The disruption of chromatin structure can result in transcription initiating from cryptic promoters. A well-characterized, chromatin-destabilizing stress is the passage of RNA polymerase, and numerous factors function to stabilize chromatin on transcribed genes, suppressing cryptic transcription from sites within gene bodies. DNA replication is also inherently disruptive to chromatin, and multiple replication-coupled histone chaperones suppress cryptic transcription. However, these factors also have documented roles in transcription, and thus whether DNA replication per se can activate cryptic promoters has not been directly examined. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that, in the absence of chromatin-stabilizing factors, DNA replication can promote cryptic transcription in S. cerevisiae. Using a novel fluorescent reporter assay, we show that multiple factors, including Asf1, Rtt106, Spt6, and Spt16, suppress transcription from a cryptic promoter, but are entirely or partially dispensable in G1-arrested cells, suggesting a requirement for DNA replication in chromatin disruption. Additionally, for the first time, we demonstrate modest cryptic transcription following the depletion of Rlf2/Cac1, a CAF-1 chromatin assembly complex component. Collectively, these results suggest that transcription fidelity is dependent on numerous factors that function to assemble chromatin on nascent DNA.

The 43rd Asilomar Chromatin, Chromosomes, and Epigenetics Conference was held in an entirely online format from December 9-11, 2021. The conference enabled presenters at various career stages to share promising new findings, and presentations covered modern chromatin research across an array of model systems. Topics ranged from the fundamental principles of nuclear organization and transcription regulation to key mechanisms underlying human disease. The meeting featured five keynote speakers from diverse backgrounds and was organized by: Juan Ausió, University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), James Davie, University of Manitoba (Manitoba, Canada), Philippe T. Georgel, Marshall University (West Virginia, USA), Michael Goldman, San Francisco State University (California, USA), LeAnn Howe, University of British Columbia (British Columbia, Canada), Jennifer A. Mitchell, University of Toronto (Ontario, Canada), and Sally G. Pasion, San Francisco State University (California, USA).