The composition and organization of Drosophila heterochromatin are heterogeneous and dynamic
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Heterochromatin is enriched for specific epigenetic factors including Heterochromatin Protein 1a (HP1a), and is essential for many organismal functions. To elucidate heterochromatin organization and regulation, we purified Drosophila melanogaster HP1a interactors, and performed a genome-wide RNAi screen to identify genes that impact HP1a levels or localization. The majority of the over four hundred putative HP1a interactors and regulators identified were previously unknown. We found that 13 of 16 tested candidates (83%) are required for gene silencing, providing a substantial increase in the number of identified components that impact heterochromatin properties. Surprisingly, image analysis revealed that although some HP1a interactors and regulators are broadly distributed within the heterochromatin domain, most localize to discrete subdomains that display dynamic localization patterns during the cell cycle. We conclude that heterochromatin composition and architecture is more spatially complex and dynamic than previously suggested, and propose that a network of subdomains regulates diverse heterochromatin functions.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Institutes of Health; USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1379562
- Journal Information:
- eLife, Journal Name: eLife Vol. 5; ISSN 2050-084X
- Publisher:
- eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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The composition and organization of Drosophila heterochromatin are heterogeneous and dynamic
Journal Article
·
Wed Aug 10 20:00:00 EDT 2016
· eLife
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OSTI ID:1290303