The chromatin of Candida albicans pericentromeres bears features of both euchromatin and heterochromatin

Abstract

Centromeres, sites of kinetochore assembly, are important for chromosome stability and integrity. Most eukaryotes have regional centromeres epigenetically specified by the presence of the histone H3 variant CENP-A. CENP-A chromatin is often surrounded by pericentromeric regions packaged into transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, possesses small regional centromeres assembled into CENP-A chromatin. The chromatin state of C. albicans pericentromeric regions is unknown. Here, for the first time, we address this question. We find that C. albicans pericentromeres are assembled into an intermediate chromatin state bearing features of both euchromatin and heterochromatin. Pericentromeric chromatin is associated with nucleosomes that are highly acetylated, as found in euchromatic regions of the genome; and hypomethylated on H3K4, as found in heterochromatin. This intermediate chromatin state is inhibitory to transcription and partially represses expression of proximal genes and inserted marker genes. Our analysis identifies a new chromatin state associated with pericentromeric regions.