Structure and regulation of the human INO80-nucleosome complex

Genome information processing by the INO80 chromatin remodeler positions nucleosomes

The fundamental molecular determinants by which ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers organize nucleosomes across eukaryotic genomes remain largely elusive. Here, chromatin reconstitutions on physiological, whole-genome templates reveal how remodelers read and translate genomic information into nucleosome positions. Using the yeast genome and the multi-subunit INO80 remodeler as a paradigm, we identify DNA shape/mechanics encoded signature motifs as sufficient for nucleosome positioning and distinct from known DNA sequence preferences of histones. INO80 processes such information through an allosteric interplay between its core- and Arp8-modules that probes mechanical properties of nucleosomal and linker DNA. At promoters, INO80 integrates this readout of DNA shape/mechanics with a readout of co-evolved sequence motifs via interaction with general regulatory factors bound to these motifs. Our findings establish a molecular mechanism for robust and yet adjustable +1 nucleosome positioning and, more generally, remodelers as information processing hubs that enable active organization and allosteric regulation of the first level of chromatin.

DNA sequence preferences or statistical positioning of histones has not explained genomic patterns of nucleosome organisation in vivo. Here, the authors establish DNA shape/mechanics as key elements that have evolved together with binding sites of DNA sequence-specific barriers so that such information directs nucleosome positioning by chromatin remodelers.

Sophisticated Conversations between Chromatin and Chromatin Remodelers, and Dissonances in Cancer

The establishment and maintenance of genome packaging into chromatin contribute to define specific cellular identity and function. Dynamic regulation of chromatin organization and nucleosome positioning are critical to all DNA transactions-in particular, the regulation of gene expression-and involve the cooperative action of sequence-specific DNA-binding factors, histone modifying enzymes, and remodelers. Remodelers are molecular machines that generate various chromatin landscapes, adjust nucleosome positioning, and alter DNA accessibility by using ATP binding and hydrolysis to perform DNA translocation, which is highly regulated through sophisticated structural and functional conversations with nucleosomes. In this review, I first present the functional and structural diversity of remodelers, while emphasizing the basic mechanism of DNA translocation, the common regulatory aspects, and the hand-in-hand progressive increase in complexity of the regulatory conversations between remodelers and nucleosomes that accompanies the increase in challenges of remodeling processes. Next, I examine how, through nucleosome positioning, remodelers guide the regulation of gene expression. Finally, I explore various aspects of how alterations/mutations in remodelers introduce dissonance into the conversations between remodelers and nucleosomes, modify chromatin organization, and contribute to oncogenesis.

At the Crossroad of Gene Regulation and Genome Organization: Potential Roles for ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodelers in the Regulation of CTCF-Mediated 3D Architecture

Simple Summary

The way DNA is packaged in the nucleus of a cell is important for when and how genes are expressed. There are many levels of packaging, and new techniques have revealed that long-range interactions are important for both promoting and restricting the transcription of genes. Some long-range interactions are mediated by physical loops in the genome where, like a rubber band, the ring-shaped cohesin complex loops sections of DNA bound by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). Both cohesin and CTCF act on DNA, and increasing evidence indicates that their function is inhibited by nucleosomes bound to the DNA. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of how individual chromatin remodelers, which utilize ATP to move nucleosomes on DNA, facilitate or inhibit cohesin/CTCF-dependent looping interactions.

Abstract

In higher order organisms, the genome is assembled into a protein-dense structure called chromatin. Chromatin is spatially organized in the nucleus through hierarchical folding, which is tightly regulated both in cycling cells and quiescent cells. Assembly and folding are not one-time events in a cell’s lifetime; rather, they are subject to dynamic shifts to allow changes in transcription, DNA replication, or DNA damage repair. Chromatin is regulated at many levels, and recent tools have permitted the elucidation of specific factors involved in the maintenance and regulation of the three-dimensional (3D) genome organization. In this review/perspective, we aim to cover the potential, but relatively unelucidated, crosstalk between 3D genome architecture and the ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers with a specific focus on how the architectural proteins CTCF and cohesin are regulated by chromatin remodeling.

What can clinical immunology learn from inborn errors of epigenetic regulators?

The epigenome is at the interface between environmental factors and the genome, regulating gene transcription, DNA repair, and replication. Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining cell identity and are especially crucial for neurology, musculoskeletal integrity, and the function of the immune system. Mutations in genes encoding for the components of the epigenetic machinery lead to the development of distinct disorders, especially involving the central nervous system and host defense. In this review, we focus on the role of epigenetic modifications for the function of the immune system. By studying the immune phenotype of patients with monogenic mutations in components of the epigenetic machinery (inborn errors of epigenetic regulators), we demonstrate the importance of DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, noncoding RNAs, and mRNA processing for immunity. Moreover, we give a short overview on therapeutic strategies targeting the epigenome.

NOPCHAP1 is a PAQosome cofactor that helps loading NOP58 on RUVBL1/2 during box C/D snoRNP biogenesis

The PAQosome is a large complex composed of the HSP90/R2TP chaperone and a prefoldin-like module. It promotes the biogenesis of cellular machineries but it is unclear how it discriminates closely related client proteins. Among the main PAQosome clients are C/D snoRNPs and in particular their core protein NOP58. Using NOP58 mutants and proteomic experiments, we identify different assembly intermediates and show that C12ORF45, which we rename NOPCHAP1, acts as a bridge between NOP58 and PAQosome. NOPCHAP1 makes direct physical interactions with the CC-NOP domain of NOP58 and domain II of RUVBL1/2 AAA+ ATPases. Interestingly, NOPCHAP1 interaction with RUVBL1/2 is disrupted upon ATP binding. Moreover, while it robustly binds both yeast and human NOP58, it makes little interactions with NOP56 and PRPF31, two other closely related CC-NOP proteins. Expression of NOP58, but not NOP56 or PRPF31, is decreased in NOPCHAP1 KO cells. We propose that NOPCHAP1 is a client-loading PAQosome cofactor that selects NOP58 to promote box C/D snoRNP assembly.

