RNAi keeps Atf1-bound stress response genes in check at nuclear pores

RNAi pathways are prevalent throughout the eukaryotic kingdom and are well known to regulate gene expression on a post-transcriptional level in the cytoplasm. Less is known about possible functions of RNAi in the nucleus. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, RNAi is crucial to establish a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genes & development 2012-04, Vol.26 (7), p.683-692
Main Authors: Woolcock, Katrina J, Stunnenberg, Rieka, Gaidatzis, Dimos, Hotz, Hans-Rudolf, Emmerth, Stephan, Barraud, Pierre, Bühler, Marc
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activating Transcription Factor 1 - genetics
Activating Transcription Factor 1 - metabolism
Endoribonucleases - chemistry
Endoribonucleases - genetics
Endoribonucleases - metabolism
Models, Molecular
Nuclear Pore - metabolism
Phosphoproteins - genetics
Phosphoproteins - metabolism
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Protein Binding
Protein Structure, Tertiary
Protein Transport
Research Paper
RNA Interference
Schizosaccharomyces - genetics
Schizosaccharomyces - metabolism
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - chemistry
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - genetics
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - metabolism
Stress, Physiological
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Summary:RNAi pathways are prevalent throughout the eukaryotic kingdom and are well known to regulate gene expression on a post-transcriptional level in the cytoplasm. Less is known about possible functions of RNAi in the nucleus. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, RNAi is crucial to establish and maintain centromeric heterochromatin and functions to repress genome activity by a chromatin silencing mechanism referred to as cotranscriptional gene silencing (CTGS). Mechanistic details and the physiological relevance of CTGS are unknown. Here we show that RNAi components interact with chromatin at nuclear pores to keep stress response genes in check. We demonstrate that RNAi-mediated CTGS represses stress-inducible genes by degrading mRNAs under noninduced conditions. Under chronic heat stress conditions, a Dicer thermoswitch deports Dicer to the cytoplasm, thereby disrupting CTGS and enabling expression of genes implicated in the acquisition of thermotolerance. Taken together, our work highlights a role for nuclear pores and the stress response transcription factor Atf1 in coordinating the interplay between the RNAi machinery and the S. pombe genome and uncovers a novel mode of RNAi regulation in response to an environmental cue.
ISSN:0890-9369
1549-5477
DOI:10.1101/gad.186866.112