Dbp7 interacts with RNA exosome component Dis3 to mediate CENP-A loading to centromeres.
Centromeres are crucial for proper chromosome segregation during cell division. Centromeres in most eukaryotes are epigenetically defined by the histone H3 variant, CENP-A. Centromeric regions are typically transcribed into non-coding RNAs that contribute to centromere functions. However, the precise role of centromeric RNAs in CENP-A loading, in particular the formation of R-loops, remains poorly understood and the mechanisms that safeguard centromeres from R-loop-associated defects are still largely unclear.
Together, this study uncovers a previously unrecognized CENP-A loading mechanism, by which Dbp7 and Dis3 act together to bind to centromeric transcripts and in turn mediate recruitment of CENP-A via the CENP-A chaperone Sim3, providing mechanistic insight into R-loop resolution at centromeres.
Gao J, Gao F, Dong Q, Li Z, Mao L, Ali M, Liao J, Yang J, Li F