Satellite DNA-Mediated Gene Expression Regulation: Physiological and Evolutionary Implication

Satellite DNAs are tandemly repeated sequences organized in large clusters within (peri)centromeric and/or subtelomeric heterochromatin. However, in many species, satellite DNAs are not restricted to heterochromatin but are also dispersed as short arrays within euchromatin. Such genomic organization together with transcriptional activity seems to be a prerequisite for the gene-modulatory effect of satellite DNAs which was first demonstrated in the beetle Tribolium castaneum upon heat stress. Namely, enrichment of a silent histone mark at euchromatic repeats of a major beetle satellite DNA results in epigenetic silencing of neighboring genes. In addition, human satellite III transcripts induced by heat shock contribute to genome-wide gene silencing, providing protection against stress-induced cell death. Gene silencing mediated by satellite RNA was also shown to be fundamental for the early embryonic development of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Apart from a physiological role during embryogenesis and heat stress response, activation of satellite DNAs in terms of transcription and proliferation can have an evolutionary impact. Spreading of satellite repeats throughout euchromatin promotes the variation of epigenetic landscapes and gene expression diversity, contributing to the evolution of gene regulatory networks and to genome adaptation in fluctuating environmental conditions.