Uncoupling the distinct functions of HP1 proteins during heterochromatin establishment and maintenance

Abstract

H3K9 methylation (H3K9me) marks transcriptionally silent genomic regions called heterochromatin. HP1 proteins are required to establish and maintain heterochromatin. HP1 proteins bind to H3K9me, recruit factors that promote heterochromatin formation, and oligomerize to form phase-separated condensates. We do not understand how HP1 protein binding to heterochromatin establishes and maintains transcriptional silencing. Here, we demonstrate that the S.pombe HP1 homolog, Swi6, can be completely bypassed to establish silencing at ectopic and endogenous loci when an H3K4 methyltransferase, Set1 and an H3K14 acetyltransferase, Mst2 are deleted. Deleting Set1 and Mst2 enhances Clr4 enzymatic activity, leading to higher H3K9me levels and spreading. In contrast, Swi6 and its capacity to oligomerize were indispensable during epigenetic maintenance. Our results demonstrate the role of HP1 proteins in regulating histone modification crosstalk during establishment and identifies a genetically separable function in maintaining epigenetic memory.