Functional Genomics Identify a Regulatory Risk Variation rs4420550 in the 16p11.2 Schizophrenia-Associated Locus

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reported hundreds of genomic loci associated with schizophrenia, yet identifying the functional risk variations is a key step in elucidating the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

We applied multiple bioinformatics and molecular approaches, including expression quantitative trait loci analyses, epigenome signature identification, luciferase reporter assay, chromatin conformation capture, homology-directed genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9), RNA sequencing, and ATAC-Seq (assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing).

RESULTS

We found that the schizophrenia GWAS risk variations at 16p11.2 were significantly associated with messenger RNA levels of multiple genes in human brain, and one of the leading expression quantitative trait loci genes, MAPK3, is located ∼200 kb away from these risk variations in the genome. Further analyses based on the epigenome marks in human brain and cell lines suggested that a noncoding single nucleotide polymorphism, rs4420550 (p = 2.36 × 10^-9 in schizophrenia GWAS), was within a DNA enhancer region, which was validated via in vitro luciferase reporter assays. The chromatin conformation capture experiment showed that the rs4420550 region physically interacted with the MAPK3 promoter and TAOK2 promoter. Precise CRISPR/Cas9 editing of a single base pair in cells followed by RNA sequencing further confirmed the regulatory effects of rs4420550 on the transcription of 16p11.2 genes, and ATAC-Seq demonstrated that rs4420550 affected chromatin accessibility at the 16p11.2 region. The rs4420550-[A/A] cells showed significantly higher proliferation rates compared with rs4420550-[G/G] cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These results together suggest that rs4420550 is a functional risk variation, and this study illustrates an example of comprehensive functional characterization of schizophrenia GWAS risk loci.

Spanning the gap: unraveling RSC dynamics in vivo

Multiple reports over the past 2 years have provided the first complete structural analyses for the essential yeast chromatin remodeler, RSC, providing elaborate molecular details for its engagement with the nucleosome. However, there still remain gaps in resolution, particularly within the many RSC subunits that harbor histone binding domains.

Solving contacts at these interfaces is crucial because they are regulated by posttranslational modifications that control remodeler binding modes and function. Modifications are dynamic in nature often corresponding to transcriptional activation states and cell cycle stage, highlighting not only a need for enriched spatial resolution but also temporal understanding of remodeler engagement with the nucleosome. Our recent work sheds light on some of those gaps by exploring the binding interface between the RSC catalytic motor protein, Sth1, and the nucleosome, in the living nucleus. Using genetically encoded photo-activatable amino acids incorporated into histones of living yeast we are able to monitor the nucleosomal binding of RSC, emphasizing the regulatory roles of histone modifications in a spatiotemporal manner. We observe that RSC prefers to bind H2B SUMOylated nucleosomes in vivo and interacts with neighboring nucleosomes via H3K14ac. Additionally, we establish that RSC is constitutively bound to the nucleosome and is not ejected during mitotic chromatin compaction but alters its binding mode as it progresses through the cell cycle. Our data offer a renewed perspective on RSC mechanics under true physiological conditions.

Structural basis for the multi-activity factor Rad5 in replication stress tolerance

The yeast protein Rad5 and its orthologs in other eukaryotes promote replication stress tolerance and cell survival using their multiple activities, including ubiquitin ligase, replication fork remodeling and DNA lesion targeting activities. Here, we present the crystal structure of a nearly full-length Rad5 protein. The structure shows three distinct, but well-connected, domains required for Rad5’s activities. The spatial arrangement of these domains suggest that different domains can have autonomous activities but also undergo intrinsic coordination. Moreover, our structural, biochemical and cellular studies demonstrate that Rad5’s HIRAN domain mediates interactions with the DNA metabolism maestro factor PCNA and contributes to its poly-ubiquitination, binds to DNA and contributes to the Rad5-catalyzed replication fork regression, defining a new type of HIRAN domains with multiple activities. Our work provides a framework to understand how Rad5 integrates its various activities in replication stress tolerance.

Rad5 is a hub connecting three replication stress tolerance pathways. Here, the authors present the 3.3 Å crystal structure of a N-terminal truncated K.lactis Rad5 construct that reveals the spatial arrangement of the HIRAN, Snf2 and RING domains and structure-guided in vitro and in vivo experiments reveal multiple activities of the yeast Rad5 HIRAN domain among them a role in binding PCNA and supporting its ubiquitination.

Biophysics of Chromatin Remodeling

As primary carriers of epigenetic information and gatekeepers of genomic DNA, nucleosomes are essential for proper growth and development of all eukaryotic cells. Although they are intrinsically dynamic, nucleosomes are actively reorganized by ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers. Chromatin remodelers contain helicase-like ATPase motor domains that can translocate along DNA, and a long-standing question in the field is how this activity is used to reposition or slide nucleosomes. In addition to ratcheting along DNA like their helicase ancestors, remodeler ATPases appear to dictate specific alternating geometries of the DNA duplex, providing an unexpected means for moving DNA past the histone core. Emerging evidence supports twist-based mechanisms for ATP-driven repositioning of nucleosomes along DNA. In this review, we discuss core experimental findings and ideas that have shaped the view of how nucleosome sliding may be achieved.

Structural basis of nucleosome dynamics modulation by histone variants H2A.B and H2A.Z.2.2

Nucleosomes are dynamic entities with wide-ranging compositional variations. Human histone variants H2A.B and H2A.Z.2.2 play critical roles in multiple biological processes by forming unstable nucleosomes and open chromatin structures, but how H2A.B and H2A.Z.2.2 confer these dynamic features to nucleosomes remains unclear. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of nucleosome core particles containing human H2A.B (H2A.B-NCP) at atomic resolution, identifying large-scale structural rearrangements in the histone octamer in H2A.B-NCP. H2A.B-NCP compacts approximately 103 bp of DNA wrapping around the core histones in approximately 1.2 left-handed superhelical turns, in sharp contrast to canonical nucleosome encompassing approximately 1.7 turns of DNA. Micrococcal nuclease digestion assay reveals that nineteen H2A.B-specific residues, including a ROF ("regulating-octamer-folding") sequence of six consecutive residues, are responsible for loosening of H2A.B-NCPs. Unlike H2A.B-NCP, the H2A.Z.2.2-containing nucleosome (Z.2.2-NCP) adopts a less-extended structure and compacts around 125 bp of DNA. Further investigation uncovers a crucial role for the H2A.Z.2.2-specific ROF in both H2A.Z.2.2-NCP opening and SWR1-dependent histone replacement. Taken together, these first high-resolution structure of unstable nucleosomes induced by histone H2A variants elucidate specific functions of H2A.B and H2A.Z.2.2 in enhancing chromatin dynamics.

