental and pathological contexts.

High levels of histones promote whole-genome-duplications and trigger a Swe1WEE1-dependent phosphorylation of Cdc28CDK1

Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have played a central role in the evolution of genomes and constitute an important source of genome instability in cancer. Here, we show in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that abnormal accumulations of histones are sufficient to induce WGDs. Our results link these WGDs to a reduced incorporation of the histone variant H2A.Z to chromatin. Moreover, we show that high levels of histones promote Swe1^WEE1 stabilisation thereby triggering the phosphorylation and inhibition of Cdc28^CDK1 through a mechanism different of the canonical DNA damage response. Our results link high levels of histones to a specific type of genome instability that is quite frequently observed in cancer and uncovers a new mechanism that might be able to respond to high levels of histones.

Ploidy Variation in Fungi: Polyploidy, Aneuploidy, and Genome Evolution

The ability of an organism to replicate and segregate its genome with high fidelity is vital to its survival and for the production of future generations. Errors in either of these steps (replication or segregation) can lead to a change in ploidy or chromosome number. While these drastic genome changes can be detrimental to the organism, resulting in decreased fitness, they can also provide increased fitness during periods of stress. A change in ploidy or chromosome number can fundamentally change how a cell senses and responds to its environment. Here, we discuss current ideas in fungal biology that illuminate how eukaryotic genome size variation can impact the organism at a cellular and evolutionary level. One of the most fascinating observations from the past 2 decades of research is that some fungi have evolved the ability to tolerate large genome size changes and generate vast genomic heterogeneity without undergoing canonical meiosis.

The INO80 chromatin remodeler sustains metabolic stability by promoting TOR signaling and regulating histone acetylation

Chromatin remodeling complexes are essential for gene expression programs that coordinate cell function with metabolic status. However, how these remodelers are integrated in metabolic stability pathways is not well known. Here, we report an expansive genetic screen with chromatin remodelers and metabolic regulators in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that, unlike the SWR1 remodeler, the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex is composed of multiple distinct functional subunit modules. We identified a strikingly divergent genetic signature for the Ies6 subunit module that links the INO80 complex to metabolic homeostasis. In particular, mitochondrial maintenance is disrupted in ies6 mutants. INO80 is also needed to communicate TORC1-mediated signaling to chromatin, as ino80 mutants exhibit defective transcriptional profiles and altered histone acetylation of TORC1-responsive genes. Furthermore, comparative analysis reveals subunits of INO80 and mTORC1 have high co-occurrence of alterations in human cancers. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the INO80 complex is a central component of metabolic homeostasis that influences histone acetylation and may contribute to disease when disrupted.

Endothelial deletion of Ino80 disrupts coronary angiogenesis and causes congenital heart disease

During development, the formation of a mature, well-functioning heart requires transformation of the ventricular wall from a loose trabecular network into a dense compact myocardium at mid-gestation. Failure to compact is associated in humans with congenital diseases such as left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC). The mechanisms regulating myocardial compaction are however still poorly understood. Here, we show that deletion of the Ino80 chromatin remodeler in vascular endothelial cells prevents ventricular compaction in the developing mouse heart. This correlates with defective coronary vascularization, and specific deletion of Ino80 in the two major coronary progenitor tissues—sinus venosus and endocardium—causes intermediate phenotypes. In vitro, endothelial cells promote myocardial expansion independently of blood flow in an Ino80-dependent manner. Ino80 deletion increases the expression of E2F-activated genes and endothelial cell S-phase occupancy. Thus, Ino80 is essential for coronary angiogenesis and allows coronary vessels to support proper compaction of the heart wall.

Heart development requires compaction of the ventricular wall into a dense myocardium at mid-gestation. Here, Rhee and colleagues show that the chromatin remodeller Ino80 is critical for the formation of the coronary vasculature, and show that coronary vessels are needed for successful cardiac compaction during embryonic development.

