GSE184379
Local chromatin context dictates the genetic determinants of the heterochromatin spreading reaction.
Heterochromatin spreading, the expansion of gene-silencing structures from DNA-encoded nucleation sites, occurs in distinct settings. Spreading re-establishes gene-poor constitutive heterochromatin every cell cycle, but also invades gene-rich euchromatin de novo to steer cell fate decisions. How chromatin context, i.e. euchromatic, heterochromatic, or different nucleator types, influences the determinants of this process remains poorly understood. Previously, we documented distinct behaviors of heterochromatin spreading in different contexts using a single-cell heterochromatin spreading sensor (Greenstein et al. 2018). In this work, building on this sensor system, we now genetically identify the factors that positively or negatively alter the propensity of a nucleation site to spread heterochromatin. We find that different chromatin contexts are dependent on unique sets of genes for the regulation of heterochromatin spreading. Further, we find that spreading in constitutive heterochromatin requires Clr6 histone deacetylase complexes containing the Fkh2 transcription factor, while the Clr3 deacetylase is globally required for silencing. Fkh2 acts by recruiting Clr6 to nucleation-distal chromatin sites. Our results segregate the pathways that control lateral heterochromatin spreading from those that instruct DNA-directed assembly in nucleation. Overall design: ChIP-Seq was performed for H3K9me2 in 5 genotypes. Both ChIP and Control/Input samples are included.