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Published on: January 31, 2018
Dynamics of yeast histone H2A and H2B phosphorylation in response to a double-strand break
Cheng-Sheng Lee1, Kihoon Lee1, Gaëlle Legube2
11] Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. [2] Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. [3].
Abstract:
In budding yeast, a single double-strand break (DSB) triggers extensive Tel1 (ATM)- and Mec1 (ATR)-dependent phosphorylation of histone H2A around the DSB, to form γ-H2AX. We describe Mec1- and Tel1-dependent phosphorylation of histone H2B at T129. γ-H2B formation is impaired by γ-H2AX and its binding partner Rad9. High-density microarray analyses show similar γ-H2AX and γ-H2B distributions, but γ-H2B is absent near telomeres. Both γ-H2AX and γ-H2B are strongly diminished over highly transcribed regions. When transcription of GAL7, GAL10 and GAL1 genes is turned off, γ-H2AX is restored within 5 min, in a Mec1-dependent manner; after reinduction of these genes, γ-H2AX is rapidly lost. Moreover, when a DSB is induced near CEN2, γ-H2AX spreads to all other pericentromeric regions, again depending on Mec1. Our data provide new insights in the function and establishment of phosphorylation events occurring on chromatin after DSB induction.
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