INO80 haploinsufficiency inhibits colon cancer tumorigenesis via replication stress-induced apoptosis

The INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex performs functions in many chromosomal processes that are crucial for genome stability, such as DNA replication and stalled replication fork recovery. Although these functions suggest that INO80 acts as a tumor suppressor, its specific role in tumorigenesis has remained obscure. Here, we show that a haploinsufficient mutation of Ino80, the catalytic ATPase of the INO80 complex, decreased intestinal adenomatous polyps and increased survival in an Apcmin/+ mouse model of colon cancer. Experiments using tumors obtained from Apcmin/+ mice and cells from human colon cancers showed that this Ino80 defect induced stalled replication forks, the concomitant activation of ATR-Chk1 signaling and an increase in apoptosis, suggesting that Ino80 haploinsufficiency inhibited colon cancer tumorigenesis by activating replication stress-induced ATR-Chk1 signaling to increase apoptosis. Importantly, in human colon cancer, we observed that the INO80 subunits were frequently present in high copy numbers and exhibited a high rate of amplification and increased protein expression. These results show that in contrast to our original prediction that INO80 acts as a tumor suppressor, INO80 actually functions oncogenically to promote colon tumorigenesis. INO80 therefore represents a novel therapeutic target in colon cancer. The results of this study also reinforce the emerging notion that while genomic instability can promote tumorigenesis, in certain genetic contexts, it can also act as a tumor suppressor.

Identification of 15 candidate structured noncoding RNA motifs in fungi by comparative genomics

BACKGROUND

With the development of rapid and inexpensive DNA sequencing, the genome sequences of more than 100 fungal species have been made available. This dataset provides an excellent resource for comparative genomics analyses, which can be used to discover genetic elements, including noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Bioinformatics tools similar to those used to uncover novel ncRNAs in bacteria, likewise, should be useful for searching fungal genomic sequences, and the relative ease of genetic experiments with some model fungal species could facilitate experimental validation studies.

RESULTS

We have adapted a bioinformatics pipeline for discovering bacterial ncRNAs to systematically analyze many fungal genomes. This comparative genomics pipeline integrates information on conserved RNA sequence and structural features with alternative splicing information to reveal fungal RNA motifs that are candidate regulatory domains, or that might have other possible functions. A total of 15 prominent classes of structured ncRNA candidates were identified, including variant HDV self-cleaving ribozyme representatives, atypical snoRNA candidates, and possible structured antisense RNA motifs. Candidate regulatory motifs were also found associated with genes for ribosomal proteins, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SDC), amidase, and HexA protein involved in Woronin body formation. We experimentally confirm that the variant HDV ribozymes undergo rapid self-cleavage, and we demonstrate that the SDC RNA motif reduces the expression of SAM decarboxylase by translational repression. Furthermore, we provide evidence that several other motifs discovered in this study are likely to be functional ncRNA elements.

CONCLUSIONS

Systematic screening of fungal genomes using a computational discovery pipeline has revealed the existence of a variety of novel structured ncRNAs. Genome contexts and similarities to known ncRNA motifs provide strong evidence for the biological and biochemical functions of some newly found ncRNA motifs. Although initial examinations of several motifs provide evidence for their likely functions, other motifs will require more in-depth analysis to reveal their functions.

INO80 represses osmostress induced gene expression by resetting promoter proximal nucleosomes

The conserved INO80 chromatin remodeling complex is involved in regulation of DNA damage repair, replication and transcription. It is commonly recruited to the transcription start region and contributes to the establishment of promoter-proximal nucleosomes. We find a substantial influence of INO80 on nucleosome dynamics and gene expression during stress induced transcription. Transcription induced by osmotic stress leads to genome-wide remodeling of promoter proximal nucleosomes. INO80 function is required for timely return of evicted nucleosomes to the 5΄ end of induced genes. Reduced INO80 function in Arp8-deficient cells leads to correlated prolonged transcription and nucleosome eviction. INO80 and the related complex SWR1 regulate incorporation of the H2A.Z isoform at promoter proximal nucleosomes. However, H2A.Z seems not to influence osmotic stress induced gene regulation. Furthermore, we show that high rates of transcription promote INO80 recruitment to promoter regions, suggesting a connection between active transcription and promoter proximal nucleosome remodeling. In addition, we find that absence of INO80 enhances bidirectional promoter activity at highly induced genes and expression of a number of stress induced transcripts. We suggest that INO80 has a direct repressive role via promoter proximal nucleosome remodeling to limit high levels of transcription in yeast.