Mechanistic Insights into Regulation of the ALC1 Remodeler by the Nucleosome Acidic Patch

Upon DNA damage, the ALC1/CHD1L nucleosome remodeling enzyme (remodeler) is activated by binding to poly(ADP-ribose). How activated ALC1 recognizes the nucleosome, as well as how this recognition is coupled to remodeling, is unknown. Here, we show that remodeling by ALC1 requires a wild-type acidic patch on the entry side of the nucleosome. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of a nucleosome-ALC1 linker complex reveals a regulatory linker segment that binds to the acidic patch. Mutations within this interface alter the dynamics of ALC1 recruitment to DNA damage and impede the ATPase and remodeling activities of ALC1. Full activation requires acidic patch-linker segment interactions that tether the remodeler to the nucleosome and couple ATP hydrolysis to nucleosome mobilization. Upon DNA damage, such a requirement may be used to modulate ALC1 activity via changes in the nucleosome acidic patches.

NAP1-Related Protein 1 (NRP1) has multiple interaction modes for chaperoning histones H2A-H2B

Nucleosome Assembly Protein 1 (NAP1) family proteins are evolutionarily conserved histone chaperones that play important roles in diverse biological processes. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of Arabidopsis NAP1-Related Protein 1 (NRP1) complexed with H2A-H2B and uncovered a previously unknown interaction mechanism in histone chaperoning. Both in vitro binding and in vivo plant rescue assays proved that interaction mediated by the N-terminal α-helix (αN) domain is essential for NRP1 function. In addition, the C-terminal acidic domain (CTAD) of NRP1 binds to H2A-H2B through a conserved mode similar to other histone chaperones. We further extended previous knowledge of the NAP1-conserved earmuff domain by mapping the amino acids of NRP1 involved in association with H2A-H2B. Finally, we showed that H2A-H2B interactions mediated by αN, earmuff, and CTAD domains are all required for the effective chaperone activity of NRP1. Collectively, our results reveal multiple interaction modes of a NAP1 family histone chaperone and shed light on how histone chaperones shield H2A-H2B from nonspecific interaction with DNA.

The Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex Has an Asymmetric, Dynamic, and Modular Architecture

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is essential for metazoan development but has been refractory to biochemical analysis. We present an integrated analysis of the native mammalian NuRD complex, combining quantitative mass spectrometry, cross-linking, protein biochemistry, and electron microscopy to define the architecture of the complex. NuRD is built from a 2:2:4 (MTA, HDAC, and RBBP) deacetylase module and a 1:1:1 (MBD, GATAD2, and Chromodomain-Helicase-DNA-binding [CHD]) remodeling module, and the complex displays considerable structural dynamics. The enigmatic GATAD2 controls the asymmetry of the complex and directly recruits the CHD remodeler. The MTA-MBD interaction acts as a point of functional switching, with the transcriptional regulator PWWP2A competing with MBD for binding to the MTA-HDAC-RBBP subcomplex. Overall, our data address the long-running controversy over NuRD stoichiometry, provide imaging of the mammalian NuRD complex, and establish the biochemical mechanism by which PWWP2A can regulate NuRD composition.

Low et al. examine the architecture of the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase complex. They define its stoichiometry, use cross-linking mass spectrometry to define subunit locations, and use electron microscopy to reveal large-scale dynamics. They also demonstrate that PWWP2A competes with MBD3 to sequester the HDAC-MTA-RBBP module from NuRD.

Interplay between DNA replication stress, chromatin dynamics and DNA-damage response for the maintenance of genome stability

DNA replication stress is a major source of DNA damage, including double-stranded breaks that promote DNA damage response (DDR) signaling. Inefficient repair of such lesions can affect genome integrity. During DNA replication different factors act on chromatin remodeling in a coordinated way. While recent studies have highlighted individual molecular mechanisms of interaction, less is known about the orchestration of chromatin changes under replication stress. In this review we attempt to explore the complex relationship between DNA replication stress, DDR and genome integrity in mammalian cells, taking into account the role of chromatin disposition as an important modulator of DNA repair. Recent data on chromatin restoration and epigenetic re-establishment after DNA replication stress are reviewed.

A Structural Model of the Endogenous Human BAF Complex Informs Disease Mechanisms

Mammalian SWI/SNF complexes are ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes that regulate genomic architecture. Here, we present a structural model of the endogenously purified human canonical BAF complex bound to the nucleosome, generated using cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM), cross-linking mass spectrometry, and homology modeling. BAF complexes bilaterally engage the nucleosome H2A/H2B acidic patch regions through the SMARCB1 C-terminal α-helix and the SMARCA4/2 C-terminal SnAc/post-SnAc regions, with disease-associated mutations in either causing attenuated chromatin remodeling activities. Further, we define changes in BAF complex architecture upon nucleosome engagement and compare the structural model of endogenous BAF to those of related SWI/SNF-family complexes. Finally, we assign and experimentally interrogate cancer-associated hot-spot mutations localizing within the endogenous human BAF complex, identifying those that disrupt BAF subunit-subunit and subunit-nucleosome interfaces in the nucleosome-bound conformation. Taken together, this integrative structural approach provides important biophysical foundations for understanding the mechanisms of BAF complex function in normal and disease states.

RUVBL1-RUVBL2 AAA-ATPase: a versatile scaffold for multiple complexes and functions

RUVBL1 and RUVBL2 are two highly conserved AAA+ ATPases that form a hetero-hexameric complex that participates in a wide range of unrelated cellular processes, including chromatin remodeling, Fanconi Anemia (FA), nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), and assembly and maturation of several large macromolecular complexes such as RNA polymerases, the box C/D small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein (snoRNP) and mTOR complexes. How the RUVBL1-RUVBL2 complex works in such a variety of processes, sometimes antagonistic, has been obscure for a long time. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies have started to reveal how RUVBL1-RUVBL2 forms a scaffold for complex protein-protein interactions and how the structure and ATPase activity of RUVBL1-RUVBL2 can be affected and regulated by the interaction with clients.

The Mechanism of Chromatin Remodeler SMARCAD1/Fun30 in Response to DNA Damage

DNA packs into highly condensed chromatin to organize the genome in eukaryotes but occludes many regulatory DNA elements. Access to DNA within nucleosomes is therefore required for a variety of biological processes in cells including transcription, replication, and DNA repair. To cope with this problem, cells employ a set of specialized ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling protein complexes to enable dynamic access to packaged DNA. In the present review, we summarize the recent advances in the functional and mechanistic studies on a particular chromatin remodeler SMARCAD1^Fun30 which has been demonstrated to play a key role in distinct cellular processes and gained much attention in recent years. Focus is given to how SMARCAD1^Fun30 regulates various cellular processes through its chromatin remodeling activity, and especially the regulatory role of SMARCAD1^Fun30 in gene expression control, maintenance and establishment of heterochromatin, and DNA damage repair. Moreover, we review the studies on the molecular mechanism of SMARCAD1^Fun30 that promotes the DNA end-resection on double-strand break ends, including the mechanisms of recruitment, activity regulation and chromatin remodeling.

Mythical origins of the actin cytoskeleton

The origin of the eukaryotic cell is one of the greatest mysteries in modern biology. Eukaryotic-wide specific biological processes arose in the lost ancestors of eukaryotes. These distinctive features, such as the actin cytoskeleton, define what it is to be a eukaryote. Recent sequencing, characterization, and isolation of Asgard archaea have opened an intriguing window into the pre-eukaryotic cell. Firstly, sequencing of anaerobic sediments identified a group of uncultured organisms, Asgard archaea, which contain genes with homology to eukaryotic signature genes. Secondly, characterization of the products of these genes at the protein level demonstrated that Asgard archaea have related biological processes to eukaryotes. Finally, the isolation of an Asgard archaeon has produced a model organism in which the morphological consequences of the eukaryotic-like processes can be studied. Here, we consider the consequences for the Asgard actin cytoskeleton and for the evolution of a regulated actin system in the archaea-to-eukaryotic transition.

Recent Advances in Liver Cancer Stem Cells: Non-coding RNAs, Oncogenes and Oncoproteins

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity, relapse, metastasis and mortality rates. Although liver surgical resection, transplantation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some molecular targeted therapeutics may prolong the survival of HCC patients to a certain degree, the curative effect is still poor, primarily because of tumor recurrence and the drug resistance of HCC cells. Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), also known as liver tumor-initiating cells, represent one small subset of cancer cells that are responsible for disease recurrence, drug resistance and death. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanism of LCSCs in HCC is of vital importance. Thus, new studies that present gene regulation strategies to control LCSC differentiation and replication are under development. In this review, we provide an update on the latest advances in experimental studies on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), oncogenes and oncoproteins. All the articles addressed the crosstalk between different ncRNAs, oncogenes and oncoproteins, as well as their upstream and downstream products targeting LCSCs. In this review, we summarize three pathways, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, and interleukin 6/Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (IL6/JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway, and their targeting gene, c-Myc. Furthermore, we conclude that octamer 4 (OCT4) and Nanog are two important functional genes that play a pivotal role in LCSC regulation and HCC prognosis.

Comprehensive nucleosome interactome screen establishes fundamental principles of nucleosome binding

Nuclear proteins bind chromatin to execute and regulate genome-templated processes. While studies of individual nucleosome interactions have suggested that an acidic patch on the nucleosome disk may be a common site for recruitment to chromatin, the pervasiveness of acidic patch binding and whether other nucleosome binding hot-spots exist remain unclear. Here, we use nucleosome affinity proteomics with a library of nucleosomes that disrupts all exposed histone surfaces to comprehensively assess how proteins recognize nucleosomes. We find that the acidic patch and two adjacent surfaces are the primary hot-spots for nucleosome disk interactions, whereas nearly half of the nucleosome disk participates only minimally in protein binding. Our screen defines nucleosome surface requirements of nearly 300 nucleosome interacting proteins implicated in diverse nuclear processes including transcription, DNA damage repair, cell cycle regulation and nuclear architecture. Building from our screen, we demonstrate that the Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome directly engages the acidic patch, and we elucidate a redundant mechanism of acidic patch binding by nuclear pore protein ELYS. Overall, our interactome screen illuminates a highly competitive nucleosome binding hub and establishes universal principles of nucleosome recognition.

Linc-MYH configures INO80 to regulate muscle stem cell numbers and skeletal muscle hypertrophy

Chromatin remodeling complexes have functions in transcriptional regulation and chromosome maintenance, but it is mostly unknown how the function of these normally ubiquitous complexes is specified in the cellular context. Here, we describe that the evolutionary conserved long non‐coding RNA linc‐MYH regulates the composition of the INO80 chromatin remodeler complex in muscle stem cells and prevents interaction with WDR5 and the transcription factor YY1. Linc‐MYH acts as a selective molecular switch in trans that governs the pro‐proliferative function of the ubiquitous INO80 complex but does not affect its role in maintaining genomic stability. The molecular switch is essential for restricting generation of quiescent MuSCs and proliferation of myoblasts in homeostasis and regeneration. Since linc‐MYH is expressed in proliferating myoblasts but not in quiescent MuSCs, we reason that the extent of myoblast proliferation has decisive effects on the size of the quiescent MuSC pool.

Nucleosomes Meet Their Remodeler Match

Over 85% of all genomic DNA in eukaryotes is organized in arrays of nucleosomes, the basic organizational principle of chromatin. The tight interaction of DNA with histones represents a significant barrier for all DNA-dependent machineries. This is in part overcome by enzymes, termed ATP-dependent remodelers, that are recruited to nucleosomes at defined locations and modulate their structure. There are several different classes of remodelers, and all use specific nucleosome features to bind to and alter nucleosomes. This review highlights and summarizes areas of interactions with the nucleosome that allow remodeling to occur.

The nucleosome DNA entry-exit site is important for transcription termination and prevention of pervasive transcription

Compared to other stages in the RNA polymerase II transcription cycle, the role of chromatin in transcription termination is poorly understood. We performed a genetic screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify histone mutants that exhibit transcriptional readthrough of terminators. Amino acid substitutions identified by the screen map to the nucleosome DNA entry-exit site. The strongest H3 mutants revealed widespread genomic changes, including increased sense-strand transcription upstream and downstream of genes, increased antisense transcription overlapping gene bodies, and reduced nucleosome occupancy particularly at the 3' ends of genes. Replacement of the native sequence downstream of a gene with a sequence that increases nucleosome occupancy in vivo reduced readthrough transcription and suppressed the effect of a DNA entry-exit site substitution. Our results suggest that nucleosomes can facilitate termination by serving as a barrier to transcription and highlight the importance of the DNA entry-exit site in broadly maintaining the integrity of the transcriptome.

Chromatin remodelling comes into focus

ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling enzymes are molecular machines that act to reconfigure the structure of nucleosomes. Until recently, little was known about the structure of these enzymes. Recent progress has revealed that their interaction with chromatin is dominated by ATPase domains that contact DNA at favoured locations on the nucleosome surface. Contacts with histones are limited but play important roles in modulating activity. The ATPase domains do not act in isolation but are flanked by diverse accessory domains and subunits. New structures indicate how these subunits are arranged in multi-subunit complexes providing a framework from which to understand how a common motor is applied to distinct functions.

Megadalton chromatin remodelers: common principles for versatile functions

ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers are enigmatic macromolecular machines that govern the arrangement and composition of nucleosomes across eukaryotic genomes. Here, we review the recent breakthrough provided by cryo-electron microscopy that reveal the first high-resolution insights into all four families of remodelers. We highlight the emerging structural and mechanistic principles with a particular focus on multi-subunit SWI/SNF and INO80/SWR1 complexes. A conserved architecture comprising a motor, rotor, stator and grip suggests a unifying mechanism for how stepwise DNA translocation enables large scale reconfigurations of nucleosomes. A molecular circuitry involving the nuclear actin containing module establishes a framework for understanding allosteric regulation. Remodelers emerge as programable hubs that enable differential processing of genetic and epigenetic information in response to the physiological state of a cell.

Nucleosome movement analysis based on second-order information entropy and density functional theory

Dynamics of +1 and -1 nucleosomes near TSS of yeast chromosome 2 were analyzed by using second-order information entropy and density functional theory method. Second-order information entropy can measure the interaction intensity between nucleosome sequences and nucleosome histones based on the intensity of base association. In addition, density functional theory method can be used to obtain the global interaction intensity between nucleosome sequences and nucleosome histones based on energy state size and active or non-active state of binucleoside pairs. Our results showed asymmetry of interaction intensity on both sides of the nucleosome central site, and that +1 nucleosomes tend to move toward the 5'-end and -1 nucleosomes tend to move toward the 3'-end. Under the dynamic balance of nucleosome movement, in roder to shut down gene transcription, +1 and -1 nucleosomes will cover TSS. If the dynamic balance is destroyed, +1 and -1 nucleosomes stay away from each other to expose TSS to restart gene transcription. The movement trend of +1 and -1 nucleosomes coincides with the biological mechanism of gene transcription and non-transcription, and the nucleosome sequences contain the dynamic information of nucleosome movement, which provides effective technical support for the study of gene transcription regulation mechanism.

Structure and functional interactions of INO80 actin/Arp module

The presence and functions of nuclear actin have been controversial due to the lack of molecular mechanisms. Nuclear actin and actin-related proteins (Arps) are subunits of several chromatin remodelers, including the evolutionarily conserved INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex. Here, we present an improved cryo-EM structure of the yeast INO80 complex and the first 3D reconstruction of the INO80 actin/Arp module. The modular and subunit architecture is defined using a combination of subunit deletion analysis and published crosslinking-mass spectrometry. The functional interactions of the INO80 actin/Arp module with a nucleosome is 3D EM reconstructed in two different binding states. Nucleosomes initially bind to the Arp8 subunit and the substantial conformational changes maximize nucleosome contacts of the actin/Arp module, which could promote the bound nucleosome to be engaged onto the INO80 ATPase domain. Our findings suggest that the conserved nuclear actin/Arp module acts a conformational switch of the INO80 for nucleosome binding.

Restraining and unleashing chromatin remodelers - structural information guides chromatin plasticity

Chromatin remodeling enzymes are large molecular machines that guard the genome by reorganizing chromatin structure. They can reposition, space and evict nucleosomes and thus control gene expression, DNA replication and repair. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analyses have captured snapshots of various chromatin remodelers as they interact with nucleosomes. In this review, we summarize and discuss the advances made in our understanding of the regulation of chromatin remodelers, the mode of DNA translocation, as well as the influence of associated protein domains and remodeler subunits on the specific functions of chromatin remodeling complexes. The emerging structural information will help our understanding of disease mechanisms and guide our knowledge toward innovative therapeutic interventions.

RETRACTED: Long noncoding RNA LCTS5 inhibits non-small cell lung cancer by interacting with INO80

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. The journal was alerted to an associated PubPeer post reporting that a migration assay image represented in Figure 2E appeared to have been previously published in another article, as detailed here: https://pubpeer.com/publications/EB45D50E3D52ABE00BDD60C2BD3057. The journal performed independent image analysis and confirmed this suspected image duplication. As per journal policy, authors were contacted and asked to provide an explanation to these concerns and associated raw data, but the authors failed to respond. The Editor-in-Chief assessed the case and decided to retract the article.

Transient Kinetic Analysis of SWR1C-Catalyzed H2A.Z Deposition Unravels the Impact of Nucleosome Dynamics and the Asymmetry of Histone Exchange

The SWR1C chromatin remodeling enzyme catalyzes ATP-dependent replacement of nucleosomal H2A with the H2A.Z variant, regulating key DNA-mediated processes such as transcription and DNA repair. Here, we investigate the transient kinetic mechanism of the histone exchange reaction, employing ensemble FRET, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), and the steady-state kinetics of ATP hydrolysis. Our studies indicate that SWR1C modulates nucleosome dynamics on both the millisecond and microsecond timescales, poising the nucleosome for the dimer exchange reaction. The transient kinetic analysis of the remodeling reaction performed under single turnover conditions unraveled a striking asymmetry in the ATP-dependent replacement of nucleosomal dimers, promoted by localized DNA unwrapping. Taken together, our transient kinetic studies identify intermediates and provide crucial insights into the SWR1C-catalyzed dimer exchange reaction and shed light on how the mechanics of H2A.Z deposition might contribute to transcriptional regulation in vivo.

