A single N-terminal amino acid determines the distinct roles of histones H3 and H3.3 in the Drosophila male germline stem cell lineage

Adult stem cells undergo asymmetric cell divisions to produce 2 daughter cells with distinct cell fates: one capable of self-renewal and the other committed for differentiation. Misregulation of this delicate balance can lead to cancer and tissue degeneration. During asymmetric division of Drosophila male germline stem cells (GSCs), preexisting (old) and newly synthesized histone H3 are differentially segregated, whereas old and new histone variant H3.3 are more equally inherited. However, what underlies these distinct inheritance patterns remains unknown. Here, we report that the N-terminal tails of H3 and H3.3 are critical for their inheritance patterns, as well as GSC maintenance and proper differentiation. H3 and H3.3 differ at the 31st position in their N-termini with Alanine for H3 and Serine for H3.3. By swapping these 2 amino acids, we generated 2 mutant histones (i.e., H3A31S and H3.3S31A). Upon expressing them in the early-stage germline, we identified opposing phenotypes: overpopulation of early-stage germ cells in the H3A31S-expressing testes and significant germ cell loss in testes expressing the H3.3S31A. Asymmetric H3 inheritance is disrupted in the H3A31S-expressing GSCs, due to misincorporation of old histones between sister chromatids during DNA replication. Furthermore, H3.3S31A mutation accelerates old histone turnover in the GSCs. Finally, using a modified Chromatin Immunocleavage assay on early-stage germ cells, we found that H3A31S has enhanced occupancy at promoters and transcription starting sites compared with H3, while H3.3S31A is more enriched at transcriptionally silent intergenic regions compared to H3.3. Overall, these results suggest that the 31st amino acids for both H3 and H3.3 are critical for their proper genomic occupancy and function. Together, our findings indicate a critical role for the different amino acid composition of the N-terminal tails between H3 and H3.3 in an endogenous stem cell lineage and provide insights into the importance of proper histone inheritance in specifying cell fates and regulating cellular differentiation.

Automated summary

Adult stem cells undergo asymmetric cell divisions to produce 2 daughter cells with distinct cell fates. Misregulation of this delicate balance can lead to cancer and tissue degeneration. The N-terminal tails of histone H3 and H3.3 are critical for their inheritance patterns, as well as germ cell maintenance and proper differentiation.