Zinc-finger protein 518 plays a crucial role in pericentromeric heterochromatin formation by linking satellite DNA to heterochromatin

Abstract

Aneuploidy is caused by chromosomal missegregation and is frequently observed in cancers and hematological diseases. Pericentromeric heterochromatin formation is essential for proper chromosome segregation; however, it is unclear how heterochromatin is targeted to pericentromeres. In this study, we investigated the involvement of two homologous zinc-finger proteins (ZNF518A and ZNF518B) in heterochromatin formation at pericentromeres by determining the cellular localization of ZNF518, centromeric proteins such as CENP-A and CENP-B, and heterochromatin factors, including HP1 and histone H3K9 trimethylation. The results showed that various segments in ZNF518 interact with CENP-B, HP1, and G9a histone H3K9 methyltransferase. In conclusion, we identified a novel mechanism underlying pericentromeric heterochromatin formation mediated by ZNF518.