Abstract
Gene silencing in S. pombe occurs by heterochromatin formation at the centromere (cen), mating-type (mat) and telomere loci. It is mediated by silencing factors including Swi6, Clr1-4, Rhp6 and Polα. RNAi pathway also plays a role in establishment of silencing at the mat and cen loci. Recently, the stress response factors, Atf1 and Pcr1were shown to play an RNAi-independent role in silencing at the mat3 locus through a cis-acting Atf1-binding site located within the repression element REIII and recruitment of the silencing factors Clr3 and Clr6. Another cis-acting site, named repression element REII abutting the mat2 locus, also establishes heterochromatin structure through Clr5 and histone deacetylases but independently of H3-Lys9-methylation and RNAi. Here, we report the occurrence of binding sites for another oxidative response factor, the pombe AP1-like factor Pap1, at the mating-type, centromere and telomere loci. By genetic studies we show that these sites play a role in silencing at the outer repeats of centromeres as well as mating-type locus and this effect is mediated through Pap1 binding site and interaction with and recruitment of the HP1/Swi6. Importantly, pap1Δ cells display a silencing defect even in absence of the oxidative stress. Such a role of Pap1 in heterochromatin formation may be evolutionarily conserved.
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This work was supported by Intramural support from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India. We also acknowledged the support of Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, where this work was carried out.
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Kumar, A., Nanda, J.S., Saini, S. et al. An RNAi-independent role of AP1-like stress response factor Pap1 in centromere and mating-type silencing in Schizosaccaromyces pombe. J Biosci 46, 74 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-021-00199-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-021-00199-7