Negative Regulation of the Mis17-Mis6 Centromere Complex by mRNA Decay Pathway and EKC/KEOPS Complex in  Schizosaccharomyces pombe .
The mitotic kinetochore forms at the centromere for proper chromosome segregation. Deposition of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant, spCENP-A/Cnp1, is vital for the formation of centromere-specific chromatin and the Mis17-Mis6 complex of the fission yeast  Schizosaccharomyces pombe  is required for this deposition. Here we identified extragenic suppressors for a Mis17-Mis6 complex temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant,  mis17-S353P , using whole-genome sequencing. The large and small daughter nuclei phenotype observed in  mis17-S353P  was greatly rescued by these suppressors. Suppressor mutations in two ribonuclease genes involved in the mRNA decay pathway,  exo2  and  pan2 , may affect Mis17 protein level, as  mis17  mutant protein level was recovered in  mis17-S353P exo2  double mutant cells. Suppressor mutations in EKC/KEOPS complex genes may not regulate Mis17 protein level, but restored centromeric localization of spCENP-A/Cnp1, Mis6 and Mis15 in  mis17-S353P  Therefore, the EKC/KEOPS complex may inhibit Mis17-Mis6 complex formation or centromeric localization. Mutational analysis in protein structure indicated that suppressor mutations in the EKC/KEOPS complex may interfere with its kinase activity or complex formation. Our results suggest that the mRNA decay pathway and the EKC/KEOPS complex negatively regulate Mis17-Mis6 complex-mediated centromere formation by distinct and unexpected mechanisms.
Xu X, Nakazawa N, Wang L, Arakawa O, Yanagida M