Mutations in the nucleosome core enhance transcriptional silencing

The origin of chromosomal histones in a 30S ribosomal protein

Histones are genes that regulate chromatin structure. They are present in both eukaryotes and archaea, and form nucleosomes with DNA, but their exact evolutionary origins have hitherto remained a mystery. A longstanding hypothesis is that they have precursors in ribosomal proteins with whom they share much in common in terms of size and chemistry. By examining the proteome of the Asgard archaeon, Lokiarchaeum, the most conserved of all the histones, H4, is found to plausibly be homologous with one of its 30S ribosomal proteins, RPS6. This is based on both sequence identity and statistical analysis. The N-terminal tail, containing key sites involved in post-translational modifications, is notably present in the precursor gene. Although other archaeal groups possess similar homologs, these are not as close to H4 as the one found in Lokiarchaeum. The other core histones, H2A, H2B and H3, appear to have also evolved from the same ribosomal protein. Parts of H4 are also similar to another ribosomal protein, namely RPS15, suggesting that the ancestral precursor could have resembled both. Eukaryotic histones, in addition, appear to have an independent origin to that of their archaeal counterparts that evolved from similar, but still different, 30S subunit proteins, some of which are much more like histones in terms of their physical structure. The nucleosome may, therefore, be not only of archaeal but also of ribosomal origin.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) contributes to the high-order structure and stability of heterochromatin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heterochromatin plays important roles in the structure, maintenance, and function of the eukaryotic genome. It is associated with special histone modifications and specialized non-histone proteins and assumes a more compact structure than euchromatin. Genes embedded in heterochromatin are generally transcriptionally silent. It was found previously that several mutations of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a DNA replication processivity factor, reduce transcriptional silencing at heterochromatin loci in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the notion that PCNA plays a role in transcriptional silencing was recently questioned because of a potential problem concerning the silencing assays used in prior studies. To determine if PCNA is a bona fide contributor to heterochromatin-mediated transcriptional silencing, we examined the effects of PCNA mutations on heterochromatin structure. We found evidence implicating PCNA in the maintenance of the high-order structure and stability of heterochromatin, which indicates a role of DNA replication in heterochromatin maintenance.

Mutations that prevent or mimic persistent post-translational modifications of the histone H3 globular domain cause lethality and growth defects in Drosophila

Background

Understanding the function of histone post-translational modifications is the key to deciphering how genomic activities are regulated. Among the least well-understood histone modifications in vivo are those that occur on the surface of the globular domain of histones, despite their causing the most profound structural alterations of the nucleosome in vitro. We utilized a Drosophila system to replace the canonical histone genes with mutated histone transgenes.

Results

Mutations predicted to mimic or prevent acetylation on histone H3 lysine (K) 56, K115, K122, and both K115/K122, or to prevent or mimic phosphorylation on H3 threonine (T) 118 and T80, all caused lethality, with the exception of K122R mutants. T118 mutations caused profound growth defects within wing discs, while K115R, K115Q, K56Q, and the K115/K122 mutations caused more subtle growth defects. The H3 K56R and H3 K122R mutations caused no defects in growth, differentiation, or transcription within imaginal discs, indicating that H3 K56 acetylation and K122 acetylation are dispensable for these functions. In agreement, we found the antibody to H3 K122Ac, which was previously used to imply a role for H3 K122Ac in transcription in metazoans, to be non-specific in vivo.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that chromatin structural perturbations caused by acetylation of K56, K115, or K122 and phosphorylation of T80 or T118 are important for key developmental processes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13072-016-0059-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Heterochromatin structure: lessons from the budding yeast

The eukaryotic genome can be roughly divided into euchromatin and heterochromatin domains that are structurally and functionally distinct. Heterochromatin is characterized by its high compactness and its inhibitory effect on DNA transactions such as gene expression. Formation of heterochromatin involves special histone modifications and the recruitment and spread of silencing complexes and causes changes in the primary and higher order structures of chromatin. The past two decades have seen dramatic advances in dissecting the molecular aspects of heterochromatin because of the identification of the histone code for heterochromatin as well as its writers and erasers (histone-modifying enzymes) and readers (silencing factors recognizing histone modifications). How heterochromatic histone modifications and silencing factors contribute to the special primary and higher order structures of heterochromatin has begun to be understood. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has long been used as a model organism for heterochromatin studies. Results from these studies have contributed significantly to the elucidation of the general principles governing the formation, maintenance, and function of heterochromatin. This review is focused on investigations into the structural aspects of heterochromatin in S. cerevisiae. Current understanding of other aspects of heterochromatin including how it promotes gene silencing and its epigenetic inheritance is briefly summarized.

