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Nucleation and spreading of a heterochromatic domain in fission yeast

Author

Listed:
  • Michaela J. Obersriebnig

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Emil M. H. Pallesen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Kim Sneppen

    (Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Ala Trusina

    (Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Geneviève Thon

    (University of Copenhagen)

Abstract

Outstanding questions in the chromatin field bear on how large heterochromatin domains are formed in space and time. Positive feedback, where histone-modifying enzymes are attracted to chromosomal regions displaying the modification they catalyse, is believed to drive the formation of these domains; however, few quantitative studies are available to assess this hypothesis. Here we quantified the de novo establishment of a naturally occurring ∼20-kb heterochromatin domain in fission yeast through single-cell analyses, measuring the kinetics of heterochromatin nucleation in a region targeted by RNAi and its subsequent expansion. We found that nucleation of heterochromatin is stochastic and can take from one to ten cell generations. Further silencing of the full region takes another one to ten generations. Quantitative modelling of the observed kinetics emphasizes the importance of local feedback, where a nucleosome-bound enzyme modifies adjacent nucleosomes, combined with a feedback where recruited enzymes can act at a distance.

Suggested Citation

  • Michaela J. Obersriebnig & Emil M. H. Pallesen & Kim Sneppen & Ala Trusina & Geneviève Thon, 2016. "Nucleation and spreading of a heterochromatic domain in fission yeast," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms11518
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11518
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    Cited by:

    1. Graeme J. Thorn & Christopher T. Clarkson & Anne Rademacher & Hulkar Mamayusupova & Gunnar Schotta & Karsten Rippe & Vladimir B. Teif, 2022. "DNA sequence-dependent formation of heterochromatin nanodomains," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.

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