Heat Stress Affects H3K9me3 Level at Human Alpha Satellite DNA Repeats

Feliciello, Isidoro; Sermek, Antonio; Pezer, Željka; Matulić, Maja; Ugarković, Đurđica (2020) Heat Stress Affects H3K9me3 Level at Human Alpha Satellite DNA Repeats. Genes, 11 (6). ISSN 2073-4425

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Abstract

Satellite DNAs are tandemly repeated sequences preferentially assembled into large arrays within constitutive heterochromatin and their transcription is often activated by stress conditions, particularly by heat stress. Bioinformatic analyses of sequenced genomes however reveal single repeats or short arrays of satellite DNAs dispersed in the vicinity of genes within euchromatin. Here, we analyze transcription of a major human alpha satellite DNA upon heat stress and follow the dynamics of “silent” H3K9me3 and “active” H3K4me2/3 histone marks at dispersed euchromatic and tandemly arranged heterochromatic alpha repeats. The results show H3K9me3 enrichment at alpha repeats upon heat stress, which correlates with the dynamics of alpha satellite DNA transcription activation, while no change in H3K4me2/3 level is detected. Spreading of H3K9me3 up to 1–2 kb from the insertion sites of the euchromatic alpha repeats is detected, revealing the alpha repeats as modulators of local chromatin structure. In addition, expression of genes containing alpha repeats within introns as well as of genes closest to the intergenic alpha repeats is downregulated upon heat stress. Further studies are necessary to reveal the possible contribution of H3K9me3 enriched alpha repeats, in particular those located within introns, to the silencing of their associated genes.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	alpha satellite DNA ; heterochromatin ; euchromatin ; transcription ; heat stress ; histone modification ; epigenetics ; gene silencing
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Biology
Divisions:	Division of Molecular Biology
Depositing User:	Đurđica Ugarković
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2020 14:15
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/6104
DOI:	10.3390/genes11060663

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