The Ino80 complex mediates epigenetic centromere propagation via active removal of histone H3

The centromere is the chromosomal locus at which the kinetochore is assembled to direct chromosome segregation. The histone H3 variant, centromere protein A (CENP-A), is known to epigenetically mark active centromeres, but the mechanism by which CENP-A propagates at the centromere, replacing histone H3, remains poorly understood. Using fission yeast, here we show that the Ino80 adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, which removes histone H3-containing nucleosomes from associated chromatin, promotes CENP-A^Cnp1 chromatin assembly at the centromere in a redundant manner with another chromatin-remodeling factor Chd1^Hrp1. CENP-A^Cnp1 chromatin actively recruits the Ino80 complex to centromeres to elicit eviction of histone H3-containing nucleosomes. Artificial targeting of Ino80 subunits to a non-centromeric DNA sequence placed in a native centromere enhances the spreading of CENP-A^Cnp1 chromatin into the non-centromeric DNA. Based on these results, we propose that CENP-A^Cnp1 chromatin employs the Ino80 complex to mediate the replacement of histone H3 with CENP-A^Cnp1, and thereby reinforces itself.

The histone variant CENP-A marks active centromeres and replaces H3 at centromeres through a poorly understood mechanism. Here, the authors provide evidence that the chromatin remodeller Ino80 promotes CENP-A chromatin assembly at the centromere in fission yeast.

Centromere Structure and Function

The centromere is the genetic locus that specifies the site of kinetochore assembly, where the chromosome will attach to the kinetochore microtubule. The pericentromere is the physical region responsible for the geometry of bi-oriented sister kinetochores in metaphase. In budding yeast the 125 bp point centromere is sufficient to specify kinetochore assembly. The flanking region is enriched (3X) in cohesin and condensin relative to the remaining chromosome arms. The enrichment spans about 30-50 kb around each centromere. We refer to the flanking chromatin as the pericentromere in yeast. In mammals, a 5-10 Mb region dictates where the kinetochore is built. The kinetochore interacts with a very small fraction of DNA on the surface of the centromeric region. The remainder of the centromere lies between the sister kinetochores. This is typically called centromere chromatin. The chromatin sites that directly interface to microtubules cannot be identified due to the repeated sequence within the mammalian centromere. However in both yeast and mammals, the total amount of DNA between the sites of microtubule attachment in metaphase is highly conserved. In yeast the 16 chromosomes are clustered into a 250 nm diameter region, and 800 kb (16 × 50 kb) or ~1 Mb of DNA lies between sister kinetochores. In mammals, 5-10 Mb lies between sister kinetochores. In both organisms the sister kinetochores are separated by about 1 μm. Thus, centromeres of different organisms differ in how they specify kinetochore assembly, but there may be important centromere chromatin functions that are conserved throughout phylogeny. Recently, centromeric chromatin has been reconstituted in vitro using alpha satellite DNA revealing unexpected features of centromeric DNA organization, replication, and response to stress. We will focus on the conserved features of centromere in this review.

Identification of Tension Sensing Motif of Histone H3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Its Regulation by Histone Modifying Enzymes

To ensure genome stability during cell division, all chromosomes must attach to spindles emanating from the opposite spindle pole bodies before segregation. The tension between sister chromatids generated by the poleward pulling force is an integral part of chromosome biorientation. In budding yeast, the residue Gly44 of histone H3 is critical for retaining the conserved Shugoshin protein Sgo1p at the pericentromeres for monitoring the tension status during mitosis. Studies carried out in this work showed that Lys42, Gly44, and Thr45 of H3 form the core of a tension sensing motif (TSM). Similar to the previously reported G44S mutant, K42A, G44A, and T45A alleles all rendered cells unable to respond to erroneous spindle attachment, a phenotype suppressed by Sgo1p overexpression. TSM functions by physically recruiting or retaining Sgo1p at pericentromeres as evidenced by chromatin immunoprecipitation and by in vitro pulldown experiments. Intriguingly, the function of TSM is likely regulated by multiple histone modifying enzymes, including the histone acetyltransferase Gcn5p, and deacetylases Rpd3p and Hos2p Defects caused by TSM mutations can be suppressed by the expression of a catalytically inactive mutant of Gcn5p Conversely, G44S mutant cells exhibit prominent chromatin instability phenotype in the absence of RPD3 Importantly, the gcn5^- suppressor restores the tension sensing function in tsm^- background in a fashion that bypasses the need of stably associating Sgo1p with chromatin. These results demonstrate that the TSM of histone H3 is a key component of a mechanism that ensures faithful segregation, and that interaction with chromatin modifying enzymes may be an important part of the mitotic quality control process.

