Abstract
TELOMERIC genes and the HM loci in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are transcriptionally repressed and adopt a heterochromatin-like structure1,2. The tram-acting factors RAP1, SIR3 and SIR4 are required for telomeric and HM silencing3–5, and are thought to be chromosomal6–8, but how they contribute to histone-dependent repression of adjacent chroma tin9,11 is unclear. SIR3 suppresses silencing defects in hi stones10, is limiting for silencing adjacent to telomeres12, and interacts with the H3 and H4 amino termini in vitro13. Here we show that SIR3 co-immunoprecipitates SIR4, RAP1 and histones from cellular extracts, suggesting the presence of large chromatin-associated protein complexes. Crosslinking experiments show that SIR3 is present at HMRa, HMLα and telomeres in vivo, and that it spreads from telomeric regions into adjacent chromatin when overexpressed. Thus SIR3 is a structural component of yeast heterochromatin, repressing adjacent genes as it spreads along the chromosome.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Laurenson, P. & Rine, J. Microbiol. Rev. 56, 543–560 (1992).
Thompson, J. S., Hecht, A. & Grunstein, M. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol. 58, 247–256 (1994).
Kurtz, S. & Shore, D. Genes Dev. 5, 618–628 (1991).
Kyrion, G., Liu, K., Liu, C. & Lustig, A. Genes Dev. 7, 1146–1159 (1993).
Aparicio, O. M., Billington, B. L. & Gottschling, D. E. Cell 66, 1279–1287 (1991).
Moretti, P., Freemann, K., Coodly, L. & Shore, D. Genes Dev. 8, 2257–2269 (1994).
Palladino, F. et al. Cell 75, 543–555 (1993).
Cockell, M. et al. J. Cell. Biol. 129, 909–924 (1995).
Thompson, J. S., Ling, X. & Grunstein, M. Nature 369, 245–247 (1994).
Johnson, L. M., Kayne, P. S., Kahn, E. S. & Grunstein, M. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 6286–6290 (1990).
Johnson, L. M., Fisher-Adams, G. & Grunstein, M. EMBO J. 11, 2201–2209 (1992).
Renauld, H. et al. Genes Dev. 7, 1133–1145 (1993).
Hecht, A., Laroche, T., Strahl-Bolsinger, S., Gasser, S. M. & Grunstein, M. Cell 80, 583–592 (1995).
Liu, C., Mao, X. & Lustig, A. J. Genetics 138, 1025–1040 (1994).
Orlando, V. & Paro, R. Cell 75, 1187–1198 (1993).
Braunstein, M., Rose, A. B., Holmes, S. G., Allis, C. D. & Broach, J. R. Genes Dev. 7, 592–604 (1993).
Gottschling, D. E., Aparicio, O. M., Billington, B. L. & Zakian, V. A. Cell 63, 751–762 (1990).
Tartof, K. D. & Bremer, M. Development 120 (suppl.), 35–45 (1990).
Gottschling, D. E. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 4062–4065 (1992).
Loo, S. & Rine, J. Science 264, 1768–1771 (1994).
Moore, G. D., Sinclair, D. A. & Grigliatti, T. A. Genetics 105, 327–344 (1983).
Wilson, I. A. et al. Cell 37, 767–778 (1994).
Higuchi, R. in PCR Protocols (eds Innis, M. A., Gelfand, D. H., Sninsky, J. J. & White, T. J.) 177–188 (Academic, San Diego, 1990).
Kaffman, A., Herskowitz, I., Tjian, R. & O'Shea, E. K. Science 263, 1153–1156 (1994).
Tasaka, K., Kobayashi, M., Tanak, T. & Inagaki, C. Acta Histochem. Cytochem. 17, 283–286 (1984).
Harlow, E. & Lane, D. Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, NY, 1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hecht, A., Strahl-Bolsinger, S. & Grunstein, M. Spreading of transcriptional represser SIR3 from telomeric heterochromatin. Nature 383, 92–96 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/383092a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/383092a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
