Open AccessMultiple Modes of Chromatin Configuration at Natural Meiotic Recombination Hot Spots in Fission Yeast
Author(s) -
Kouji Hirota,
Walter W. Steiner,
Takehiko Shibata,
Kunihiro Ohta
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
eukaryotic cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1535-9778
pISSN - 1535-9786
DOI - 10.1128/ec.00246-07
Subject(s) - chromatin , biology , schizosaccharomyces pombe , schizosaccharomyces , homologous recombination , genetics , genetic recombination , microbiology and biotechnology , transcription factor , nucleosome , recombination , yeast , saccharomyces cerevisiae , dna , gene
Theade6-M26 meiotic recombination hot spot of fission yeast is defined by a cyclic AMP-responsive element (CRE)-like heptanucleotide sequence, 5′-ATGACGT-3′, which acts as a binding site for the Atf1/Pcr1 heterodimeric transcription factor required for hot spot activation. We previously demonstrated that the local chromatin around theM26 sequence motif alters to exhibit higher sensitivity to micrococcal nuclease before the initiation of meiotic recombination. In this study, we have examined whether or not such alterations in chromatin occur at natural meiotic DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites inSchizosaccharomyces pombe . At one of the most prominent DSB sites,mbs1 (m eioticb reaks ite 1), the chromatin structure has a constitutively accessible configuration at or near the DSB sites. The establishment of the open chromatin state and DSB formation are independent of the CRE-binding transcription factor, Atf1. Analysis of the chromatin configuration at CRE-dependent DSB sites revealed both differences from and similarities tombs1 . For example, thetdh1 + locus, which harbors a CRE consensus sequence near the DSB site, shows a meiotically induced open chromatin configuration, similar toade6-M26 . In contrast, thecds1 + locus is similar tombs1 in that it exhibits a constitutive open configuration. Importantly, Atf1 is required for the open chromatin formation in bothtdh1 + andcds1 + . These results suggest that CRE-dependent meiotic chromatin changes are intrinsic processes related to DSB formation in fission yeast meiosis. In addition, the results suggest that the chromatin configuration in natural meiotic recombination hot spots can be classified into at least three distinct categories: (i) an Atf1-CRE-independent constitutively open chromatin configuration, (ii) an Atf1-CRE-dependent meiotically induced open chromatin configuration, and (iii) an Atf1-CRE-dependent constitutively open chromatin configuration.