Constitutive turnover of histone H2A.Z at yeast promoters requires the preinitiation complex

The assembly of the preinitiation complex (PIC) occurs upstream of the +1 nucleosome which, in yeast, obstructs the transcription start site and is frequently assembled with the histone variant H2A.Z. To understand the contribution of the transcription machinery in the disassembly of the +1 H2A.Z nucleosome, conditional mutants were used to block PIC assembly. A quantitative ChIP-seq approach, which allows detection of global occupancy change, was employed to measure H2A.Z occupancy. Blocking PIC assembly resulted in promoter-specific H2A.Z accumulation, indicating that the PIC is required to evict H2A.Z. By contrast, H2A.Z eviction was unaffected upon depletion of INO80, a remodeler previously reported to displace nucleosomal H2A.Z. Robust PIC-dependent H2A.Z eviction was observed at active and infrequently transcribed genes, indicating that constitutive H2A.Z turnover is a general phenomenon. Finally, sites with strong H2A.Z turnover precisely mark transcript starts, providing a new metric for identifying cryptic and alternative sites of initiation.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14243.001

To fit the genetic information of an animal, yeast or other eukaryote into cells, DNA is tightly wound around proteins called histones to form repeating units known as nucleosomes. However, this tight winding prevents proteins from accessing the DNA, and so prevents gene transcription – the first stage of producing the molecules encoded by a gene. For transcription to take place, nucleosomes at DNA sequences called promoters must be reorganized and disassembled, thereby allowing proteins to bind to and engage these sequences and to turn nearby genes on.

H2A is a histone protein that is found in the majority of nucleosomes in yeast cells. A different form of this histone – called H2A.Z – is found in nucleosomes near the promoter of almost every gene. It is thought that nucleosomes that contain H2A.Z are recognized and disassembled as the gene turns on, but it is unclear how this happens.

To investigate how H2A.Z nucleosomes are disassembled, Tramantano et al. depleted yeast cells of various proteins thought to play a role in the disassembly process. This indicated that the proteins that transcribe genes play crucial roles in the process of disassembling the H2A.Z nucleosomes, because H2A.Z accumulated at promoters in cells that are depleted of these proteins.

Further investigation revealed that disassembled H2A.Z nucleosomes are reassembled with H2A histones, before being converted back to the H2A.Z form by an enzyme called SWR1. This turnover of H2A.Z was seen at active genes and those that are infrequently transcribed, suggesting that it is a general phenomenon.

Tramantano et al. also found that the turnover rate of H2A.Z can be used to accurately predict the sites in the DNA where transcription starts. This observation could therefore help to identify previously unknown transcription start sites. Future work could address further questions about how H2A.Z nucleosomes are disassembled. For example, what is the mechanical force that drives this process? And at what step of the transcription process does it occur?

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14243.002

Regulation of Budding Yeast CENP-A levels Prevents Misincorporation at Promoter Nucleosomes and Transcriptional Defects

The exclusive localization of the histone H3 variant CENP-A to centromeres is essential for accurate chromosome segregation. Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis helps to ensure that CENP-A does not mislocalize to euchromatin, which can lead to genomic instability. Consistent with this, overexpression of the budding yeast CENP-A^Cse4 is lethal in cells lacking Psh1, the E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets CENP-A^Cse4 for degradation. To identify additional mechanisms that prevent CENP-A^Cse4 misincorporation and lethality, we analyzed the genome-wide mislocalization pattern of overexpressed CENP-A^Cse4 in the presence and absence of Psh1 by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high throughput sequencing. We found that ectopic CENP-A^Cse4 is enriched at promoters that contain histone H2A.Z^Htz1 nucleosomes, but that H2A.Z^Htz1 is not required for CENP-A^Cse4 mislocalization. Instead, the INO80 complex, which removes H2A.Z^Htz1 from nucleosomes, promotes the ectopic deposition of CENP-A^Cse4. Transcriptional profiling revealed gene expression changes in the psh1Δ cells overexpressing CENP-A^Cse4. The down-regulated genes are enriched for CENP-A^Cse4 mislocalization to promoters, while the up-regulated genes correlate with those that are also transcriptionally up-regulated in an htz1Δ strain. Together, these data show that regulating centromeric nucleosome localization is not only critical for maintaining centromere function, but also for ensuring accurate promoter function and transcriptional regulation.

