Dynamics and function of compact nucleosome arrays

ISWI catalyzes nucleosome sliding in condensed nucleosome arrays

How chromatin enzymes work in condensed chromatin and how they maintain diffusional mobility inside remains unexplored. Here we investigated these challenges using the Drosophila ISWI remodeling ATPase, which slides nucleosomes along DNA. Folding of chromatin fibers did not affect sliding in vitro. Catalytic rates were also comparable in- and outside of chromatin condensates. ISWI cross-links and thereby stiffens condensates, except when ATP hydrolysis is possible. Active hydrolysis is also required for ISWI's mobility in condensates. Energy from ATP hydrolysis therefore fuels ISWI's diffusion through chromatin and prevents ISWI from cross-linking chromatin. Molecular dynamics simulations of a 'monkey-bar' model in which ISWI grabs onto neighboring nucleosomes, then withdraws from one before rebinding another in an ATP hydrolysis-dependent manner, qualitatively agree with our data. We speculate that monkey-bar mechanisms could be shared with other chromatin factors and that changes in chromatin dynamics caused by mutations in remodelers could contribute to pathologies.

Nanoscale Structure, Interactions, and Dynamics of Centromere Nucleosomes

Centromeres are specific segments of chromosomes comprising two types of nucleosomes: canonical nucleosomes containing an octamer of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histones and CENP-A nucleosomes in which H3 is replaced with its analogue CENP-A. This modification leads to a difference in DNA wrapping (∼121 bp), considerably less than 147 bp in canonical nucleosomes. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high-speed AFM (HS-AFM) to characterize nanoscale features and dynamics for both types of nucleosomes. For both nucleosomes, spontaneous asymmetric unwrapping of DNA was observed, and this process occurs via a transient state with ∼100 bp DNA wrapped around the core, followed by a rapid dissociation of DNA. Additionally, HS-AFM revealed higher stability of CENP-A nucleosomes compared with H3 nucleosomes in which dissociation of the histone core occurs prior to the nucleosome dissociation. These results help elucidate the differences between these nucleosomes and the potential biological necessity for CENP-A nucleosomes.

The Interaction of NF-κB Transcription Factor with Centromeric Chromatin

Centromeric chromatin is a subset of chromatin structure and governs chromosome segregation. The centromere is composed of both CENP-A nucleosomes (CENP-Anuc) and H3 nucleosomes (H3nuc) and is enriched with alpha-satellite (α-sat) DNA repeats. These CENP-Anuc have a different structure than H3nuc, decreasing the base pairs (bp) of wrapped DNA from 147 bp for H3nuc to 121 bp for CENP-Anuc. All these factors can contribute to centromere function. We investigated the interaction of H3nuc and CENP-Anuc with NF-κB, a crucial transcription factor in regulating immune response and inflammation. We utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterize complexes of both types of nucleosomes with NF-κB. We found that NF-κB unravels H3nuc, removing more than 20 bp of DNA, and that NF-κB binds to the nucleosomal core. Similar results were obtained for the truncated variant of NF-κB comprised only of the Rel homology domain and missing the transcription activation domain (TAD), suggesting that RelATAD is not critical in unraveling H3nuc. By contrast, NF-κB did not bind to or unravel CENP-Anuc. These findings with different affinities for two types of nucleosomes to NF-κB may have implications for understanding the mechanisms of gene expression in bulk and centromere chromatin.

