101
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van de Werken HJG, Haan JC, Feodorova Y, Bijos D, Weuts A, Theunis K, Holwerda SJB, Meuleman W, Pagie L, Thanisch K, Kumar P, Leonhardt H, Marynen P, van Steensel B, Voet T, de Laat W, Solovei I, Joffe B. Small chromosomal regions position themselves autonomously according to their chromatin class. Genome Res 2017; 27:922-933. [PMID: 28341771 PMCID: PMC5453326 DOI: 10.1101/gr.213751.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The spatial arrangement of chromatin is linked to the regulation of nuclear processes. One striking aspect of nuclear organization is the spatial segregation of heterochromatic and euchromatic domains. The mechanisms of this chromatin segregation are still poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the link between the primary genomic sequence and chromatin domains. We analyzed the spatial intranuclear arrangement of a human artificial chromosome (HAC) in a xenospecific mouse background in comparison to an orthologous region of native mouse chromosome. The two orthologous regions include segments that can be assigned to three major chromatin classes according to their gene abundance and repeat repertoire: (1) gene-rich and SINE-rich euchromatin; (2) gene-poor and LINE/LTR-rich heterochromatin; and (3) gene-depleted and satellite DNA-containing constitutive heterochromatin. We show, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 4C-seq technologies, that chromatin segments ranging from 0.6 to 3 Mb cluster with segments of the same chromatin class. As a consequence, the chromatin segments acquire corresponding positions in the nucleus irrespective of their chromosomal context, thereby strongly suggesting that this is their autonomous property. Interactions with the nuclear lamina, although largely retained in the HAC, reveal less autonomy. Taken together, our results suggest that building of a functional nucleus is largely a self-organizing process based on mutual recognition of chromosome segments belonging to the major chromatin classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harmen J G van de Werken
- Cancer Computational Biology Center, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute & Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Hubrecht Institute-KNAW & University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Josien C Haan
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Yana Feodorova
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dominika Bijos
- Division of Gene Regulation, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - An Weuts
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Koen Theunis
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Sjoerd J B Holwerda
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW & University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Meuleman
- Division of Gene Regulation, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ludo Pagie
- Division of Gene Regulation, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katharina Thanisch
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Parveen Kumar
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Heinrich Leonhardt
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Peter Marynen
- Human Genome Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Bas van Steensel
- Division of Gene Regulation, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thierry Voet
- Laboratory of Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Wouter de Laat
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW & University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Irina Solovei
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Boris Joffe
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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102
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Smrek J, Kremer K. Small Activity Differences Drive Phase Separation in Active-Passive Polymer Mixtures. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 118:098002. [PMID: 28306285 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.098002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent theoretical studies found that mixtures of active and passive colloidal particles phase separate but only at very high activity ratio. The high value poses serious obstacles for experimental exploration of this phenomenon. Here we show using simulations that when the active and passive particles are polymers, the critical activity ratio decreases with the polymer length. This not only facilitates the experiments but also has implications on the DNA organization in living cell nuclei. Entropy production can be used as an accurate indicator of this nonequilibrium phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Smrek
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kurt Kremer
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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103
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Cell Type-Specific Epigenomic Analysis Reveals a Uniquely Closed Chromatin Architecture in Mouse Rod Photoreceptors. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43184. [PMID: 28256534 PMCID: PMC5335693 DOI: 10.1038/srep43184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rod photoreceptors are specialized neurons that mediate vision in dim light and are the predominant photoreceptor type in nocturnal mammals. The rods of nocturnal mammals are unique among vertebrate cell types in having an ‘inverted’ nuclear architecture, with a dense mass of heterochromatin in the center of the nucleus rather than dispersed clumps at the periphery. To test if this unique nuclear architecture is correlated with a unique epigenomic landscape, we performed ATAC-seq on mouse rods and their most closely related cell type, cone photoreceptors. We find that thousands of loci are selectively closed in rods relative to cones as well as >60 additional cell types. Furthermore, we find that the open chromatin profile of photoreceptors lacking the rod master regulator Nrl is nearly indistinguishable from that of native cones, indicating that Nrl is required for selective chromatin closure in rods. Finally, we identified distinct enrichments of transcription factor binding sites in rods and cones, revealing key differences in the cis-regulatory grammar of these cell types. Taken together, these data provide insight into the development and maintenance of photoreceptor identity, and highlight rods as an attractive system for studying the relationship between nuclear organization and local changes in gene regulation.
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104
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Lewis ZA. Polycomb Group Systems in Fungi: New Models for Understanding Polycomb Repressive Complex 2. Trends Genet 2017; 33:220-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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105
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Thanisch K, Song C, Engelkamp D, Koch J, Wang A, Hallberg E, Foisner R, Leonhardt H, Stewart CL, Joffe B, Solovei I. Nuclear envelope localization of LEMD2 is developmentally dynamic and lamin A/C dependent yet insufficient for heterochromatin tethering. Differentiation 2017; 94:58-70. [PMID: 28056360 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral heterochromatin in mammalian nuclei is tethered to the nuclear envelope by at least two mechanisms here referred to as the A- and B-tethers. The A-tether includes lamins A/C and additional unknown components presumably INM protein(s) interacting with both lamins A/C and chromatin. The B-tether includes the inner nuclear membrane (INM) protein Lamin B-receptor, which binds B-type lamins and chromatin. Generally, at least one of the tethers is always present in the nuclear envelope of mammalian cells. Deletion of both causes the loss of peripheral heterochromatin and consequently inversion of the entire nuclear architecture, with this occurring naturally in rod photoreceptors of nocturnal mammals. The tethers are differentially utilized during development, regulate gene expression in opposite manners, and play an important role during cell differentiation. Here we aimed to identify the unknown chromatin binding component(s) of the A-tether. We analyzed 10 mouse tissues by immunostaining with antibodies against 7 INM proteins and found that every cell type has specific, although differentially and developmentally regulated, sets of these proteins. In particular, we found that INM protein LEMD2 is concomitantly expressed with A-type lamins in various cell types but is lacking in inverted nuclei of rod cells. Truncation or deletion of Lmna resulted in the downregulation and mislocalization of LEMD2, suggesting that the two proteins interact and pointing at LEMD2 as a potential chromatin binding mediator of the A-tether. Using nuclei of mouse rods as an experimental model lacking peripheral heterochromatin, we expressed a LEMD2 transgene alone or in combination with lamin C in these cells and observed no restoration of peripheral heterochromatin in either case. We conclude that in contrary to the B-tether, the A-tether has a more intricate composition and consists of multiple components that presumably vary, at differing degrees of redundancy, between cell types and differentiation stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Thanisch
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Congdi Song
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dieter Engelkamp
- Transgenic Service Facility, BTE, Franz-Penzoldt-Centre, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erwin-Rommel-Str.3, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jeannette Koch
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Audrey Wang
- Institute of Medical Biology, 8A Biomedical Grove and Dept of Biological Sciences, NUS, 138648, Singapore
| | - Einar Hallberg
- Department of Neurochemistry, Stockholm University, Se-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roland Foisner
- Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinrich Leonhardt
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Colin L Stewart
- Institute of Medical Biology, 8A Biomedical Grove and Dept of Biological Sciences, NUS, 138648, Singapore.