Chromosomes carry the genetic material in cells. When cells divide, each daughter cell must inherit a single copy of each chromosome. The centromere is the locus on each chromosome that ensures the equal distribution of chromosomes during cell division. One essential protein involved in this task is CENP-A^Cse4, which normally localizes exclusively to centromeres. Here, we investigated where CENP-A^Cse4 spreads in the genome when parts of its regulatory machinery are removed. We found that CENP-A^Cse4 becomes mislocalized to promoters, the region upstream of each gene that controls the activity of the gene. Consistent with this, the mislocalization of CENP-A^Cse4 to promoters leads to problems with gene activity. Our work shows that mislocalization of centromeric proteins can have effects beyond chromosome segregation defects, such as interfering with gene expression on chromosome arms.

DNA damage signalling targets the kinetochore to promote chromatin mobility

In budding yeast, chromatin mobility increases after a DNA double-strand break (DSB). This increase is dependent on Mec1, the yeast ATR kinase, but the targets responsible for this phenomenon are unknown. Here we report that the Mec1-dependent phosphorylation of Cep3, a kinetochore component, is required to stimulate chromatin mobility after DNA breaks. Cep3 phosphorylation counteracts a constraint on chromosome movement imposed by the attachment of centromeres to the spindle pole body. A second constraint, imposed by the tethering of telomeres to the nuclear periphery, is also relieved after chromosome breakage. A non-phosphorylatable Cep3 mutant that impairs DSB-induced chromatin mobility is proficient in DSB repair, suggesting that break-induced chromatin mobility may be dispensable for homology search. Rather, we propose that the relief of centromeric constraint promotes cell cycle arrest and faithful chromosome segregation through the engagement of the spindle assembly checkpoint.

The INO80 Complex Requires the Arp5-Ies6 Subcomplex for Chromatin Remodeling and Metabolic Regulation

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes are essential for transcription regulation, and yet it is unclear how these multisubunit complexes coordinate their activities to facilitate diverse transcriptional responses. In this study, we found that the conserved Arp5 and Ies6 subunits of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae INO80 chromatin-remodeler form an abundant and distinct subcomplex in vivo and stimulate INO80-mediated activity in vitro. Moreover, our genomic studies reveal that the relative occupancy of Arp5-Ies6 correlates with nucleosome positioning at transcriptional start sites and expression levels of >1,000 INO80-regulated genes. Notably, these genes are significantly enriched in energy metabolism pathways. Specifically, arp5Δ, ies6Δ, and ino80Δ mutants demonstrate decreased expression of genes involved in glycolysis and increased expression of genes in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Deregulation of these metabolic pathways results in constitutively elevated mitochondrial potential and oxygen consumption. Our results illustrate the dynamic nature of the INO80 complex assembly and demonstrate for the first time that a chromatin remodeler regulates glycolytic and respiratory capacity, thereby maintaining metabolic stability.

Managing Single-Stranded DNA during Replication Stress in Fission Yeast

Replication fork stalling generates a variety of responses, most of which cause an increase in single-stranded DNA. ssDNA is a primary signal of replication distress that activates cellular checkpoints. It is also a potential source of genome instability and a substrate for mutation and recombination. Therefore, managing ssDNA levels is crucial to chromosome integrity. Limited ssDNA accumulation occurs in wild-type cells under stress. In contrast, cells lacking the replication checkpoint cannot arrest forks properly and accumulate large amounts of ssDNA. This likely occurs when the replication fork polymerase and helicase units are uncoupled. Some cells with mutations in the replication helicase (mcm-ts) mimic checkpoint-deficient cells, and accumulate extensive areas of ssDNA to trigger the G2-checkpoint. Another category of helicase mutant (mcm4-degron) causes fork stalling in early S-phase due to immediate loss of helicase function. Intriguingly, cells realize that ssDNA is present, but fail to detect that they accumulate ssDNA, and continue to divide. Thus, the cellular response to replication stalling depends on checkpoint activity and the time that replication stress occurs in S-phase. In this review we describe the signs, signals, and symptoms of replication arrest from an ssDNA perspective. We explore the possible mechanisms for these effects. We also advise the need for caution when detecting and interpreting data related to the accumulation of ssDNA.