The Interaction of NF-κB Transcription Factor with Centromeric Chromatin

Centromeric chromatin is a subset of chromatin structure and governs chromosome segregation. The centromere is composed of both CENP-A nucleosomes (CENP-A nuc ) and H3 nucleosomes (H3 nuc ) and is enriched with alpha-satellite (α-sat) DNA repeats. These CENP-A nuc have a different structure than H3 nuc , decreasing the base pairs (bp) of wrapped DNA from 147 bp for H3 nuc to 121 bp for CENP-A nuc . All these factors can contribute to centromere function. We investigated the interaction of H3 nuc and CENP-A nuc with NF-κB, a crucial transcription factor in regulating immune response and inflammation. We utilized Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to characterize complexes of both types of nucleosomes with NF-κB. We found that NF-κB unravels H3 nuc , removing more than 20 bp of DNA, and that NF-κB binds to the nucleosomal core. Similar results were obtained for the truncated variant of NF-κB comprised only of the Rel Homology domain and missing the transcription activation domain (TAD), suggesting the RelA TAD is not critical in unraveling H3 nuc . By contrast, NF-κB did not bind to or unravel CENP- A nuc . These findings with different affinities for two types of nucleosomes to NF-κB may have implications for understanding the mechanisms of gene expression in bulk and centromere chromatin.

Detection of new pioneer transcription factors as cell-type-specific nucleosome binders

Wrapping of DNA into nucleosomes restricts accessibility to DNA and may affect the recognition of binding motifs by transcription factors. A certain class of transcription factors, the pioneer transcription factors, can specifically recognize their DNA binding sites on nucleosomes, initiate local chromatin opening, and facilitate the binding of co-factors in a cell-type-specific manner. For the majority of human pioneer transcription factors, the locations of their binding sites, mechanisms of binding, and regulation remain unknown. We have developed a computational method to predict the cell-type-specific ability of transcription factors to bind nucleosomes by integrating ChIP-seq, MNase-seq, and DNase-seq data with details of nucleosome structure. We have demonstrated the ability of our approach in discriminating pioneer from canonical transcription factors and predicted new potential pioneer transcription factors in H1, K562, HepG2, and HeLa-S3 cell lines. Last, we systematically analyzed the interaction modes between various pioneer transcription factors and detected several clusters of distinctive binding sites on nucleosomal DNA.

L.acidophilus participates in intestinal inflammation induced by PM2.5 through affecting the Treg/Th17 balance

Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) is associated with multiple organ damage, among which the influence of PM2.5 on the gastrointestinal system has been a recent focus of attention. In this study, four different types of PM2.5 exposure models are established to determine the occurrence of PM2.5 induced intestinal inflammation. In view of the abnormal expression of lymphocytes detected in the model and the well-known fact that the intestine is the largest immune organ, we focused on the intestinal immune system. A combined regulatory T cell (Treg) transplantation experiment demonstrated that PM2.5 induced intestinal inflammation by affecting the imbalance of regulatory T cell/T helper cell 17 (Treg/Th17). Since the intestine has the highest microbial content, and the results of the 16S rDNA third-generation sequencing analysis further revealed that the abundance of Lactobacillus_acidophilus (L.acidophilus) decreased significantly after PM2.5 exposure. The following mechanism study confirmed that L.acidophilus participated in an imbalance of Treg/Th17. Moreover, L.acidophilus supplementation successfully alleviated intestinal inflammation by regulated regulating the balance of Treg/Th17 under the background of PM2.5 exposure. Hence, this is a potential method to protect against intestinal inflammation induced by PM2.5.

ISWI catalyzes nucleosome sliding in condensed nucleosome arrays

How chromatin enzymes work in condensed chromatin and how they maintain diffusional mobility inside remains unexplored. We investigated these challenges using the Drosophila ISWI remodeling ATPase, which slides nucleosomes along DNA. Folding of chromatin fibers did not affect sliding in vitro. Catalytic rates were also comparable in- and outside of chromatin condensates. ISWI cross-links and thereby stiffens condensates, except when ATP hydrolysis is possible. Active hydrolysis is also required for ISWI's mobility in condensates. Energy from ATP hydrolysis therefore fuels ISWI's diffusion through chromatin and prevents ISWI from cross-linking chromatin. Molecular dynamics simulations of a 'monkey-bar' model in which ISWI grabs onto neighboring nucleosomes, then withdraws from one before rebinding another in an ATP hydrolysis-dependent manner qualitatively agree with our data. We speculate that 'monkey-bar' mechanisms could be shared with other chromatin factors and that changes in chromatin dynamics caused by mutations in remodelers could contribute to pathologies.

