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Published on: May 19, 2019
Ers1 links HP1 to RNAi
Mathieu Rougemaille1, Sigurd Braun, Scott Coyle
1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
Summary
Ers1 protein directly interacts with HP1/Swi6 and RNAi factors, promoting heterochromatin formation and RNA interference (RNAi) by tethering complexes to chromatin.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Gene Regulation
- RNA interference
Background:
- Heterochromatin formation relies on H3K9Me and HP1 proteins.
- RNA interference (RNAi) is linked to heterochromatin but mechanisms are unclear.
- In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, RNAi and H3K9Me are interdependent.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of orphan protein Ers1 in RNAi and heterochromatin.
- Determine Ers1's interactions with key RNAi and heterochromatin factors.
- Elucidate Ers1's mechanism in promoting RNAi-dependent silencing.
Main Methods:
- Recombinant protein interaction assays.
- Two-hybrid assays.
- In vivo co-immunoprecipitation and association studies.
- Analysis of Ers1 overexpression phenotypes.
Main Results:
- Ers1 directly binds HP1/Swi6 and multiple RNAi factors.
- Ers1 associates with RITS, RDRC, and Dcr1 in vivo, promoting their interactions.
- Ers1 is essential for RNAi complex association with pericentromeric noncoding RNAs.
- Ers1 overexpression causes a dominant-negative effect, suppressible by Hrr1 or Dcr1.
Conclusions:
- Ers1 acts as a crucial scaffold, linking RNAi machinery to HP1-coated heterochromatin.
- Ers1 facilitates RNAi by tethering enzyme complexes to nascent noncoding RNAs.
- This interaction mechanism enhances RNAi-dependent heterochromatin formation and gene silencing.
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