| | - Boris Joffe
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Irina Solovei
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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106
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Sewitz SA, Fahmi Z, Lipkow K. Higher order assembly: folding the chromosome. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2017; 42:162-168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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107
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Jabbari K, Bernardi G. An Isochore Framework Underlies Chromatin Architecture. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168023. [PMID: 28060840 PMCID: PMC5218411 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent investigation showed the existence of correlations between the architectural features of mammalian interphase chromosomes and the compositional properties of isochores. This result prompted us to compare maps of the Topologically Associating Domains (TADs) and of the Lamina Associated Domains (LADs) with the corresponding isochore maps of mouse and human chromosomes. This approach revealed that: 1) TADs and LADs correspond to isochores, i.e., isochores are the genomic units that underlie chromatin domains; 2) the conservation of TADs and LADs in mammalian genomes is explained by the evolutionary conservation of isochores; 3) chromatin domains corresponding to GC-poor isochores (e.g., LADs) show not only self-interactions but also intrachromosomal interactions with other domains also corresponding to GC-poor isochores even if located far away; in contrast, chromatin domains corresponding to GC-rich isochores (e.g., TADs) show more localized chromosomal interactions, many of which are inter-chromosomal. In conclusion, this investigation establishes a link between DNA sequences and chromatin architecture, explains the evolutionary conservation of TADs and LADs and provides new information on the spatial distribution of GC-poor/gene-poor and GC-rich/gene-rich chromosomal regions in the interphase nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamel Jabbari
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 9B, Köln, Germany
| | - Giorgio Bernardi
- Science Department, Roma Tre University, Viale Marconi, Rome, Italy, and Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
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108
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Cohen-Fix O, Askjaer P. Cell Biology of the Caenorhabditis elegans Nucleus. Genetics 2017; 205:25-59. [PMID: 28049702 PMCID: PMC5216270 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.197160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on the Caenorhabditis elegans nucleus have provided fascinating insight to the organization and activities of eukaryotic cells. Being the organelle that holds the genetic blueprint of the cell, the nucleus is critical for basically every aspect of cell biology. The stereotypical development of C. elegans from a one cell-stage embryo to a fertile hermaphrodite with 959 somatic nuclei has allowed the identification of mutants with specific alterations in gene expression programs, nuclear morphology, or nuclear positioning. Moreover, the early C. elegans embryo is an excellent model to dissect the mitotic processes of nuclear disassembly and reformation with high spatiotemporal resolution. We review here several features of the C. elegans nucleus, including its composition, structure, and dynamics. We also discuss the spatial organization of chromatin and regulation of gene expression and how this depends on tight control of nucleocytoplasmic transport. Finally, the extensive connections of the nucleus with the cytoskeleton and their implications during development are described. Most processes of the C. elegans nucleus are evolutionarily conserved, highlighting the relevance of this powerful and versatile model organism to human biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orna Cohen-Fix
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Peter Askjaer
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucia/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
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109
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Li WC, Huang CH, Chen CL, Chuang YC, Tung SY, Wang TF. Trichoderma reesei complete genome sequence, repeat-induced point mutation, and partitioning of CAZyme gene clusters. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:170. [PMID: 28690679 PMCID: PMC5496416 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0825-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trichoderma reesei (Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina) QM6a is a model fungus for a broad spectrum of physiological phenomena, including plant cell wall degradation, industrial production of enzymes, light responses, conidiation, sexual development, polyketide biosynthesis, and plant-fungal interactions. The genomes of QM6a and its high enzyme-producing mutants have been sequenced by second-generation-sequencing methods and are publicly available from the Joint Genome Institute. While these genome sequences have offered useful information for genomic and transcriptomic studies, their limitations and especially their short read lengths make them poorly suited for some particular biological problems, including assembly, genome-wide determination of chromosome architecture, and genetic modification or engineering. RESULTS We integrated Pacific Biosciences and Illumina sequencing platforms for the highest-quality genome assembly yet achieved, revealing seven telomere-to-telomere chromosomes (34,922,528 bp; 10877 genes) with 1630 newly predicted genes and >1.5 Mb of new sequences. Most new sequences are located on AT-rich blocks, including 7 centromeres, 14 subtelomeres, and 2329 interspersed AT-rich blocks. The seven QM6a centromeres separately consist of 24 conserved repeats and 37 putative centromere-encoded genes. These findings open up a new perspective for future centromere and chromosome architecture studies. Next, we demonstrate that sexual crossing readily induced cytosine-to-thymine point mutations on both tandem and unlinked duplicated sequences. We also show by bioinformatic analysis that T. reesei has evolved a robust repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) system to accumulate AT-rich sequences, with longer AT-rich blocks having more RIP mutations. The widespread distribution of AT-rich blocks correlates genome-wide partitions with gene clusters, explaining why clustering of genes has been reported to not influence gene expression in T. reesei. CONCLUSION Compartmentation of ancestral gene clusters by AT-rich blocks might promote flexibilities that are evolutionarily advantageous in this fungus' soil habitats and other natural environments. Our analyses, together with the complete genome sequence, provide a better blueprint for biotechnological and industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chen Li