Nucleosome Array Deformation in Chromatin is Sustained by Bending, Twisting and Kinking of Linker DNA

Chromatin in the nucleus undergoes mechanical stresses from different sources during the various stages of cell life. Here a trinucleosome array is used as the minimal model to study the mechanical response to applied stress at the molecular level. By using large-scale, all-atom steered-molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the largest part of mechanical stress in compression is accommodated by the DNA linkers joining pairs of nucleosomes, which store the elastic energy accumulated by the applied force. Different mechanical instabilities (Euler bending, Brazier kinking, twist-bending) can deform the DNA canonical structure, as a function of the increasing force load. An important role of the histone tails in assisting the DNA deformation is highlighted. The overall response of the smallest chromatin fragment to compressive stress leaves the nucleosome assembly with a substantial plastic deformation and localised defects, which can have a potential impact on DNA transcription, downstream signaling pathways, the regulation of gene expression, and DNA repair.

The nucleosome unwrapping free energy landscape defines distinct regions of transcription factor accessibility and kinetics

Transcription factors (TF) require access to target sites within nucleosomes to initiate transcription. The target site position within the nucleosome significantly influences TF occupancy, but how is not quantitatively understood. Using ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence measurements, we investigated the targeting and occupancy of the transcription factor, Gal4, at different positions within the nucleosome. We observe a dramatic decrease in TF occupancy to sites extending past 30 base pairs (bp) into the nucleosome which cannot be explained by changes in the TF dissociation rate or binding site orientation. Instead, the nucleosome unwrapping free energy landscape is the primary determinant of Gal4 occupancy by reducing the Gal4 binding rate. The unwrapping free energy landscape defines two distinct regions of accessibility and kinetics with a boundary at 30 bp into the nucleosome where the inner region is over 100-fold less accessible. The Gal4 binding rate in the inner region no longer depends on its concentration because it is limited by the nucleosome unwrapping rate, while the frequency of nucleosome rewrapping decreases because Gal4 exchanges multiple times before the nucleosome rewraps. Our findings highlight the importance of the nucleosome unwrapping free energy landscape on TF occupancy and dynamics that ultimately influences transcription initiation.

Nucleosome dyad determines the H1 C-terminus collapse on distinct DNA arms

Nucleosomes are symmetric structures. However, binding of linker histones generates an inherently asymmetric H1-nucleosome complex, and whether this asymmetry is transmitted to the overall nucleosome structure, and therefore also to chromatin, is unclear. Efforts to investigate potential asymmetry due to H1s have been hampered by the DNA sequence, which naturally differs in each gyre. To overcome this issue, we designed and analyzed by cryo-EM a nucleosome reconstituted with a palindromic (601L) 197-bp DNA. As in the non-palindromic 601 sequence, H1 restricts linker DNA flexibility but reveals partial asymmetrical unwrapping. However, in contrast to the non-palindromic nucleosome, in the palindromic nucleosome H1 CTD collapses to the proximal linker. Molecular dynamics simulations show that this could be dictated by a slightly tilted orientation of the globular domain (GD) of H1, which could be linked to the DNA sequence of the nucleosome dyad.

Pioneer Factor Improves CRISPR-Based C-To-G and C-To-T Base Editing

Base editing events in eukaryote require a compatible chromatin environment, but there is little research on how chromatin factors contribute to the editing efficiency or window. By engineering BEs (base editors) fused with various pioneer factors, the authors found that SOX2 substantially increased the editing efficiency for GBE and CBE. While SoxN-GBE (SOX2-NH3-GBE) improved the editing efficiency at overall cytosines of the protospacer, SoxM-GBE/CBE (SOX2-Middle-GBE/CBE) enabled the higher base editing at PAM-proximal cytosines. By separating functional domains of SOX2, the SadN-GBE (SOX2 activation domain-NH3-GBE) is constructed for higher editing efficiency and SadM-CBE for broader editing window to date. With the DNase I assay, it is also proved the increased editing efficiency is most likely associated with the induction of chromatin accessibility by SAD. Finally, SadM-CBE is employed to introduce a stop codon in the proto-oncogene MYC, at a locus rarely edited by previous editors with high efficiency. In this work, a new class of pioneer-BEs is constructed by fusion of pioneer factor or its functional domains, which exhibits higher editing efficiency or broader editing window in eukaryote.

