lncRNA transcription induces meiotic recombination through chromatin remodelling in fission yeast

Commun Biol. 2021 Mar 5;4(1):295. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-01798-8.

Abstract

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are involved in various biological processes, including gene expression, development, and disease. Here, we identify a novel consensus sequence of a cis-element involved in long ncRNA (lncRNA) transcription and demonstrate that lncRNA transcription from this cis-element activates meiotic recombination via chromatin remodeling. In the fission yeast fbp1 gene, glucose starvation induces a series of promoter-associated lncRNAs, referred to as metabolic-stress-induced lncRNAs (mlonRNAs), which contribute to chromatin remodeling and fbp1 activation. Translocation of the cis-element required for mlonRNA into a well-characterized meiotic recombination hotspot, ade6-M26, further stimulates transcription and meiotic recombination via local chromatin remodeling. The consensus sequence of this cis-element (mlon-box) overlaps with meiotic recombination sites in the fission yeast genome. At one such site, the SPBC24C6.09c upstream region, meiotic double-strand break (DSB) formation is induced in an mlon-box-dependent manner. Therefore, mlonRNA transcription plays a universal role in chromatin remodeling and the regulation of transcription and recombination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly*
  • DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded
  • Fructose-Bisphosphatase / genetics
  • Fructose-Bisphosphatase / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Meiosis*
  • RNA, Fungal / genetics*
  • RNA, Fungal / metabolism
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism
  • Recombinational DNA Repair*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / growth & development
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • RNA, Fungal
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • Fructose-Bisphosphatase