Parasite epigenetics and immune evasion: lessons from budding yeast

The remarkable ability of many parasites to evade host immunity is the key to their success and pervasiveness. The immune evasion is directly linked to the silencing of the members of extended families of genes that encode for major parasite antigens. At any time only one of these genes is active. Infrequent switches to other members of the gene family help the parasites elude the immune system and cause prolonged maladies. For most pathogens, the detailed mechanisms of gene silencing and switching are poorly understood. On the other hand, studies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have revealed similar mechanisms of gene repression and switching and have provided significant insights into the molecular basis of these phenomena. This information is becoming increasingly relevant to the genetics of the parasites. Here we summarize recent advances in parasite epigenetics and emphasize the similarities between S. cerevisiae and pathogens such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Candida, and Pneumocystis. We also outline current challenges in the control and the treatment of the diseases caused by these parasites and link them to epigenetics and the wealth of knowledge acquired from budding yeast.

Analysis of epigenetic stability and conversions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a novel role of CAF-I in position-effect variegation

Position-effect variegation (PEV) phenotypes are characterized by the robust multigenerational repression of a gene located at a certain locus (often called gene silencing) and occasional conversions to fully active state. Consequently, the active state then persists with occasional conversions to the repressed state. These effects are mediated by the establishment and maintenance of heterochromatin or euchromatin structures, respectively. In this study, we have addressed an important but often neglected aspect of PEV: the frequency of conversions at such loci. We have developed a model and have projected various PEV scenarios based on various rates of conversions. We have also enhanced two existing assays for gene silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to measure the rate of switches from repressed to active state and vice versa. We tested the validity of our methodology in Δsir1 cells and in several mutants with defects in gene silencing. The assays have revealed that the histone chaperone Chromatin Assembly Factor I is involved in the control of epigenetic conversions. Together, our model and assays provide a comprehensive methodology for further investigation of epigenetic stability and position effects.

Dynamics and stability: epigenetic conversions in position effect variegation

Position effect variegation (PEV) refers to quasi-stable patterns of gene expression that are observed at specific loci throughout the genomes of eukaryotes. The genes subjected to PEV can be completely silenced or fully active. Stochastic conversions between these 2 states are responsible for the variegated phenotypes. Positional variegation is used by human pathogens (Trypanosoma, Plasmodium, and Candida) to evade the immune system or adapt to the host environment. In the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S accharomyces pombe, telomeric PEV aids the adaptation to a changing environment. In metazoans, similar epigenetic conversions are likely to accompany cell differentiation and the setting of tissue-specific gene expression programs. Surprisingly, we know very little about the mechanisms of epigenetic conversions. In this article, earlier models on the nature of PEV are revisited and recent advances on the dynamic nature of chromatin are reviewed. The normal dynamic histone turnover during transcription and DNA replication and its perturbation at transcription and replication pause sites are discussed. It is proposed that such perturbations play key roles in epigenetic conversions and in PEV.

Functions of protosilencers in the formation and maintenance of heterochromatin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transcriptionally silent heterochromatin at HML and HMR loci is established by silencers that recruit SIR complex and promote its propagation along chromatin. Silencers consist of various combinations of two or three binding sites for origin recognition complex (ORC), Abf1 and Rap1. A single ORC, Abf1 or Rap1 site cannot promote silencing, but can enhance silencing by a distant silencer, and is called a protosilencer. The mechanism of protosilencer function is not known. We examine the functions of ORC, Abf1 and Rap1 sites as components of the HMR-E silencer, and as protosilencers. We find that the Rap1 site makes a larger and unique contribution to HMR-E function compared to ORC and Abf1 sites. On the other hand, Rap1 site does not act as a protosilencer to assist HML-E silencer in forming heterochromatin, whereas ORC and Abf1 sites do. Therefore, different mechanisms may be involved in the roles of Rap1 site as a component of HMR-E and as a protosilencer. Heterochromatin formed by ORC or Abf1 site in collaboration with HML-E is not as stable as that formed by HMR-E and HML-E, but increasing the copy number of Abf1 site enhances heterochromatin stability. ORC and Abf1 sites acting as protosilencers do not modulate chromatin structure in the absence of SIR complex, which argues against the hypothesis that protosilencers serve to create a chromatin structure favorable for SIR complex propagation. We also investigate the function of ARS1 containing an ORC site and an Abf1 site as a protosilencer. We find that ARS1 inserted at HML enhances heterochromatin stability, and promotes de novo formation of a chromatin structure that partially resembles heterochromatin in an S phase dependent manner. Taken together, our results indicate that protosilencers aid in the formation and maintenance of heterochromatin structure.