Chromatin fiber breaks into clutches under tension and crowding

The arrangement of nucleosomes inside chromatin is of extensive interest. While in vitro experiments have revealed the formation of 30 nm fibers, most in vivo studies have failed to confirm their presence in cell nuclei. To reconcile the diverging experimental findings, we characterized chromatin organization using a residue-level coarse-grained model. The computed force–extension curve matches well with measurements from single-molecule experiments. Notably, we found that a dodeca-nucleosome in the two-helix zigzag conformation breaks into structures with nucleosome clutches and a mix of trimers and tetramers under tension. Such unfolded configurations can also be stabilized through trans interactions with other chromatin chains. Our study suggests that unfolding from chromatin fibers could contribute to the irregularity of in vivo chromatin configurations. We further revealed that chromatin segments with fibril or clutch structures engaged in distinct binding modes and discussed the implications of these inter-chain interactions for a potential sol–gel phase transition.

Managing the Steady State Chromatin Landscape by Nucleosome Dynamics

Gene regulation arises out of dynamic competition between nucleosomes, transcription factors, and other chromatin proteins for the opportunity to bind genomic DNA. The timescales of nucleosome assembly and binding of factors to DNA determine the outcomes of this competition at any given locus. Here, we review how these properties of chromatin proteins and the interplay between the dynamics of different factors are critical for gene regulation. We discuss how molecular structures of large chromatin-associated complexes, kinetic measurements, and high resolution mapping of protein-DNA complexes in vivo set the boundary conditions for chromatin dynamics, leading to models of how the steady state behaviors of regulatory elements arise. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 91 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

A guide for single-particle chromatin tracking in live cell nuclei

The emergence of labeling strategies and live cell imaging methods enables the imaging of chromatin in living cells at single digit nanometer resolution as well as milliseconds temporal resolution. These technical breakthroughs revolutionize our understanding of chromatin structure, dynamics and functions. Single molecule tracking algorithms are usually preferred to quantify the movement of these intranucleus elements to interpret the spatiotemporal evolution of the chromatin. In this review, we will first summarize the fluorescent labeling strategy of chromatin in live cells which will be followed by a sys-tematic comparison of live cell imaging instrumentation. With the proper microscope, we will discuss the image analysis pipelines to extract the biophysical properties of the chromatin. Finally, we expect to give practical suggestions to broad biologists on how to select methods and link to the model properly according to different investigation pur-poses. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Biophysics is reshaping our perception of the epigenome: from DNA-level to high-throughput studies

Epigenetic research holds great promise to advance our understanding of biomarkers and regulatory processes in health and disease. An increasing number of new approaches, ranging from molecular to biophysical analyses, enable identifying epigenetic changes on the level of a single gene or the whole epigenome. The aim of this review is to highlight how the field is shifting from completely molecular-biology-driven solutions to multidisciplinary strategies including more reliance on biophysical analysis tools. Biophysics not only offers technical advancements in imaging or structure analysis but also helps to explore regulatory interactions. New computational methods are also being developed to meet the demand of growing data volumes and their processing. Therefore, it is important to capture these new directions in epigenetics from a biophysical perspective and discuss current challenges as well as multiple applications of biophysical methods and tools. Specifically, we gradually introduce different biophysical research methods by first considering the DNA-level information and eventually higher-order chromatin structures. Moreover, we aim to highlight that the incorporation of bioinformatics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence into biophysical analysis allows gaining new insights into complex epigenetic processes. The gained understanding has already proven useful in translational and clinical research providing better patient stratification options or new therapeutic insights. Together, this offers a better readiness to transform bench-top experiments into industrial high-throughput applications with a possibility to employ developed methods in clinical practice and diagnostics.

Pioneer factors in development and cancer

Transcription factors (TFs) are essential mediators of epigenetic regulation and modifiers of penetrance. Studies from the past decades have revealed a sub-class of TF that is capable of remodeling closed chromatin states through targeting nucleosomal motifs. This pioneer factor (PF) class of chromatin remodeler is ATP independent in its roles in epigenetic initiation, with nucleosome-motif recognition and association with repressive chromatin regions. Increasing evidence suggests that the fundamental properties of PFs can be coopted in human cancers. We explore the role of PFs in the larger context of tissue-specific epigenetic regulation. Moreover, we highlight an emerging class of chimeric PF derived from translocation partners in human disease and PFs associated with rare tumors. In the age of site-directed genome editing and targeted protein degradation, increasing our understanding of PFs will provide access to next-generation therapy for human disease driven from altered transcriptional circuitry.

Emerging Contributions of Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy to Chromatin Structural Biology

The eukaryotic genome is packaged into chromatin, a polymer of DNA and histone proteins that regulates gene expression and the spatial organization of nuclear content. The repetitive character of chromatin is diversified into rich layers of complexity that encompass DNA sequence, histone variants and post-translational modifications. Subtle molecular changes in these variables can often lead to global chromatin rearrangements that dictate entire gene programs with far reaching implications for development and disease. Decades of structural biology advances have revealed the complex relationship between chromatin structure, dynamics, interactions, and gene expression. Here, we focus on the emerging contributions of magic-angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MAS NMR), a relative newcomer on the chromatin structural biology stage. Unique among structural biology techniques, MAS NMR is ideally suited to provide atomic level information regarding both the rigid and dynamic components of this complex and heterogenous biological polymer. In this review, we highlight the advantages MAS NMR can offer to chromatin structural biologists, discuss sample preparation strategies for structural analysis, summarize recent MAS NMR studies of chromatin structure and dynamics, and close by discussing how MAS NMR can be combined with state-of-the-art chemical biology tools to reconstitute and dissect complex chromatin environments.

Chromatin Organization and Function in Drosophila

Eukaryotic genomes are packaged into high-order chromatin structures organized in discrete territories inside the cell nucleus, which is surrounded by the nuclear envelope acting as a barrier. This chromatin organization is complex and dynamic and, thus, determining the spatial and temporal distribution and folding of chromosomes within the nucleus is critical for understanding the role of chromatin topology in genome function. Primarily focusing on the regulation of gene expression, we review here how the genome of Drosophila melanogaster is organized into the cell nucleus, from small scale histone–DNA interactions to chromosome and lamina interactions in the nuclear space.

Solution structure(s) of trinucleosomes from contrast variation SAXS

Nucleosomes in all eukaryotic cells are organized into higher order structures that facilitate genome compaction. Visualizing these organized structures is an important step in understanding how genomic DNA is efficiently stored yet remains accessible to information-processing machinery. Arrays of linked nucleosomes serve as useful models for understanding how the properties of both DNA and protein partners affect their arrangement. A number of important questions are also associated with understanding how the spacings between nucleosomes are affected by the histone proteins, chromatin remodelers, or other chromatin-associated protein partners. Contrast variation small angle X-ray scattering (CVSAXS) reports the DNA conformation within protein-DNA complexes and here is applied to measure the conformation(s) of trinucleosomes in solution, with specific sensitivity to the distance between and relative orientation of linked nucleosomes. These data are interpreted in conjunction with DNA models that account for its sequence dependent mechanical properties, and Monte-Carlo techniques that generate realistic structures for comparison with measured scattering profiles. In solution, trinucleosomes segregate into two dominant populations, with the flanking nucleosomes stacked or nearly equilaterally separated, e.g. with roughly equal distance between all pairs of nucleosomes. These populations are consistent with previously observed magnesium-dependent structures of trinucleosomes with shorter linkers.

