The temporal and spatial pattern of histone H3 phosphorylation at serine 28 and serine 10 is similar in plants but differs between mono- and polycentric chromosomes

Abstract

Immunolabeling using site-specific antibodies against phosphorylated histone H3 at serine 10 or serine 28 revealed in plants an almost similar temporal and spatial pattern of both post-translational modification sites at mitosis and meiosis. During the first meiotic division the entire chromosomes are highly H3 phosphorylated. In the second meiotic division, like in mitosis, the chromosomes contain high phosphorylation levels in the pericentromeric region and very little H3 phosphorylation along the arms of monocentric species. In the polycentric plant Luzula luzuloides phosphorylation at both serine positions occurs along the whole chromosomes, whereas in monocentric species, only the pericentromeric regions showed strong signals from mitotic prophase to telophase. No phosphorylated serine 10 or serine 28 was detectable on single chromatids at anaphase II resulting from equational segregation of rye B chromosome univalents during the preceding anaphase I. In addition, we found a high level of serine 28 as well as of serine 10 phosphorylation along the entire mitotic monocentric chromosomes after treatment of mitotic cells using the phosphatase inhibitor cantharidin. These observations suggest that histone H3 phosphorylation at serine 10 and 28 is an evolutionarily conserved event and both sites are likely to be involved in the same process, such as sister chromatid cohesion.

Histone Phosphorylation and Pericentromeric Histone Modifications in Oocyte Meiosis

“…First, nearly identical spatio-temporal distribution of phH3/ser10 and 28 was observed in mammalian and plant cells except for their different times in phosphorylation initiation. 14,15,46 But, in our work, phH3/ser10 and phH3/ser28 exhibited totally different distribution patterns (Figs. 1 and 2), suggesting their functional distinction in mouse oocyte meiosis.…”

“…[11][12][13] Identified later 14 and less studied than H3/ser10 phosphorylation, the phosphorylation of serine 28 residue on H3 (phH3/ser28) shows a similar pattern to serine10 except that it is always initiated in condensed chromosomes at prophase. 14,15 The definite role of phH3/ser28 is still unknown.…”

Histone H3 phosphorylation: Universal code or lineage specific dialects?

“…11,21 In higher plants with monocentric chromosomes, like Hordeum vulgare and Secale cereale, phosphorylation of H3S10 and H3S28 during mitosis remains limited to pericentromeric regions. 8,9,22,23 In contrast, H3T3ph and H3T11ph start near centromeres but then disperse along entire chromosome arms. 8,24 H3T32 is also phosphorylated during mitosis of plants cells, with a distribution similar to that of H3T11ph.…”

“…8,9 For instance, in H. vulgare, H3K27me3 is strongly enriched in the gene-rich termini of mitotic chromosomes 9 whereas H3S28ph is restricted to pericentromeric regions. 8,22 Thus, the phosphorylation of H3T3, H3S10, H3T11 and H3S28 during mitosis is apparently conserved between metazoa H3S10ph becomes later more prominent at the periphery of the metaphase plate (i.e., at the ends of chromosomes) and persists until late anaphase. 14,18,19 This pattern of phosphorylation and other analyses suggested that H3S10ph and H3S28ph might play a role in chromosome condensation.…”

“…In several plant species, in contrast to metazoa, mitotic H3S10ph does not extend to heterochromatic domains in chromosomal arms. 8,9,22 Moreover, heterochromatin in angiosperms is characterized by mono-or dimethylation of H3K9, 9,23,27 rather than H3K9me3, and the only homolog of HP1 encoded in the A. thaliana genome, Like Heterochromatin Protein 1 (LHP1), does not seem to be a component of heterochromatin. 31,32 Arabidopsis LHP1 binds instead to trimethylated H3K27 and mediates the silencing of euchromatic genes.…”