Assembly of the Arp5 (Actin-related Protein) Subunit Involved in Distinct INO80 Chromatin Remodeling Activities

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, which repositions and restructures nucleosomes, is essential to all DNA-templated processes. The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex is an evolutionarily conserved complex involved in diverse cellular processes, including transcription, DNA repair, and replication. The functional diversity of the INO80 complex can, in part, be attributed to specialized activities of distinct subunits that compose the complex. Furthermore, structural analyses have identified biochemically discrete subunit modules that assemble along the Ino80 ATPase scaffold. Of particular interest is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Arp5-Ies6 module located proximal to the Ino80 ATPase and the Rvb1-Rvb2 helicase module needed for INO80-mediated in vitro activity. In this study we demonstrate that the previously uncharacterized Ies2 subunit is required for Arp5-Ies6 association with the catalytic components of the INO80 complex. In addition, Arp5-Ies6 module assembly with the INO80 complex is dependent on distinct conserved domains within Arp5, Ies6, and Ino80, including the spacer region within the Ino80 ATPase domain. Arp5-Ies6 interacts with chromatin via assembly with the INO80 complex, as IES2 and INO80 deletion results in loss of Arp5-Ies6 chromatin association. Interestingly, ectopic addition of the wild-type Arp5-Ies6 module stimulates INO80-mediated ATP hydrolysis and nucleosome sliding in vitro. However, the addition of mutant Arp5 lacking unique insertion domains facilitates ATP hydrolysis in the absence of nucleosome sliding. Collectively, these results define the requirements of Arp5-Ies6 assembly, which are needed to couple ATP hydrolysis to productive nucleosome movement.

Fork rotation and DNA precatenation are restricted during DNA replication to prevent chromosomal instability

Faithful genome duplication and inheritance require the complete resolution of all intertwines within the parental DNA duplex. This is achieved by topoisomerase action ahead of the replication fork or by fork rotation and subsequent resolution of the DNA precatenation formed. Although fork rotation predominates at replication termination, in vitro studies have suggested that it also occurs frequently during elongation. However, the factors that influence fork rotation and how rotation and precatenation may influence other replication-associated processes are unknown. Here we analyze the causes and consequences of fork rotation in budding yeast. We find that fork rotation and precatenation preferentially occur in contexts that inhibit topoisomerase action ahead of the fork, including stable protein-DNA fragile sites and termination. However, generally, fork rotation and precatenation are actively inhibited by Timeless/Tof1 and Tipin/Csm3. In the absence of Tof1/Timeless, excessive fork rotation and precatenation cause extensive DNA damage following DNA replication. With Tof1, damage related to precatenation is focused on the fragile protein-DNA sites where fork rotation is induced. We conclude that although fork rotation and precatenation facilitate unwinding in hard-to-replicate contexts, they intrinsically disrupt normal chromosome duplication and are therefore restricted by Timeless/Tipin.

Structural analyses of the chromatin remodelling enzymes INO80-C and SWR-C

INO80-C and SWR-C are conserved members of a subfamily of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes that function in transcription and genome-maintenance pathways. A crucial role for these enzymes is to control chromosomal distribution of the H2A.Z histone variant. Here we use electron microscopy (EM) and two-dimensional (2D) class averaging to demonstrate that these remodeling enzymes have similar overall architectures. Each enzyme is characterized by a dynamic ‘tail’ domain and a compact ‘head’ that contains Rvb1/Rvb2 subunits organized as hexameric rings. EM class averages and mass spectrometry support the existence of single heterohexameric rings in both SWR-C and INO80-C. EM studies define the position of the Arp8/Arp4/Act1 module within INO80-C, and we find that this module enhances nucleosome binding affinity but is largely dispensable for remodeling activities. In contrast, the Ies6/Arp5 module is essential for INO80-C remodeling, and furthermore this module controls conformational changes that may couple nucleosome binding to remodeling.