Differential contributions of histone H3 and H4 residues to heterochromatin structure

Transcriptional silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by heterochromatin. There is a plethora of information regarding the roles of histone residues in transcriptional silencing, but exactly how histone residues contribute to heterochromatin structure is not resolved. We address this question by testing the effects of a series of histone H3 and H4 mutations involving residues in their aminoterminal tails, on the solvent-accessible and lateral surfaces of the nucleosome, and at the interface of the H3/H4 tetramer and H2A/H2B dimer on heterochromatin structure and transcriptional silencing. The general state, stability, and conformational heterogeneity of chromatin are examined with a DNA topology-based assay, and the primary chromatin structure is probed by micrococcal nuclease. We demonstrate that the histone mutations differentially affect heterochromatin. Mutations of lysine 16 of histone H4 (H4-K16) and residues in the LRS (loss of rDNA silencing) domain of nucleosome surface markedly alter heterochromatin structure, supporting the notion that H4-K16 and LRS play key roles in heterochromatin formation. Deletion of the aminoterminal tail of H3 moderately alters heterochromatin structure. Interestingly, a group of mutations in the globular domains of H3 and H4 that abrogate or greatly reduce transcriptional silencing increase the conformational heterogeneity and/or reduce the stability of heterochromatin without affecting its overall structure. Surprisingly, yet another series of mutations abolish or reduce silencing without significantly affecting the structure, stability, or conformational heterogeneity of heterochromatin. Therefore, histone residues may contribute to the structure, stability, conformational heterogeneity, or other yet-to-be-characterized features of heterochromatin important for transcriptional silencing.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is required for cell cycle-regulated silent chromatin on replicated and nonreplicated genes

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, silent chromatin is formed at HMR upon the passage through S phase, yet neither the initiation of DNA replication at silencers nor the passage of a replication fork through HMR is required for silencing. Paradoxically, mutations in the DNA replication processivity factor, POL30, disrupt silencing despite this lack of requirement for DNA replication in the establishment of silencing. We tested whether pol30 mutants could establish silencing at either replicated or non-replicated HMR loci during S phase and found that pol30 mutants were defective in establishing silencing at HMR regardless of its replication status. Although previous studies tie the silencing defect of pol30 mutants to the chromatin assembly factors Asf1p and CAF-1, we found pol30 mutants did not exhibit a gross defect in packaging HMR into chromatin. Rather, the pol30 mutants exhibited defects in histone modifications linked to ASF1 and CAF-1-dependent pathways, including SAS-I- and Rtt109p-dependent acetylation events at H4-K16 and H3-K9 (plus H3-K56; Miller, A., Yang, B., Foster, T., and Kirchmaier, A. L. (2008) Genetics 179, 793-809). Additional experiments using FLIM-FRET revealed that Pol30p interacted with SAS-I and Rtt109p in the nuclei of living cells. However, these interactions were disrupted in pol30 mutants with defects linked to ASF1- and CAF-1-dependent pathways. Together, these results imply that Pol30p affects epigenetic processes by influencing the composition of chromosomal histone modifications.

Novel functional residues in the core domain of histone H2B regulate yeast gene expression and silencing and affect the response to DNA damage

Previous studies have identified novel modifications in the core fold domain of histone H2B, but relatively little is known about the function of these putative histone modification sites. We have mutated core modifiable residues that are conserved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae histone H2B and characterized the effects of the mutants on yeast silencing, gene expression, and the DNA damage response. We identified three histone H2B core modifiable residues as functionally important. We find that mutating H2B K49 in yeast confers a UV sensitivity phenotype, and we confirm that the homologous residue in human histone H2B is acetylated and methylated in human cells. Our results also indicate that mutating H2B K111 impairs the response to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-induced DNA lesions and disrupts telomeric silencing and Sir4 binding. In contrast, mutating H2B R102 enhances silencing at yeast telomeres and the HML silent mating loci and increases Sir4 binding to these regions. The H2B R102A mutant also represses the expression of endogenous genes adjacent to yeast telomeres, which is likely due to the ectopic spreading of the Sir complex in this mutant strain. We propose a structural model by which H2B R102 and K111 regulate the binding of the Sir complex to the nucleosome.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Esc2p interacts with Sir2p through a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-binding motif and regulates transcriptionally silent chromatin in a locus-dependent manner

