RNA polymerase II is required for RNAi-dependent heterochromatin assembly.
In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery converts pericentromeric transcripts into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and is required for the assembly of pericentromeric heterochromatin. Here we describe a mutation in the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Both wild-type and mutant RNAPII localized to the pericentromere. However, the mutation resulted in the loss of heterochromatic histone modifications and in the accumulation of pericentromeric transcripts, accompanied by the loss of siRNAs. This phenotype resembles mutants in RNAi and suggests that RNAPII couples pericentromeric transcription with siRNA processing and heterochromatin assembly.
Kato
Hiroaki
H
Department of Viral Oncology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Goto
Derek B
DB
Martienssen
Robert A
RA
Urano
Takeshi
T
Furukawa
Koichi
K
Murakami
Yota
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D017354:Point Mutation; D034622:RNA Interference; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D006570:Heterochromatin; D006657:Histones; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012319:RNA Polymerase II