分类: 生物学 >> 生物物理学 >> 细胞生物学 提交时间: 2016-05-12
摘要: The H3 histone variant CENP-A is an epigenetic marker critical for the centromere identity and function. However, the precise regulation of the spatiotemporal deposition and propagation of CENP-A at centromeres during the cell cycle is still poorly understood. Here, we show that CENP-A is phosphorylated at Ser68 during early mitosis by Cdk1. Our results demonstrate that phosphorylation of Ser68 eliminates the binding of CENP-A to the assembly factor HJURP, thus preventing the premature loading of CENP-A to the centromere prior to mitotic exit. Because Cdk1 activity is at its minimum at the mitotic exit, the ratio of Cdk1/PP1 alpha activity changes in favor of Ser68 dephosphorylation, thus making CENP-A available for centromeric deposition by HJURP. Thus, we reveal that dynamic phosphorylation of CENP-A Ser68 orchestrates the spatiotemporal assembly of newly synthesized CENP-A at active centromeres during the cell cycle.
分类: 生物学 >> 生物物理学 >> 细胞生物学 提交时间: 2016-05-12
摘要: Specific recognition of centromere-specific histone variant CENP-A-containing chromatin by CENP-N is an essential process in the assembly of the kinetochore complex at centromeres prior to mammalian cell division. However, the mechanisms of CENP-N recruitment to centromeres/kinetochores remain unknown. Here, we show that a CENP-A-specific RG loop (Arg80/Gly81) plays an essential and dual regulatory role in this process. The RG loop assists the formation of a compact "ladder-like" structure of CENP-A chromatin, concealing the loop and thus impairing its role in recruiting CENP-N. Upon G1/S-phase transition, however, centromeric chromatin switches from the compact to an open state, enabling the now exposed RG loop to recruit CENP-N prior to cell division. Our results provide the first insights into the mechanisms by which the recruitment of CENP-N is regulated by the structural transitions between compaction and relaxation of centromeric chromatin during the cell cycle.
分类: 生物学 >> 生物物理学 提交时间: 2016-05-11
摘要: Although there have been many investigations into how trinucleotide repeats affect nucleosome formation and local chromatin structure, the nucleosome positioning of GAA triplet-repeats in the human genome has remained elusive. In this work, the nucleosome occupancy around GAA triplet-repeats across the human genome was computed statistically. The results showed a nucleosome-depleted region in the vicinity of GM triplet-repeats in activated and resting CD4(+) T cells. Furthermore, the A-tract was frequently adjacent to the upstream region of GM triplet-repeats and could enhance the depletion surrounding GAA triplet-repeats. In vitro chromatin reconstitution assays with GM-containing plasmids also demonstrated that the inserted GAA triplet-repeats destabilized the ability of recombinant plasmids to assemble nucleosomes. Our results suggested that GM triplet-repeats have lower affinity to histones and can change local nucleosome positioning. These findings may be helpful for understanding the mechanism of Friedreich's ataxia, which is associated with GM triplet-repeats at the chromatin level. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.