title: DNA sequence-dependent epigenetic inheritance of gene silencing and histone H3K9 methylation.
abstract: Epigenetic inheritance mechanisms play fundamental roles in maintaining cellular memory of gene expression states. In fission yeast, histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) is methylated (H3K9me) at heterochromatic domains. These domains can be epigenetically inherited whenepe1+, encoding an enzyme that promotes H3K9 demethylation, is deleted. How native epigenetic states are stably maintained inepe1+cells remains unknown. Here, we developed a system to examine the role of DNA sequence and genomic context in propagation of a cis-heritable H3K9me-dependent silenced state. We show that inepe1+cells, in addition to sequence-independent mechanisms that propagate H3K9me, epigenetic inheritance of silencing requires binding sites for sequence-dependent activating transcription factor (ATF)-adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB) family transcription factors within their native chromosomal context. Thus, specific DNA sequences contribute to cis inheritance of H3K9me and silent epigenetic states.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoyi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9373-8730
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. danesh@hms.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Danesh
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0321-6221
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moazed
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D006657:Histones; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins