Centromere DNA Destabilizes H3 Nucleosomes to Promote CENP-A Deposition during the Cell Cycle

Active centromeres are defined by the presence of nucleosomes containing CENP-A, a histone H3 variant, which alone is sufficient to direct kinetochore assembly. Once assembled at a location, CENP-A chromatin and kinetochores are maintained at that location through a positive feedback loop where kinetochore proteins recruited by CENP-A promote deposition of new CENP-A following replication. Although CENP-A chromatin itself is a heritable entity, it is normally associated with specific sequences. Intrinsic properties of centromeric DNA may favor the assembly of CENP-A rather than H3 nucleosomes. Here we investigate histone dynamics on centromere DNA. We show that during S phase, histone H3 is deposited as a placeholder at fission yeast centromeres and is subsequently evicted in G2, when we detect deposition of the majority of new CENP-A(Cnp1). We also find that centromere DNA has an innate property of driving high rates of turnover of H3-containing nucleosomes, resulting in low nucleosome occupancy. When placed at an ectopic chromosomal location in the absence of any CENP-A(Cnp1) assembly, centromere DNA appears to retain its ability to impose S phase deposition and G2 eviction of H3, suggesting that features within centromere DNA program H3 dynamics. Because RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) occupancy on this centromere DNA coincides with H3 eviction in G2, we propose a model in which RNAPII-coupled chromatin remodeling promotes replacement of H3 with CENP-A(Cnp1) nucleosomes.