Seattle BioMed

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yta7 regulates histone gene expression

Authors: 

Gradolatto A, Rogers RS, Lavender H, Taverna SD, Allis CD, Aitchison JD, Tackett AJ

Journal: 

Genetics

Publication date: 
May 2008

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yta7 protein is a component of a nucleosome bound protein complex that maintains distinct transcriptional zones of chromatin. We previously found that one protein copurifying with Yta7 is the yFACT member Spt16. Epistasis analyses revealed a link between Yta7, Spt16, and other previously identified members of the histone regulatory pathway. In concurrence, Yta7 was found to regulate histone gene transcription in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. Association at the histone gene loci appeared to occur through binding of the bromodomain-like region of Yta7 with the N-terminal tail of histone H3. Our work suggests a mechanism in which Yta7 is localized to chromatin to establish regions of transcriptional silencing, and that one facet of this cellular mechanism is to modulate transcription of histone genes.