The role of heterochromatin in species formation and centromere function

异染色质在物种形成和着丝粒功能中的作用

• 批准号: 232395386
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Axel Imhof
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Forschungsbereich Physiologische Chemie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2011-12-31 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/232395386?language=en
• 关键词: role; heterochromatin; species; formation; centromere

Heterochromatin is the gene poor, late replication and DNA dense domain in the nucleus. Traditionally, it was solely cytologically defined as nuclear regions strongly staining with basophilic dyes. Since then, it has been connected to a variety of cellular processes like transcriptional repression, suppression of recombination and the protection of telomers. These features are in part conferred by structural heterochromatin proteins of the HP1 family. In Drosophila, HP1a is also required for telomere integrity and transcription of eu- and heterochromatic genes. To gain insight into the mechanisms of HP1a 's multifunctionality, we purified its interaction partners. Two major copurifying proteins were the speciation gene products Hmr and Lhr that genetically interact to cause lethality of hybrids from crosses of Drosophila melanogaster with animals of the D. simulans clade. We find that HP1a, Hmr and Lhr form a complex in Drosophila Schneider cells that localizes to centromeric chromatin. Elucidating the molecular functions of this complex will further our understanding of centromere regulation and provide molecular insights into the process of speciation.

异染色质是细胞核内基因贫乏、复制晚、DNA密集的区域。传统上，它只被细胞学定义为用嗜碱性染料强烈染色的核区。从那时起，它与多种细胞过程有关，如转录抑制、抑制重组和保护端粒。这些特征部分是由HP1家族的结构异染色质蛋白赋予的。在果蝇中，HP1a也是端粒完整性和异染色质基因转录所必需的。为了深入了解HP1a的S多功能的机制，我们纯化了它的相互作用伙伴。两个主要的相互作用蛋白是物种形成基因产物HMR和LHR，它们通过基因相互作用导致果蝇与拟果蝇杂交的动物致死。我们发现HP1a、HMR和LHR在果蝇施耐德细胞中形成一个复合体，定位于着丝粒染色质。阐明这个复合体的分子功能将加深我们对着丝粒调控的理解，并为物种形成过程提供分子上的见解。