The SWR1C remodeling enzyme catalyzes ATP-dependent replacement of nucleosomal H2A with the H2A.Z variant at promoter-proximal nucleosomes. Singh et al. investigate the transient kinetic mechanism of this histone exchange reaction and show that SWR1C transiently unwraps nucleosomal DNA, promoting a concerted dimer eviction and replacement reaction.

Sorafenib as an Inhibitor of RUVBL2

RUVBL1 and RUVBL2 are highly conserved ATPases that belong to the AAA+ (ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities) superfamily and are involved in various complexes and cellular processes, several of which are closely linked to oncogenesis. The proteins were implicated in DNA damage signaling and repair, chromatin remodeling, telomerase activity, and in modulating the transcriptional activities of proto-oncogenes such as c-Myc and β-catenin. Moreover, both proteins were found to be overexpressed in several different types of cancers such as breast, lung, kidney, bladder, and leukemia. Given their various roles and strong involvement in carcinogenesis, the RUVBL proteins are considered to be novel targets for the discovery and development of therapeutic cancer drugs. Here, we describe the identification of sorafenib as a novel inhibitor of the ATPase activity of human RUVBL2. Enzyme kinetics and surface plasmon resonance experiments revealed that sorafenib is a weak, mixed non-competitive inhibitor of the protein’s ATPase activity. Size exclusion chromatography and small angle X-ray scattering data indicated that the interaction of sorafenib with RUVBL2 does not cause a significant effect on the solution conformation of the protein; however, the data suggested that the effect of sorafenib on RUVBL2 activity is mediated by the insertion domain in the protein. Sorafenib also inhibited the ATPase activity of the RUVBL1/2 complex. Hence, we propose that sorafenib could be further optimized to be a potent inhibitor of the RUVBL proteins.

INO80 and SWR1 complexes: the non-identical twins of chromatin remodelling

The INO80 family of chromatin remodellers are multisubunit complexes that perform a variety of tasks on nucleosomes. Family members are built around a heterohexamer of RuvB-like protein, an ATP-dependent DNA translocase,nuclear actin and actin-related proteins, and a few complex-specific subunits. They modify chromatin in a number of ways including nucleosome sliding and exchange of variant histones. Recent structural information on INO80 and SWR1 complexes has revealed similarities in the basic architecture of the complexes. However, structural and biochemical data on the complexes bound to nucleosomes reveal these similarities to be somewhat superficial and their biochemical activities and mechanisms are very different. Consequently, the INO80 family displays a surprising diversity of function that is based upon a similar structural framework.

Modeling of a 14 kDa RUVBL2-Binding Domain with Medium Resolution Cryo-EM Density

The number of high-resolution structures of protein complexes obtained using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is increasing rapidly. Cryo-EM maps of large macromolecular complexes frequently contain regions resolved at different resolution levels, and modeling atomic structures de novo can be difficult for domains determined at worse than 5 Å in the absence of atomic information from other structures. Here we describe the details and step-by-step decisions in the strategy we followed to model the RUVBL2-binding domain (RBD), a 14 kDa domain at the C-terminus of RNA Polymerase II associated protein 3 (RPAP3) for which atomic information was not available. Modeling was performed on a cryo-EM map at 4.0-5.5 Å resolution, integrating information from secondary structure predictions, homology modeling, restraints from cross-linked mass spectrometry, and molecular dynamics (MD) in AMBER. Here, we compare our model with the structure of RBD determined by NMR to evaluate our strategy. We also perform new MD simulations to describe important residues mediating the interaction of RBD with RUVBL2 and analyze their conservation in RBD homologous domains. Our approach and its evaluation can serve as an example to address the analysis of medium resolution regions in cryo-EM maps.

Structure of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeller RSC bound to a nucleosome

Chromatin remodelling complexes of the SWI/SNF family function in the formation of nucleosome-depleted, transcriptionally active promoter regions (NDRs)^1,2. The essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae SWI/SNF complex RSC³ contains 16 subunits, including the ATP-dependent DNA translocase Sth1^4,5. RSC removes nucleosomes from promoter regions^6,7 and positions the specialized +1 and –1 nucleosomes that flank NDRs^8,9. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of RSC in complex with a nucleosome substrate. The structure reveals that RSC forms five protein modules and suggests key features of the remodelling mechanism. The body module serves as a scaffold for the four flexible modules that we call DNA-interacting, ATPase, arm and ARP modules. The DNA-interacting module binds extra-nucleosomal DNA and is involved in the recognition of promoter DNA elements^8,10,11 that influence RSC functionality¹². The ATPase and arm modules sandwich the nucleosome disc with their ‘SnAC’ and ‘finger’ elements, respectively. The translocase motor of the ATPase module engages with the edge of the nucleosome at superhelical location +2. The mobile ARP module may modulate translocase-nucleosome interactions to regulate RSC activity⁵. The RSC-nucleosome structure provides a basis for understanding NDR formation and the structure and function of human SWI/SNF complexes that are frequently mutated in cancer¹³.

Cryo-EM structure of SWI/SNF complex bound to a nucleosome

The chromatin-remodelling complex SWI/SNF is highly conserved and has critical roles in various cellular processes, including transcription and DNA-damage repair^1,2. It hydrolyses ATP to remodel chromatin structure by sliding and evicting histone octamers^3-8, creating DNA regions that become accessible to other essential factors. However, our mechanistic understanding of the remodelling activity is hindered by the lack of a high-resolution structure of complexes from this family. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SWI/SNF bound to a nucleosome, at near-atomic resolution. In the structure, the actin-related protein (Arp) module is sandwiched between the ATPase and the rest of the complex, with the Snf2 helicase-SANT associated (HSA) domain connecting all modules. The body contains an assembly scaffold composed of conserved subunits Snf12 (also known as SMARCD or BAF60), Snf5 (also known as SMARCB1, BAF47 or INI1) and an asymmetric dimer of Swi3 (also known as SMARCC, BAF155 or BAF170). Another conserved subunit, Swi1 (also known as ARID1 or BAF250), resides in the core of SWI/SNF, acting as a molecular hub. We also observed interactions between Snf5 and the histones at the acidic patch, which could serve as an anchor during active DNA translocation. Our structure enables us to map and rationalize a subset of cancer-related mutations in the human SWI/SNF complex and to propose a model for how SWI/SNF recognizes and remodels the +1 nucleosome to generate nucleosome-depleted regions during gene activation⁹.

