Link to bioRxiv paper:
http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.07.11.548599v1?rss=1

Authors: Chavan, A., Skrutl, L., Uliana, F., Pfister, M., Burke, D. F., Braendle, F., Beltrao, P., Jagannathan, M.

Abstract:
The pericentromeric heterochromatin of eukaryotic chromosomes primarily consists of abundant non-coding repeats known as satellite DNA, which promote accurate chromosome segregation and genome stability. During interphase, sequence-specific satellite DNA-binding proteins cluster repeats from multiple chromosomes into foci known as chromocenters, which function to encapsulate the entire genome in a single nucleus. Despite the pivotal role of satellite DNA-binding proteins and chromocenters in cellular function, the proteins associated with these repetitive sequences remains incompletely characterized. Here, we use quantitative mass spectrometry to characterize the chromocenter-associated proteome in Drosophila embryos, ovaries and testes using two satellite DNA-binding proteins, D1 and Prod, as baits. We identify nearly 500 interactions, including known heterochromatin-associated proteins as well as proteins previously unlinked to satellite DNA or chromocenters. Among these interactions, we find that multiple components of the transposon-silencing piRNA pathway are associated with chromocenters. Strikingly, we reveal that proper satellite DNA clustering plays a role in transgenerational transposon repression, such that mothers with disrupted chromocenters give rise to progeny that exhibit transposon de-repression, germ cell loss and gonadal atrophy. Overall, our study highlights a novel link between satellite DNA repeats and transposon repression and lays the foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of satellite DNA function across tissues.

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