scholarly journals Physical modeling of the heritability and maintenance of epigenetic modifications

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (34) ◽  
pp. 20423-20429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah H. Sandholtz ◽  
Quinn MacPherson ◽  
Andrew J. Spakowitz

We develop a predictive theoretical model of the physical mechanisms that govern the heritability and maintenance of epigenetic modifications. This model focuses on a particular modification, methylation of lysine-9 of histone H3 (H3K9), which is one of the most representative and critical epigenetic marks that affects chromatin organization and gene expression. Our model combines the effect of segregation and compaction on chromosomal organization with the effect of the interaction between proteins that compact the chromatin (heterochromatin protein 1) and the methyltransferases that affect methyl spreading. Our chromatin model demonstrates that a block of H3K9 methylations in the epigenetic sequence determines the compaction state at any particular location in the chromatin. Using our predictive model for chromatin compaction, we develop a methylation model to address the reestablishment of the methylation sequence following DNA replication. Our model reliably maintains methylation over generations, thereby establishing the robustness of the epigenetic code.

Biomarkers ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Zhao ◽  
Ning Cheng ◽  
Min Dai ◽  
Hongquan Pu ◽  
Tongzhang Zheng ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1464-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Mateos-Langerak ◽  
Maartje C. Brink ◽  
Martijn S. Luijsterburg ◽  
Ineke van der Kraan ◽  
Roel van Driel ◽  
...  

The heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) family is thought to be an important structural component of heterochromatin. HP1 proteins bind via their chromodomain to nucleosomes methylated at lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me). To investigate the role of HP1 in maintaining heterochromatin structure, we used a dominant negative approach by expressing truncated HP1α or HP1β proteins lacking a functional chromodomain. Expression of these truncated HP1 proteins individually or in combination resulted in a strong reduction of the accumulation of HP1α, HP1β, and HP1γ in pericentromeric heterochromatin domains in mouse 3T3 fibroblasts. The expression levels of HP1 did not change. The apparent displacement of HP1α, HP1β, and HP1γ from pericentromeric heterochromatin did not result in visible changes in the structure of pericentromeric heterochromatin domains, as visualized by DAPI staining and immunofluorescent labeling of H3K9me. Our results show that the accumulation of HP1α, HP1β, and HP1γ at pericentromeric heterochromatin domains is not required to maintain DAPI-stained pericentromeric heterochromatin domains and the methylated state of histone H3 at lysine 9 in such heterochromatin domains.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e58319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patima Sdek ◽  
Kyohei Oyama ◽  
Ekaterini Angelis ◽  
Shing S. Chan ◽  
Katja Schenke-Layland ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Chunhui Wang ◽  
Handong Su ◽  
James A Birchler ◽  
Fangpu Han

Abstract In human cells, Haspin-mediated histone H3 threonine 3 (H3T3) phosphorylation promotes centromeric localization of the chromosomal passenger complex, thereby ensuring proper kinetochore–microtubule attachment. Haspin also binds to PDS5 cohesin-associated factor B (Pds5B), antagonizing the Wings apart-like protein homolog (Wapl)–Pds5B interaction and thus preventing Wapl from releasing centromeric cohesion during mitosis. However, the role of Haspin in plant chromosome segregation is not well understood. Here, we show that in maize (Zea mays) mitotic cells, ZmHaspin localized to the centromere during metaphase and anaphase, whereas it localized to the telomeres during meiosis. These results suggest that ZmHaspin plays different roles during mitosis and meiosis. Knockout of ZmHaspin led to decreased H3T3 phosphorylation and histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation, and defects in chromosome alignment and segregation in mitosis. These lines of evidence suggest that Haspin regulates chromosome segregation in plants via the mechanism described for humans, namely, H3T3 phosphorylation. Plant Haspin proteins lack the RTYGA and PxVxL motifs needed to bind Pds5B and heterochromatin protein 1, and no obvious cohesion defects were detected in ZmHaspin knockout plants. Taken together, these results highlight the conserved but slightly different roles of Haspin proteins in cell division in plants and in animals.


2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnhild Eskeland ◽  
Anton Eberharter ◽  
Axel Imhof

ABSTRACT A large portion of the eukaryotic genome is packaged into transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. Several factors that play important roles during the establishment and maintenance of this condensed form have been identified. Methylation of lysine 9 within histone H3 and the subsequent binding of the chromodomain protein heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) are thought to initiate heterochromatin formation in vivo and to propagate a heterochromatic state lasting through several cell divisions. For the present study we analyzed the binding of HP1 to methylated chromatin in a fully reconstituted system. In contrast to its strong binding to methylated peptides, HP1 binds only weakly to methylated chromatin. However, the addition of recombinant SU(VAR) protein, such as ACF1 or SU(VAR)3-9, facilitates HP1 binding to chromatin methylated at lysine 9 within the H3 N terminus (H3K9). We propose that HP1 has multiple target sites that contribute to its recognition of chromatin, only one of them being methylated at H3K9. These findings have implications for the mechanisms of recognition of specific chromatin modifications in vivo.


Genome ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1025-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
M L Balasov

The position effect of the AR 4-24 P[white, rosy] transposon was studied at cytological position 60F. Three copies of the transposon (within ~50-kb region) resulted in a spatially restricted pattern of white variegation. This pattern was modified by temperature and by removal of the Y chromosome, suggesting that it was due to classical heterochromatin-induced position effect variegation (PEV). In contrast with classical PEV, extra dose of the heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) suppressed white variegation and one dose enhanced it. The effect of Pc-G, trx-G, and other PEV suppressors was also tested. It was found that E(Pc)1, TrlR85, and mutations of Su(z)2C relieve AR 4-24- silencing and z1 enhances it. To explain the results obtained with these modifiers, it is proposed that PEV and telomeric position effect can counteract each other at this particular cytological site.Key words: position effect variegation, heterochromatin protein 1, Drosophila melanogaster.


2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piacentini Lucia ◽  
Laura Fanti ◽  
Rodolfo Negri ◽  
Valerio Del Vescovo ◽  
Alessandro Fatica ◽  
...  

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1460
Author(s):  
Raquel Sales-Gil ◽  
Paola Vagnarelli

Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a highly conserved protein that has been used as a classic marker for heterochromatin. HP1 binds to di- and tri-methylated histone H3K9 and regulates heterochromatin formation, functions and structure. Besides the well-established phosphorylation of histone H3 Ser10 that has been shown to modulate HP1 binding to chromatin, several studies have recently highlighted the importance of HP1 post-translational modifications and additional epigenetic features for the modulation of HP1-chromatin binding ability and heterochromatin formation. In this review, we summarize the recent literature of HP1 post-translational modifications that have contributed to understand how heterochromatin is formed, regulated and maintained.


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