Tetranucleosome Interactions Drive Chromatin Folding

The multiscale organizational structure of chromatin in eukaryotic cells is instrumental to DNA transcription, replication, and repair. At mesoscopic length scales, nucleosomes pack in a manner that serves to regulate gene expression through condensation and expansion of the genome. The particular structures that arise and their respective thermodynamic stabilities, however, have yet to be fully resolved. In this study, we combine molecular modeling using the 1CPN mesoscale model of chromatin with nonlinear manifold learning to identify and characterize the structure and free energy of metastable states of short chromatin segments comprising between 4- and 16-nucleosomes. Our results reveal the formation of two previously characterized tetranucleosomal conformations, the "α-tetrahedron" and the "β-rhombus", which have been suggested to play an important role in the accessibility of DNA and, respectively, induce local chromatin compaction or elongation. The spontaneous formation of these motifs is potentially responsible for the slow nucleosome dynamics observed in experimental studies. Increases of the nucleosome repeat length are accompanied by more pronounced structural irregularity and flexibility and, ultimately, a dynamic liquid-like behavior that allows for frequent structural reorganization. Our findings indicate that tetranucleosome motifs are intrinsically stable structural states, driven by local internucleosomal interactions, and support a mechanistic picture of chromatin packing, dynamics, and accessibility that is strongly influenced by emergent local mesoscale structure.

Molecular Epigenetics: Chemical Biology Tools Come of Age

The field of epigenetics has exploded over the last two decades, revealing an astonishing level of complexity in the way genetic information is stored and accessed in eukaryotes. This expansion of knowledge, which is very much ongoing, has been made possible by the availability of evermore sensitive and precise molecular tools. This review focuses on the increasingly important role that chemistry plays in this burgeoning field. In an effort to make these contributions more accessible to the nonspecialist, we group available chemical approaches into those that allow the covalent structure of the protein and DNA components of chromatin to be manipulated, those that allow the activity of myriad factors that act on chromatin to be controlled, and those that allow the covalent structure and folding of chromatin to be characterized. The application of these tools is illustrated through a series of case studies that highlight how the molecular precision afforded by chemistry is being used to establish causal biochemical relationships at the heart of epigenetic regulation.

Reading the chromatinized genome

Eukaryotic DNA-binding proteins operate in the context of chromatin, where nucleosomes are the elementary building blocks. Nucleosomal DNA is wrapped around a histone core, thereby rendering a large fraction of the DNA surface inaccessible to DNA-binding proteins. Nevertheless, first responders in DNA repair and sequence-specific transcription factors bind DNA target sites obstructed by chromatin. While early studies examined protein binding to histone-free DNA, it is only now beginning to emerge how DNA sequences are interrogated on nucleosomes. These readout strategies range from the release of nucleosomal DNA from histones, to rotational/translation register shifts of the DNA motif, and nucleosome-specific DNA binding modes that differ from those observed on naked DNA. Since DNA motif engagement on nucleosomes strongly depends on position and orientation, we argue that motif location and nucleosome positioning co-determine protein access to DNA in transcription and DNA repair.

Reversible chromatin condensation by the DNA repair and demethylation factor thymine DNA glycosylase

Chromatin structures (and modulators thereof) play a central role in genome organization and function. Herein, we report that thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG), an essential enzyme involved in DNA repair and demethylation, has the capacity to alter chromatin structure directly through its physical interactions with DNA. Using chemically defined nucleosome arrays, we demonstrate that TDG induces decompaction of individual chromatin fibers upon binding and promotes self-association of nucleosome arrays into higher-order oligomeric structures (i.e. condensation). Chromatin condensation is mediated by TDG’s disordered polycationic N-terminal domain, whereas its C-terminal domain antagonizes this process. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TDG-mediated chromatin condensation is reversible by growth arrest and DNA damage 45 alpha (GADD45a), implying that TDG cooperates with its binding partners to dynamically control chromatin architecture. Finally, we show that chromatin condensation by TDG is sensitive to the methylation status of the underlying DNA. This new paradigm for TDG has specific implications for associated processes, such as DNA repair, DNA demethylation, and transcription, and general implications for the role of DNA modification ‘readers’ in controlling chromatin organization.