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Esc2p is a member of a conserved family of proteins that contain small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-like domains. It has been implicated in transcriptional silencing and shown to interact with the silencing protein Sir2p in a two-hybrid analysis. However, little is known about how Esc2p regulates the structure of silent chromatin. We demonstrate here that ESC2 differentially regulates silent chromatin at telomeric, rDNA, and HM loci. Specifically, ESC2 is required for efficient telomeric silencing and Sir2p association with telomeric silent chromatin and for silencing and maintenance of silent chromatin structure at rDNA. On the other hand, ESC2 negatively regulates silencing at HML and HMR and destabilizes HML silent chromatin without affecting Sir2p association with chromatin. We present evidence that Esc2p is associated with both transcriptionally silent and active loci in the genome, and the abundance of Esc2p is not correlated with the chromatin state at a particular locus. Using affinity pull-down analyses, we show that Esc2p and Sir2p interact in vivo, and recombinant Esc2p and Sir2p interact directly. Moreover, we dissect Esc2p and identify a putative SUMO-binding motif that is necessary and sufficient for interacting with Sir2p and SUMO and is required for the function of Esc2p in transcriptional silencing.

Reconstitution of yeast silent chromatin: multiple contact sites and O-AADPR binding load SIR complexes onto nucleosomes in vitro

At yeast telomeres and silent mating-type loci, chromatin assumes a higher-order structure that represses transcription by means of the histone deacetylase Sir2 and structural proteins Sir3 and Sir4. Here, we present a fully reconstituted system to analyze SIR holocomplex binding to nucleosomal arrays. Purified Sir2-3-4 heterotrimers bind chromatin, cooperatively yielding a stable complex of homogeneous molecular weight. Remarkably, Sir2-3-4 also binds naked DNA, reflecting the strong, albeit nonspecific, DNA-binding activity of Sir4. The binding of Sir3 to nucleosomes is sensitive to histone H4 N-terminal tail removal, while that of Sir2-4 is not. Dot1-mediated methylation of histone H3K79 reduces the binding of both Sir3 and Sir2-3-4. Additionally, a byproduct of Sir2-mediated NAD hydrolysis, O-acetyl-ADP-ribose, increases the efficiency with which Sir3 and Sir2-3-4 bind nucleosomes. Thus, in small cumulative steps, each Sir protein, unmodified histone domains, and contacts with DNA contribute to the stability of the silent chromatin complex.

Mutational analysis of the Sir3 BAH domain reveals multiple points of interaction with nucleosomes

Sir3, a component of the transcriptional silencing complex in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has an N-terminal BAH domain that is crucial for the protein's silencing function. Previous work has shown that the N-terminal alanine residue of Sir3 (Ala2) and its acetylation play an important role in silencing. Here we show that the silencing defects of Sir3 Ala2 mutants can be suppressed by mutations in histones H3 and H4, specifically, by H3 D77N and H4 H75Y mutations. Additionally, a mutational analysis demonstrates that three separate regions of the Sir3 BAH domain are important for its role in silencing. Many of these BAH mutations also can be suppressed by the H3 D77N and H4 H75Y mutations. In agreement with the results of others, in vitro experiments show that the Sir3 BAH domain can interact with partially purified nucleosomes. The silencing-defective BAH mutants are defective for this interaction. These results, together with the previously characterized interaction between the C-terminal region of Sir3 and the histone H3/H4 tails, suggest that Sir3 utilizes multiple domains to interact with nucleosomes.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae linker histone Hho1p functionally interacts with core histone H4 and negatively regulates the establishment of transcriptionally silent chromatin

Saccharomyces cerevisiae linker histone Hho1p is not essential for cell viability, and very little is known about its function in vivo. We show that deletion of HHO1 (hho1Delta) suppresses the defect in transcriptional silencing caused by a mutation in the globular domain of histone H4. hho1Delta also suppresses the reduction in HML silencing by the deletion of SIR1 that is involved in the establishment of silent chromatin at HML. We further show that hho1Delta suppresses changes in silent chromatin structure caused by the histone H4 mutation and sir1Delta. These results suggest that HHO1 plays a negative role in transcriptionally silent chromatin. We also provide evidence that Hho1p hinders the de novo establishment of silent chromatin but does not affect the stability of preexistent silent chromatin. Unlike canonical linker histones in higher eukaryotes that have a single conserved globular domain, Hho1p possesses two globular domains. We show that the carboxyl-terminal globular domain of Hho1p is dispensable for its function, suggesting that the mode of Hho1p action is similar to that of canonical linker histones.