The Histone Chaperones FACT and Spt6 Restrict H2A.Z from Intragenic Locations

H2A.Z is a highly conserved histone variant involved in several key nuclear processes. It is incorporated into promoters by SWR-C-related chromatin remodeling complexes, but whether it is also actively excluded from non-promoter regions is not clear. Here we provide genomic and biochemical evidence that the RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) elongation-associated histone chaperones FACT and Spt6 both contribute to restricting H2A.Z from intragenic regions. In the absence of FACT or Spt6, the lack of efficient nucleosome reassembly coupled to pervasive incorporation of H2A.Z by mislocalized SWR-C alters chromatin composition and contributes to cryptic initiation. Therefore, chaperone-mediated H2A.Z confinement is crucial for restricting the chromatin signature of gene promoters that otherwise may license or promote cryptic transcription.

A genomic screen revealing the importance of vesicular trafficking pathways in genome maintenance and protection against genotoxic stress in diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells

The ability to survive stressful conditions is important for every living cell. Certain stresses not only affect the current well-being of cells but may also have far-reaching consequences. Uncurbed oxidative stress can cause DNA damage and decrease cell survival and/or increase mutation rates, and certain substances that generate oxidative damage in the cell mainly act on DNA. Radiomimetic zeocin causes oxidative damage in DNA, predominantly by inducing single- or double-strand breaks. Such lesions can lead to chromosomal rearrangements, especially in diploid cells, in which the two sets of chromosomes facilitate excessive and deleterious recombination. In a global screen for zeocin-oversensitive mutants, we selected 133 genes whose deletion reduces the survival of zeocin-treated diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The screen revealed numerous genes associated with stress responses, DNA repair genes, cell cycle progression genes, and chromatin remodeling genes. Notably, the screen also demonstrated the involvement of the vesicular trafficking system in cellular protection against DNA damage. The analyses indicated the importance of vesicular system integrity in various pathways of cellular protection from zeocin-dependent damage, including detoxification and a direct or transitional role in genome maintenance processes that remains unclear. The data showed that deleting genes involved in vesicular trafficking may lead to Rad52 focus accumulation and changes in total DNA content or even cell ploidy alterations, and such deletions may preclude proper DNA repair after zeocin treatment. We postulate that functional vesicular transport is crucial for sustaining an integral genome. We believe that the identification of numerous new genes implicated in genome restoration after genotoxic oxidative stress combined with the detected link between vesicular trafficking and genome integrity will reveal novel molecular processes involved in genome stability in diploid cells.

A moonlighting metabolic protein influences repair at DNA double-stranded breaks

Catalytically active proteins with divergent dual functions are often described as ‘moonlighting’. In this work we characterize a new, chromatin-based function of Lys20, a moonlighting protein that is well known for its role in metabolism. Lys20 was initially described as homocitrate synthase (HCS), the first enzyme in the lysine biosynthetic pathway in yeast. Its nuclear localization led to the discovery of a key role for Lys20 in DNA damage repair through its interaction with the MYST family histone acetyltransferase Esa1. Overexpression of Lys20 promotes suppression of DNA damage sensitivity of esa1 mutants. In this work, by taking advantage of LYS20 mutants that are active in repair but not in lysine biosynthesis, the mechanism of suppression of esa1 was characterized. First we analyzed the chromatin landscape of esa1 cells, finding impaired histone acetylation and eviction. Lys20 was recruited to sites of DNA damage, and its overexpression promoted enhanced recruitment of the INO80 remodeling complex to restore normal histone eviction at the damage sites. This study improves understanding of the evolutionary, structural and biological relevance of independent activities in a moonlighting protein and links metabolism to DNA damage repair.