Observing protein interaction dynamics to chemically defined chromatin fibers by colocalization single-molecule fluorescence microscopy

In eukaryotic cells, the genome is packaged into chromatin and exists in different states, ranging from open euchromatic regions to highly condensed heterochromatic regions. Chromatin states are highly dynamic and are organized by an interplay of histone post-translational modifications and effector proteins, both of which are central in the regulation of gene expression. For this, chromatin effector proteins must first search the nucleus for their targets, before binding and performing their role. A key question is how chromatin effector proteins search, interact with and alter the different chromatin environments. Here we present a modular fluorescence based in vitro workflow to directly observe dynamic interactions of effector proteins with defined chromatin fibres, replicating different chromatin states. We discuss the design and creation of chromatin assemblies, the synthesis of modified histones, the fabrication of microchannels and the approach to data acquisition and analysis. All of this with the aim to better understand the complex in vivo relationship between chromatin structure and gene expression.

Chromatin condensation fluctuations rather than steady-state predict chromatin accessibility

Chromatin accessibility to protein factors is critical for genome activities. However, the dynamic properties of chromatin higher-order structures that regulate its accessibility are poorly understood. Here, we took advantage of the microenvironment sensitivity of the fluorescence lifetime of EGFP-H4 histone incorporated in chromatin to map in the nucleus of live cells the dynamics of chromatin condensation and its direct interaction with a tail acetylation recognition domain (the double bromodomain module of human TAF_II250, dBD). We reveal chromatin condensation fluctuations supported by mechanisms fundamentally distinct from that of condensation. Fluctuations are spontaneous, yet their amplitudes are affected by their sub-nuclear localization and by distinct and competing mechanisms dependent on histone acetylation, ATP and both. Moreover, we show that accessibility of acetylated histone H4 to dBD is not restricted by chromatin condensation nor predicted by acetylation, rather, it is predicted by chromatin condensation fluctuations.

Chromatin Fiber Invasion and Nucleosome Displacement by the Rap1 Transcription Factor

Pioneer transcription factors (pTFs) bind to target sites within compact chromatin, initiating chromatin remodeling and controlling the recruitment of downstream factors. The mechanisms by which pTFs overcome the chromatin barrier are not well understood. Here, we reveal, using single-molecule fluorescence, how the yeast transcription factor Rap1 invades and remodels chromatin. Using a reconstituted chromatin system replicating yeast promoter architecture, we demonstrate that Rap1 can bind nucleosomal DNA within a chromatin fiber but with shortened dwell times compared to naked DNA. Moreover, we show that Rap1 binding opens chromatin fiber structure by inhibiting inter-nucleosome contacts. Finally, we reveal that Rap1 collaborates with the chromatin remodeler RSC to displace promoter nucleosomes, paving the way for long-lived bound states on newly exposed DNA. Together, our results provide a mechanistic view of how Rap1 gains access and opens chromatin, thereby establishing an active promoter architecture and controlling gene expression.

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The yeast transcription factor Rap1 can invade compact chromatin

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Rap1 directly opens chromatin structure by preventing nucleosome stacking

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Stable Rap1 binding requires collaboration with RSC to shift promoter nucleosomes

Acetylation of the histone H3 tail domain regulates base excision repair on higher-order chromatin structures

Despite recent evidence suggesting that histone lysine acetylation contributes to base excision repair (BER) in cells, their exact mechanistic role remains unclear. In order to examine the influence of histone acetylation on the initial steps of BER, we assembled nucleosome arrays consisting of homogeneously acetylated histone H3 (H3K18 and H3K27) and measured the repair of a site-specifically positioned 2′-deoxyuridine (dU) residue by uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1). We find that H3K18ac and H3K27ac differentially influence the combined activities of UDG/APE1 on compact chromatin, suggesting that acetylated lysine residues on the H3 tail domain play distinct roles in regulating the initial steps of BER. In addition, we show that the effects of H3 tail domain acetylation on UDG/APE1 activity are at the nucleosome level and do not influence higher-order chromatin folding. Overall, these results establish a novel regulatory role for histone H3 acetylation during the initiation of BER on chromatin.