Compensatory interactions between Sir3p and the nucleosomal LRS surface imply their direct interaction

The previously identified LRS (Loss of rDNA Silencing) domain of the nucleosome is critically important for silencing at both ribosomal DNA and telomeres. To understand the function of the LRS surface in silencing, we performed an EMS mutagenesis screen to identify suppressors of the H3 A75V LRS allele. We identified dominant and recessive mutations in histones H3, H4, and dominant mutations in the BAH (Bromo Adjacent Homology) domain of SIR3. We further characterized a surface of Sir3p critical for silencing via the LRS surface. We found that all alleles of the SIR3 BAH domain were able to 1) generally suppress the loss of telomeric silencing of LRS alleles, but 2) could not suppress SIN (Swi/Snf Independent) alleles or 3) could not suppress the telomeric silencing defect of H4 tail alleles. Moreover, we noticed a complementary trend in the electrostatic changes resulting from most of the histone mutations that gain or lose silencing and the suppressor alleles isolated in SIR3, and the genes for histones H3 and H4. Mutations in H3 and H4 genes that lose silencing tend to make the LRS surface more electronegative, whereas mutations that increase silencing make it less electronegative. Conversely, suppressors of LRS alleles in either SIR3, histone H3, or H4 also tend to make their respective surfaces less electronegative. Our results provide genetic evidence for recent data suggesting that the Sir3p BAH domain directly binds the LRS domain. Based on these findings, we propose an electrostatic model for how an extensive surface on the Sir3p BAH domain may regulate docking onto the LRS surface.

The chromatin in which eukaryotic DNA is wrapped is organized in nucleosome units, consisting of eight core histone molecules. We study gene silencing, thought to be associated with chromatin compaction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has most of its genome in the form of open chromatin, i.e., the genes are expressed. There are three distinct classes of silent genomic loci associated with such a compact structure; when genes are inserted at these loci, they are subject to silencing, regardless of DNA sequence. Yeast cells distinguish between silent and expressed loci using silencing complexes, concentrated at silent loci, as well as establishing different modification states of silent and expressed chromatin. One of these silencing proteins, Sir3p, is crucial for silencing transcription. Using suppressor genetics, we identified a genetic interaction between a specific surface patch on the nucleosome face (the LRS surface) and Sir3p; the complementary charges of the respective surfaces determine the strength of this key interaction. Genetically guided molecular docking experiments identified electrostatic and steric complementarity between these two surfaces at the molecular level that could help explain both the genetics and the impact of the critical nucleosomal modifications that control silent chromatin formation.

Structural basis for the histone chaperone activity of Asf1

Anti-silencing function 1 (Asf1) is a highly conserved chaperone of histones H3/H4 that assembles or disassembles chromatin during transcription, replication, and repair. The structure of the globular domain of Asf1 bound to H3/H4 determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.7 Angstroms shows how Asf1 binds the H3/H4 heterodimer, enveloping the C terminus of histone H3 and physically blocking formation of the H3/H4 heterotetramer. Unexpectedly, the C terminus of histone H4 that forms a mini-beta sheet with histone H2A in the nucleosome undergoes a major conformational change upon binding to Asf1 and adds a beta strand to the Asf1 beta sheet sandwich. Interactions with both H3 and H4 were required for Asf1 histone chaperone function in vivo and in vitro. The Asf1-H3/H4 structure suggests a "strand-capture" mechanism whereby the H4 tail acts as a lever to facilitate chromatin disassembly/assembly that may be used ubiquitously by histone chaperones.

Cell cycle requirements in assembling silent chromatin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The establishment of silencing at the silent mating-type locus, HMR, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires that yeast pass through S phase of the cell cycle, yet requires neither the initiation of DNA replication at the locus destined to become silenced nor the passage of a replication fork through that locus. We tested whether this S-phase requirement reflects a window within the cell cycle permissive for recruitment of Sir proteins to HMR. The S-phase-restricted event necessary for silencing occurred after recruitment of Sir proteins to HMR. Moreover, cells arrested in early S phase formed silent chromatin at HMR, provided HMR was on a nonreplicating template. Replicating templates required a later step for silencing. These results provide temporal resolution of discrete steps in the formation of silent chromatin and suggest that more than one cell cycle-regulated event may be necessary for the establishment of silencing.