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
- Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hao Huang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
- Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112 Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ling Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chien Chuang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
| | - Shu-Yun Tung
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
| | - Ting-Fang Wang
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115 Taiwan
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110
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Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Heterochromatin. Biomolecules 2016; 6:biom6040047. [PMID: 27999260 PMCID: PMC5197957 DOI: 10.3390/biom6040047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most damaging lesions in DNA, since, if not identified and repaired, they can lead to insertions, deletions or chromosomal rearrangements. DSBs can be in the form of simple or complex breaks, and may be repaired by one of a number of processes, the nature of which depends on the complexity of the break or the position of the break within the chromatin. In eukaryotic cells, nuclear DNA is maintained as either euchromatin (EC) which is loosely packed, or in a denser form, much of which is heterochromatin (HC). Due to the less accessible nature of the DNA in HC as compared to that in EC, repair of damage in HC is not as straightforward as repair in EC. Here we review the literature on how cells deal with DSBs in HC.
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111
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Meaburn KJ. Spatial Genome Organization and Its Emerging Role as a Potential Diagnosis Tool. Front Genet 2016; 7:134. [PMID: 27507988 PMCID: PMC4961005 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2016.00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells the genome is highly spatially organized. Functional relevance of higher order genome organization is implied by the fact that specific genes, and even whole chromosomes, alter spatial position in concert with functional changes within the nucleus, for example with modifications to chromatin or transcription. The exact molecular pathways that regulate spatial genome organization and the full implication to the cell of such an organization remain to be determined. However, there is a growing realization that the spatial organization of the genome can be used as a marker of disease. While global genome organization patterns remain largely conserved in disease, some genes and chromosomes occupy distinct nuclear positions in diseased cells compared to their normal counterparts, with the patterns of reorganization differing between diseases. Importantly, mapping the spatial positioning patterns of specific genomic loci can distinguish cancerous tissue from benign with high accuracy. Genome positioning is an attractive novel biomarker since additional quantitative biomarkers are urgently required in many cancer types. Current diagnostic techniques are often subjective and generally lack the ability to identify aggressive cancer from indolent, which can lead to over- or under-treatment of patients. Proof-of-principle for the use of genome positioning as a diagnostic tool has been provided based on small scale retrospective studies. Future large-scale studies are required to assess the feasibility of bringing spatial genome organization-based diagnostics to the clinical setting and to determine if the positioning patterns of specific loci can be useful biomarkers for cancer prognosis. Since spatial reorganization of the genome has been identified in multiple human diseases, it is likely that spatial genome positioning patterns as a diagnostic biomarker may be applied to many diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Meaburn
- Cell Biology of Genomes Group, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD, USA
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112
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Gonzalez-Sandoval A, Gasser SM. On TADs and LADs: Spatial Control Over Gene Expression. Trends Genet 2016; 32:485-495. [PMID: 27312344 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The combinatorial action of transcription factors drives cell-type-specific gene expression patterns. However, transcription factor binding and gene regulation occur in the context of chromatin, which modulates DNA accessibility. High-resolution chromatin interaction maps have defined units of chromatin that are in spatial proximity, called topologically associated domains (TADs). TADs can be further classified based on expression activity, replication timing, or the histone marks or non-histone proteins associated with them. Independently, other chromatin domains have been defined by their likelihood to interact with non-DNA structures, such as the nuclear lamina. Lamina-associated domains (LADs) correlate with low gene expression and late replication timing. TADs and LADs have recently been evaluated with respect to cell-type-specific gene expression. The results shed light on the relevance of these forms of chromatin organization for transcriptional regulation, and address specifically how chromatin sequestration influences cell fate decisions during organismal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Gonzalez-Sandoval
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Susan M Gasser
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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