J Biol Chem, Vol. 274, Issue 4, 1928-1933, January 22, 1999
Heterochromatin Organization of a Natural Yeast Telomere
RECRUITMENT OF Sir3p THROUGH INTERACTION WITH HISTONE H4 N
TERMINUS IS REQUIRED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF REPRESSIVE
STRUCTURES
Sabrina
Venditti
,
Miguel A.
Vega-Palas
, and
Ernesto
Di Mauro
From the
Fondazione "Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione
Cenci-Bolognetti", c/o Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare
Università "La Sapienza", P. le A. Moro 5, 00185-Roma Italy
and
Centro Acidi Nucleici Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche,
Roma Italy
The chromatin organization of eukaryotic
telomeres is essential for telomeric function and is currently
receiving great attention. In yeast, the structural organization of
telomeres involves a complex interplay of telomeric proteins that
results in the formation of heterochromatin. This telomeric
heterochromatin involves homotypic and heterotypic protein interactions
that have been summarized in a general model.
Recent analyses have focused on the study of the structural complexity
at yeast telomeres to the level of specific nucleosomes and of the
distribution of protein complexes in a natural telomeric region (LIII).
In this report, we further analyze the structural complexity of LIII
and the implication of this structure on telomeric silencing. It is
shown that the establishment of repressive heterochromatin structures
at LIII requires the recruitment of Sir3p through interaction with the
N terminus of histone H4. The establishment of such structures does not
require acetylation of any of four lysines located in the H4 N terminus
(lysines 5, 8, 12, and 16).
Copyright © 1999 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.