Tgs. Olsson et al., GENETIC-CHARACTERIZATION OF HDA1(+), A PUTATIVE FISSION YEAST HISTONEDEACETYLASE GENE, Nucleic acids research, 26(13), 1998, pp. 3247-3254
hda1(+) (histone deacetylase 1) is a fission yeast gene which is highl
y similar in sequence to known histone deacetylase genes in humans and
budding yeast. We have investigated if this putative histone deacetyl
ase contributes to transcriptional silencing in the fission yeast Schi
zosaccharomyces pombe. A precise deletion allele of the hda1(+) open r
eading frame was created. Cells lacking the hda1(+) gene are viable. H
owever, genetic analysis reveals that cells without hda1(+) display en
hanced gene repression/silencing of marker genes, residing adjacent to
telomeres, close to the silent mating-type loci and within centromere
I. This phenotype is very similar to that recently reported for rpd3
mutants both in Drosophila and budding yeast. No defects in chromosome
segregation or changes in telomere length were detected. Cells lackin
g the hda1(+) gene display reduced sporulation. Growth of hda1 cells i
s partially inhibited by low concentrations of Trichostatin A (TSA), a
known inhibitor of histone deacetylase enzymes. TSA treatment is also
able to overcome the enhanced silencing found in heterochromatic regi
ons of hda1 cells. These results indicate a genetic redundancy with re
spect to deacetylase genes and partially overlapping functions of thes
e in fission yeast. The significance of these results is discussed in
the light of recent discoveries from other eukaryotes.