title: RNAi promotes heterochromatic silencing through replication-coupled release of RNA Pol II.
abstract: Heterochromatin comprises tightly compacted repetitive regions of eukaryotic chromosomes. The inheritance of heterochromatin through mitosis requires RNA interference (RNAi), which guides histone modification during the DNA replication phase of the cell cycle. Here we show that the alternating arrangement of origins of replication and non-coding RNA in pericentromeric heterochromatin results in competition between transcription and replication in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Co-transcriptional RNAi releases RNA polymerase II (Pol II), allowing completion of DNA replication by the leading strand DNA polymerase, and associated histone modifying enzymes that spread heterochromatin with the replication fork. In the absence of RNAi, stalled forks are repaired by homologous recombination without histone modification.
authors: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA.
authors: Mikel
authors: M
authors: Zaratiegui
authors: Stephane E
authors: SE
authors: Castel
authors: Danielle V
authors: DV
authors: Irvine
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Kloc
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Ren
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Elisa
authors: E
authors: de Castro
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Marín
authors: An-Yun
authors: AY
authors: Chang
authors: Derek
authors: D
authors: Goto
authors: W Zacheus
authors: WZ
authors: Cande
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Antequera
authors: Benoit
authors: B
authors: Arcangioli
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Martienssen
mesh_terms: D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000502:physiology*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D059765:Homologous Recombination; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D034622:RNA Interference; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018741:Replication Origin; D016196:S Phase; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D006570:Heterochromatin; D006657:Histones; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C489651:Rik1 protein, S pombe; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; C465958:Swi6 protein, S pombe; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase