Identification of cis-acting sites for condensin loading onto budding yeast chromosomes

• Published in: Genes & development 2008-08, Vol.22 (16), p.2215-2227
• Main Authors: D'Ambrosio, Claudio, Schmidt, Christine Katrin, Katou, Yuki, Kelly, Gavin, Itoh, Takehiko, Shirahige, Katsuhiko, Uhlmann, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphatases - physiology; Binding Sites; Cell Cycle; Cell Cycle Proteins; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Chromosomes, Fungal - genetics; Cohesins; DNA-Binding Proteins - physiology; Fungal Proteins - physiology; Mitosis; Multiprotein Complexes - physiology; Research Paper; RNA Polymerase III - metabolism; RNA, Transfer - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomycetales - cytology; Saccharomycetales - genetics; Saccharomycetales - metabolism; Schizosaccharomyces pombe; Transcription Factors, TFIII - physiology; Transcription, Genetic
• ISSN: 0890-9369; 1549-5477
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.1675708

Eukaryotic chromosomes reach their stable rod-shaped appearance in mitosis in a reaction dependent on the evolutionarily conserved condensin complex. Little is known about how and where condensin associates with chromosomes. Here, we analyze condensin binding to budding yeast chromosomes using high-resolution oligonucleotide tiling arrays. Condensin-binding sites coincide with those of the loading factor Scc2/4 of the related cohesin complex. The sites map to tRNA and other genes bound by the RNA polymerase III transcription factor TFIIIC, and ribosomal protein and SNR genes. An ectopic B-box element, recognized by TFIIIC, constitutes a minimal condensin-binding site, and TFIIIC and the Scc2/4 complex promote functional condensin association with chromosomes. A similar pattern of condensin binding is conserved along fission yeast chromosomes. This reveals that TFIIIC-binding sites, including tRNA genes, constitute a hitherto unknown chromosomal feature with important implications for chromosome architecture during both interphase and mitosis.