title: Scc2 regulates gene expression by recruiting cohesin to the chromosome as a transcriptional activator during yeast meiosis.
abstract: To tether sister chromatids, a protein-loading complex, including Scc2, recruits cohesin to the chromosome at discrete loci. Cohesin facilitates the formation of a higher-order chromosome structure that could also influence gene expression. How cohesin directly regulates transcription remains to be further elucidated. We report that in budding yeast Scc2 is required for sister-chromatid cohesion during meiosis for two reasons. First, Scc2 is required for activating the expression of REC8, which encodes a meiosis-specific cohesin subunit; second, Scc2 is necessary for recruiting meiotic cohesin to the chromosome to generate sister-chromatid cohesion. Using a heterologous reporter assay, we have found that Scc2 increases the activity of its target promoters by recruiting cohesin to establish an upstream cohesin-associated region in a position-dependent manner. Rec8-associated meiotic cohesin is required for the full activation of the REC8 promoter, revealing that cohesin has a positive feedback on transcriptional regulation. Finally, we provide evidence that chromosomal binding of cohesin is sufficient for target-gene activation during meiosis. Our data support a noncanonical role for cohesin as a transcriptional activator during cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4370, USA.
authors.forename: Weiqiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xiuwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hampton
authors.forename: Hong-Guo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008540:Meiosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D000097722:Cohesins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D000097722:Cohesins; C502898:REC8 protein, S cerevisiae; C410592:SCC2 protein, S cerevisiae