Hrp3 controls nucleosome positioning to suppress non-coding transcription in eu- and heterochromatin

The positioning of the nucleosome by ATP-dependent remodellers provides the fundamental chromatin environment for the regulation of diverse cellular processes acting on the underlying DNA. Recently, genome-wide nucleosome mapping has revealed more detailed information on the chromatin-remodelling factors. Here, we report that the Schizosaccharomyces pombe CHD remodeller, Hrp3, is a global regulator that drives proper nucleosome positioning and nucleosome stability. The loss of Hrp3 resulted in nucleosome perturbation across the chromosome, and the production of antisense transcripts in the hrp3 Delta cells emphasized the importance of nucleosome architecture for proper transcription. Notably, perturbation of the nucleosome in hrp3 deletion mutant was also associated with destabilization of the DNA-histone interaction and cell cycle-dependent alleviation of heterochromatin silencing. Furthermore, the effect of Hrp3 in the pericentric region was found to be accomplished via a physical interaction with Swi6, and appeared to cooperate with other heterochromatin factors for gene silencing. Taken together, our data indicate that a well-positioned nucleosome by Hrp3 is important for the spatial-temporal control of transcription-associated processes. The EMBO Journal (2012) 31, 4375-4387. doi:10.1038/emboj. 2012.267; Published online 18 September 2012