Stabilization and targeting of INO80 to replication forks by BAP1 during normal DNA synthesis

The INO80 chromatin-remodelling complex has been implicated in DNA replication during stress in yeast. However, its role in normal DNA replication and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that INO80 binds to replication forks and promotes fork progression in human cells under unperturbed, normal conditions. We find that Ino80, which encodes the catalytic ATPase of INO80, is essential for mouse embryonic DNA replication and development. Ino80 is recruited to replication forks through interaction with ubiquitinated H2A--aided by BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1), a tumour suppressor and nuclear de-ubiquitinating enzyme that also functions to stabilize Ino80. Importantly, Ino80 is downregulated in BAP1-defective cancer cells due to the lack of an Ino80 stabilization mechanism via BAP1. Our results establish a role for INO80 in normal DNA replication and uncover a mechanism by which this remodeler is targeted to replication forks, suggesting a molecular basis for the tumour-suppressing function of BAP1.

The Scc2-Scc4 complex acts in sister chromatid cohesion and transcriptional regulation by maintaining nucleosome-free regions

The cohesin complex is at the heart of many chromosomal activities, including sister chromatid cohesion and transcriptional regulation. Cohesin loading onto chromosomes depends on the Scc2-Scc4 cohesin loader complex, but the chromatin features that form cohesin loading sites remain poorly understood. Here we show that the RSC chromatin remodeling complex recruits budding yeast Scc2-Scc4 to broad nucleosome-free regions, which the cohesin loader helps to maintain. Consequently, inactivation of either the cohesin loader or the RSC complex has similar effects on nucleosome positioning, gene expression and sister chromatid cohesion. These results show an intimate link between local chromatin structure and higher-order chromosome architecture. Our findings pertain to the similarities between two severe human disorders, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, which is caused by alterations in the human cohesin loader, and Coffin-Siris syndrome, which results from alterations in human RSC complex components. Both syndromes can arise from gene misregulation due to related changes in the nucleosome landscape.

Whole Exome Sequencing Implicates an INO80D Mutation in a Syndrome of Aortic Hypoplasia, Premature Atherosclerosis, and Arterial Stiffness

Background—

Massively parallel, high-throughput sequencing technology is helping to generate new insights into the genetic basis of human diseases. We used whole exome sequencing to identify the mutation underlying a syndrome affecting 2 siblings with aortic hypoplasia, calcific atherosclerosis, systolic hypertension, and premature cataract.

Methods and Results—

Exonic regions were captured and sequenced using a next-generation sequencing platform to generate 100 bases paired-end reads. A computational genomic data analysis pipeline was used to perform quality control, align reads to a reference genome, and identify genetic variants; findings were confirmed using a different exome analyses pipeline. The 2 siblings were homozygous for a rare missense mutation (Ser818Cys) in INO80D , a subunit of the human INO80 chromatin remodeling complex. Homozygosity mapping and Sanger sequencing confirmed that the mutation is located in one of the runs of homozygosity on chromosome 2. INO80D encodes a key subunit of the human IN080 complex, a multiprotein complex involved in DNA binding, chromatin modification, organization of chromosome structure, and ATP-dependent nucleosome sliding. By introducing a new disulphide-bond in the protein product and also disrupting the composition of low-complexity regions, the Ser818Cys mutation may affect INO80D function, protein–protein interactions, and chromatin remodeling.

Conclusions—

Our findings suggest a link between the Ser818Cys mutation in INO80D , a subunit of the human INO80 chromatin remodeling complex, and accelerated arterial aging.

The mammalian INO80 chromatin remodeling complex is required for replication stress recovery

A number of studies have implicated the yeast INO80 chromatin remodeling complex in DNA replication, but the function of the human INO80 complex during S phase remains poorly understood. Here, we have systematically investigated the involvement of the catalytic subunit of the human INO80 complex during unchallenged replication and under replication stress by following the effects of its depletion on cell survival, S-phase checkpoint activation, the fate of individual replication forks, and the consequences of fork collapse. We report that INO80 was specifically needed for efficient replication elongation, while it was not required for initiation of replication. In the absence of the Ino80 protein, cells became hypersensitive to hydroxyurea and displayed hyperactive ATR-Chk1 signaling. Using bulk and fiber labeling of DNA, we found that cells deficient for Ino80 and Arp8 had impaired replication restart after treatment with replication inhibitors and accumulated double-strand breaks as evidenced by the formation of γ-H2AX and Rad51 foci. These data indicate that under conditions of replication stress mammalian INO80 protects stalled forks from collapsing and allows their subsequent restart.