SAGA histone acetyltransferase module facilitates chromatin accessibility to SMC5/6

Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are molecular machines driving chromatin organization at higher levels. In eukaryotes, three SMC complexes (cohesin, condensin, and SMC5/6) play key roles in cohesion, condensation, replication, transcription and DNA repair. Here, we performed a genetic screen in fission yeast to identify novel factors required for SMC5/6 binding to DNA. We identified 79 genes of which histone acetyltransferases (HATs) were the most represented. Genetic and phenotypic analyses suggested a particularly strong functional relationship between the SMC5/6 and SAGA complexes. Furthermore, several SMC5/6 subunits physically interacted with SAGA HAT module components Gcn5 and Ada2. As Gcn5-dependent acetylation facilitates the accessibility of chromatin to DNA repair proteins, we first analysed the formation of DNA damage-induced SMC5/6 foci in the Δ gcn5 mutant. The SMC5/6 foci formed normally in Δ gcn5 , suggesting SAGA-independent SMC5/6 localization to DNA-damaged sites. Next, we used Nse4-FLAG chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) analysis in unchallenged cells to assess SMC5/6 distribution. A significant portion of SMC5/6 accumulated within gene regions in wild-type cells, which was reduced in Δ gcn5 and Δ ada2 mutants. The drop in SMC5/6 levels was also observed in gcn5 -E191Q acetyltransferase-dead mutant. Altogether, our data suggest that the SAGA HAT module may facilitate chromatin accessibility to SMC5/6 at gene regions. Author Summary Genomes of all eukaryotes must be folded and packed into their relatively small nuclear spaces. Histones first pack free genomic DNA into nucleosomes and their arrays. Other complexes like histone modifiers and remodelers can regulate nucleosome positions and their packing within chromatin fibres. They assist in the relative opening or condensation of chromatin fibres and facilitate their accessibility to DNA-binding proteins. The highly conserved Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes (cohesin, condensin, and SMC5/6) compact further chromatin fibres at higher levels. These molecular machines can loop chromatin fibres, which need access to segments of free DNA for their physical binding to DNA. Here, we studied genetic and physical interactions between histone-modifying SAGA complex and SMC5/6. We show that the SAGA histone acetyltransferase module may facilitate chromatin access to SMC5/6.