Structure of nucleosome-bound human BAF complex

Mammalian SWI/SNF family chromatin remodelers, BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) and polybromo-associated BAF (PBAF), regulate chromatin structure and transcription, and their mutations are linked to cancers. The 3.7-angstrom-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of human BAF bound to the nucleosome reveals that the nucleosome is sandwiched by the base and the adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) modules, which are bridged by the actin-related protein (ARP) module. The ATPase motor is positioned proximal to nucleosomal DNA and, upon ATP hydrolysis, engages with and pumps DNA along the nucleosome. The C-terminal α helix of SMARCB1, enriched in positively charged residues frequently mutated in cancers, mediates interactions with an acidic patch of the nucleosome. AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A) and the SWI/SNF complex subunit SMARCC serve as a structural core and scaffold in the base module organization, respectively. Our study provides structural insights into subunit organization and nucleosome recognition of human BAF complex.

Nucleosomes as allosteric scaffolds for genetic regulation

Nucleosomes are stable yet highly dynamic complexes exhibiting diverse types of motions, such as sliding, DNA unwrapping, and disassembly, encoding a landscape with a large number of metastable states. In this review, describing recent studies on these nucleosome structure changes, we propose that the nucleosome can be viewed as an ideal allosteric scaffold: regulated by effector molecules such as transcription factors and chromatin remodelers, the nucleosome controls the downstream gene activity. Binding of transcription factors to the nucleosome can enhance DNA unwrapping or slide the DNA, altering either the binding or the unbinding of other transcription factors to nearby sites. ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers induce a series of DNA deformations, which allosterically propagate throughout the nucleosome to induce DNA sliding or histone exchange.

Structure of the primed state of the ATPase domain of chromatin remodeling factor ISWI bound to the nucleosome

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors of SWI/SNF2 family including ISWI, SNF2, CHD1 and INO80 subfamilies share a conserved but functionally non-interchangeable ATPase domain. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the nucleosome bound to an ISWI fragment with deletion of the AutoN and HSS regions in nucleotide-free conditions and the free nucleosome at ∼ 4 Å resolution. In the bound conformation, the ATPase domain interacts with the super helical location 2 (SHL 2) of the nucleosomal DNA, with the N-terminal tail of H4 and with the α1 helix of H3. Density for other regions of ISWI is not observed, presumably due to disorder. Comparison with the structure of the free nucleosome reveals that although the histone core remains largely unchanged, remodeler binding causes perturbations in the nucleosomal DNA resulting in a bulge near the SHL2 site. Overall, the structure of the nucleotide-free ISWI-nucleosome complex is similar to the corresponding regions of the recently reported ADP bound ISWI-nucleosome structures, which are significantly different from that observed for the ADP-BeFx bound structure. Our findings are relevant to the initial step of ISWI binding to the nucleosome and provide additional insights into the nucleosome remodeling process driven by ISWI.

Structure of H3K36-methylated nucleosome-PWWP complex reveals multivalent cross-gyre binding

Recognition of histone-modified nucleosomes by specific reader domains underlies the regulation of chromatin-associated processes. Whereas structural studies revealed how reader domains bind modified histone peptides, it is unclear how reader domains interact with modified nucleosomes. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the PWWP reader domain of human transcriptional coactivator LEDGF in complex with a H3K36-methylated nucleosome at 3.2 Å resolution. The structure reveals multivalent binding of the reader domain to the methylated histone tail and to both gyres of nucleosomal DNA, explaining the known cooperative interactions. The observed cross-gyre binding may contribute to nucleosome integrity during transcription. The structure also explains how human PWWP domain-containing proteins are recruited to H3K36-methylated regions of the genome for transcription, histone acetylation and methylation, and for DNA methylation and repair.

Induction of Rhodobacter capsulatus Gene Transfer Agent Gene Expression Is a Bistable Stochastic Process Repressed by an Extracellular Calcium-Binding RTX Protein Homologue

Bacteriophage-like gene transfer agents (GTAs) have been discovered in both of the prokaryotic branches of the three-domain phylogenetic tree of life. The production of a GTA (RcGTA) by the phototrophic alphaproteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus is regulated by quorum sensing and a phosphorelay homologous to systems in other species that control essential functions such as the initiation of chromosome replication and cell division. In wild-type strains, RcGTA is produced in <3% of cells in laboratory cultures. Mutants of R. capsulatus that exhibit greatly elevated production of RcGTA were created decades ago by chemical mutagenesis, but the nature and molecular consequences of the mutation were unknown. We show that the number of cells in a population that go on to express RcGTA genes is controlled by a stochastic process, in contrast to a genetic process. We used transposon mutagenesis along with a fluorescent protein reporter system and genome sequence data to identify a gene, rcc00280, that encodes an RTX family calcium-binding protein homologue. The Rc280 protein acts as an extracellular repressor of RcGTA gene expression by decreasing the percentage of cells that induce the production of RcGTA.IMPORTANCE GTAs catalyze horizontal gene transfer (HGT), which is important for genomic evolution because the majority of genes found in bacterial genomes have undergone HGT at some point in their evolution. Therefore, it is important to determine how the production of GTAs is regulated to understand the factors that modulate the frequency of gene transfer and thereby specify the tempo of evolution. This work describes a new type of genetic regulation in which an extracellular calcium-binding protein homologue represses the induction of the Rhodobacter capsulatus GTA, RcGTA.

Different mechanisms for translocation by monomeric and hexameric helicases

Helicases are ATP-dependent motor proteins that translocate along single-stranded or double-stranded nucleic acids to alter base-pairing structures or molecular interactions. Helicases can be divided to monomeric and hexameric types, each with distinct ternary structures, nucleic acid-binding modes, and translocation mechanisms. It is well established that monomeric helicases translocate by the inchworm mechanism. Recent structures of different superfamilies of hexameric helicases reveal that they use a hand-over hand mechanism for translocation. Structures of bacteriophage T7 replisome illustrate how helicase and polymerase cooperatively catalyze DNA unwinding. In this review, we survey structures of monomeric and hexameric helicases and compare different mechanisms for translocation.

The Emerging Roles of ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Complexes in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with low survival rates. Genetic and epigenetic dysregulation has been associated with the initiation and progression of pancreatic tumors. Multiple studies have pointed to the involvement of aberrant chromatin modifications in driving tumor behavior. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes regulate chromatin structure and have critical roles in stem cell maintenance, development, and cancer. Frequent mutations and chromosomal aberrations in the genes associated with subunits of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes have been detected in different cancer types. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the genomic alterations and mechanistic studies of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in pancreatic cancer. Our review is focused on the four main subfamilies: SWItch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF), imitation SWI (ISWI), chromodomain-helicase DNA-binding protein (CHD), and INOsitol-requiring mutant 80 (INO80). Finally, we discuss potential novel treatment options that use small molecules to target these complexes.

The MultiBac system: a perspective

Baculovirus expression is a time-tested technique to produce proteins in insect cells, in high quality and quantity for a range of applications. MultiBac is a baculovirus expression system we developed originally for producing multiprotein complexes comprising many subunits, for structural and mechanistic studies. First introduced in 2004, MultiBac is now in use in many laboratories worldwide, accelerating research programmes in academia and industry. We have continuously optimized our MultiBac system, providing customized reagents and standard operating protocols to facilitate its use also by non-specialists. More recently, we have generated MultiBac genomes tailored for specific purposes, for example, to produce humanized glycoproteins, high-value pharmaceutical targets including kinases, viral polymerases, and virus-like particles (VLPs) as promising vaccine candidates. By altering the host tropism of the baculovirion, we created MultiBacMam, a heterologous DNA delivery toolkit to target mammalian cells, tissues and organisms. Introducing CRISPR/Cas modalities, we set the stage for large-scale genomic engineering applications utilizing this high-capacity DNA delivery tool. Exploiting synthetic biology approaches and bottom-up design, we engage in optimizing the properties of our baculoviral genome, also to improve manufacturing at scale. Here we provide a perspective of our MultiBac system and its developments, past, present and future.

Genetic Control of Expression and Splicing in Developing Human Brain Informs Disease Mechanisms

Tissue-specific regulatory regions harbor substantial genetic risk for disease. Because brain development is a critical epoch for neuropsychiatric disease susceptibility, we characterized the genetic control of the transcriptome in 201 mid-gestational human brains, identifying 7,962 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and 4,635 spliceQTL (sQTL), including several thousand prenatal-specific regulatory regions. We show that significant genetic liability for neuropsychiatric disease lies within prenatal eQTL and sQTL. Integration of eQTL and sQTL with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) via transcriptome-wide association identified dozens of novel candidate risk genes, highlighting shared and stage-specific mechanisms in schizophrenia (SCZ). Gene network analysis revealed that SCZ and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affect distinct developmental gene co-expression modules. Yet, in each disorder, common and rare genetic variation converges within modules, which in ASD implicates superficial cortical neurons. More broadly, these data, available as a web browser and our analyses, demonstrate the genetic mechanisms by which developmental events have a widespread influence on adult anatomical and behavioral phenotypes.

A Unifying Mechanism of DNA Translocation Underlying Chromatin Remodeling

Chromatin remodelers alter the position and composition of nucleosomes, and play key roles in the regulation of chromatin structure and various chromatin-based transactions. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) studies have shed mechanistic light on the fundamental question of how the remodeling enzymes couple with ATP hydrolysis to slide nucleosomes. Structures of the chromatin remodeler Snf2 bound to the nucleosome reveal the conformational cycle of the enzyme and the induced DNA distortion. Investigations on ISWI, Chd1, and INO80 support a unifying fundamental mechanism of DNA translocation. Finally, studies of the SWR1 complex suggest that the enzyme distorts the DNA abnormally to achieve histone exchange without net DNA translocation.

Ubiquitin-proteasomal regulation of chromatin remodeler INO80 in the nucleus accumbens mediates persistent cocaine craving

Neuroadaptations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) underlie cue-induced cocaine craving that intensifies ("incubates") during abstinence and is believed to contribute to persistent relapse vulnerability. Changes in gene expression often govern perpetual behavioral abnormalities, but epigenetic plasticity during prolonged abstinence from drug exposure is poorly understood. We examined how E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM3 dysregulates chromatin remodeler INO80 to mediate cocaine craving during prolonged abstinence. We found that INO80 expression increased in the NAc on abstinence day 30 (AD30) but not on AD1 following cocaine self-administration. Furthermore, TRIM3, which mediates degradation of INO80, was reduced on AD30, along with TRIM3-INO80 interaction. Viral-mediated gene transfer of INO80 or TRIM3 governed cocaine craving during prolonged abstinence. Lastly, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by massively parallel DNA sequencing identified INO80-mediated transcriptional regulation of predicted pathways associated with cocaine plasticity. Together, these results demonstrate a novel ubiquitin-proteasomal-epigenetic mechanism by which TRIM3-INO80 mediates cocaine craving during prolonged abstinence.

Retroviral integration into nucleosomes through DNA looping and sliding along the histone octamer

Retroviral integrase can efficiently utilise nucleosomes for insertion of the reverse-transcribed viral DNA. In face of the structural constraints imposed by the nucleosomal structure, integrase gains access to the scissile phosphodiester bonds by lifting DNA off the histone octamer at the site of integration. To clarify the mechanism of DNA looping by integrase, we determined a 3.9 Å resolution structure of the prototype foamy virus intasome engaged with a nucleosome core particle. The structural data along with complementary single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer measurements reveal twisting and sliding of the nucleosomal DNA arm proximal to the integration site. Sliding the nucleosomal DNA by approximately two base pairs along the histone octamer accommodates the necessary DNA lifting from the histone H2A-H2B subunits to allow engagement with the intasome. Thus, retroviral integration into nucleosomes involves the looping-and-sliding mechanism for nucleosomal DNA repositioning, bearing unexpected similarities to chromatin remodelers.

Retroviral integrases catalyze the insertion of viral DNA into the host cell DNA and can use nucleosomes as substrates for integration. Here the authors present the 3.9 Å cryo-EM structure of prototype foamy virus integrase after strand transfer into nucleosomal DNA, which together with single-molecule FRET measurements provides evidence for a DNA looping and sliding mechanism of integrases.