Histone locus bodies: a paradigm for how nuclear biomolecular condensates control cell cycle regulated gene expression

Abstract

Histone locus bodies (HLBs) are biomolecular condensates that assemble at replication-dependent (RD) histone genes in animal cells. These genes produce unique mRNAs that are not polyadenylated and instead end in a conserved 3’ stem loop critical for coordinated production of histone proteins during S phase of the cell cycle. Several evolutionarily conserved factors necessary for synthesis of RD histone mRNAs concentrate only in the HLB. Moreover, because HLBs are present throughout the cell cycle even though RD histone genes are only expressed during S phase, changes in HLB composition during cell cycle progression drive much of the cell cycle regulation of RD histone gene expression. Thus, HLBs provide a powerful opportunity to determine the cause-and-effect relationships between nuclear body formation and cell cycle regulated gene expression. In this review, we focus on progress during the last five years that has advanced our understanding of HLB biology.

Nuclear bodies: a gene expression collection for our time

“…This neither dismisses it from the atlas of Nuclear Bodies but makes it even more intriguing. Geisler, Kemp and Duronio have made it so not only in their own work but in their engaging article [ 9 ]. Here we see a body whose genomic residence arises from the activity of certain genes.…”