Chromatin Structure and the Pioneering Transcription Factor FOXA1 Regulate TDG-Mediated Removal of 5-Formylcytosine from DNA

Although a functional relationship between active DNA demethylation and chromatin structure is often implied, direct experimental evidence is lacking. We investigated the relationship between chromatin structure and thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) using chemically defined nucleosome arrays containing site-specifically positioned 5-formylcytosine (5fC) residues. We show that the extent of array compaction, as well as nucleosome positioning, dramatically influence the ability of TDG to excise 5fC from DNA, indicating that the chromatin structure is likely a key determinant of whether 5fC is removed from the genome or retained as an epigenetic mark. Furthermore, the H2A.Z/H3.3 double-variant nucleosome and the pioneering transcription factor forkhead box A1 (FOXA1), both of which are implicated in shaping the chromatin landscape during demethylation of tissue-specific enhancers, differentially regulate TDG activity on chromatin. Together, this work provides the first direct evidence that the higher order chromatin structure regulates active DNA demethylation through TDG and provides novel insights into the mechanism of 5fC turnover at enhancers.

Challenges for base excision repair enzymes: Acquiring access to damaged DNA in chromatin

Repair of damaged DNA plays a crucial role in maintaining genomic integrity and normal cell function. The base excision repair (BER) pathway is primarily responsible for removing modified nucleobases that would otherwise cause deleterious and mutagenic consequences and lead to disease. The BER process is initiated by a DNA glycosylase, which recognizes and excises the target nucleobase lesion, and is completed via downstream enzymes acting in a well-coordinated manner. A majority of our current understanding about how BER enzymes function comes from in vitro studies using free duplex DNA as a simplified model. In eukaryotes, however, BER is challenged by the packaging of genomic DNA into chromatin. The fundamental structural repeating unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which presents a more complex substrate context than free duplex DNA for repair. In this chapter, we discuss how BER enzymes, particularly glycosylases, engage in the context of packaged DNA with insights obtained from both in vivo and in vitro studies. Furthermore, we review factors and mechanisms that can modify chromatin architecture and/or influence DNA accessibility to BER machinery, such as the geometric location of the damage site, nucleosomal DNA unwrapping, histone post-translational modifications, histone variant incorporation, and chromatin remodeling.

Modulating chromatin accessibility by transactivation and targeting proximal dsgRNAs enhances Cas9 editing efficiency in vivo

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is unable to edit all targetable genomic sites with full efficiency in vivo. We show that Cas9-mediated editing is more efficient in open chromatin regions than in closed chromatin regions in rice. A construct (Cas9-TV) formed by fusing a synthetic transcription activation domain to Cas9 edits target sites more efficiently, even in closed chromatin regions. Moreover, combining Cas9-TV with a proximally binding dead sgRNA (dsgRNA) further improves editing efficiency up to several folds. The use of Cas9-TV/dsgRNA thus provides a novel strategy for obtaining efficient genome editing in vivo, especially at nuclease-refractory target sites.

Biophysics of Chromatin Dynamics

Nucleosomes and chromatin control eukaryotic genome accessibility and thereby regulate DNA processes, including transcription, replication, and repair. Conformational dynamics within the nucleosome and chromatin structure play a key role in this regulatory function. Structural fluctuations continuously expose internal DNA sequences and nucleosome surfaces, thereby providing transient access for the nuclear machinery. Progress in structural studies of nucleosomes and chromatin has provided detailed insight into local chromatin organization and has set the stage for recent in-depth investigations of the structural dynamics of nucleosomes and chromatin fibers. Here, we discuss the dynamic processes observed in chromatin over different length scales and timescales and review current knowledge about the biophysics of distinct structural transitions.

Chemical and biophysical methods to explore dynamic mechanisms of chromatin silencing

Chromatin, the nucleoprotein complex organizing the genome, is central in regulating gene expression and genome organization. Chromatin conformational dynamics, controlled by histone post-translational modifications (PTM) and effector proteins, play a key role in this regulatory function. Recent developments in chemical biology, cell biology, and biophysics sparked important new studies, which probe direct causal connections between histone PTMs, chromatin effector proteins that write or read these modifications, and the involved functional chromatin states. In particular, the mechanisms of heterochromatin silencing have been explored in great detail in recent years. These studies revealed the highly dynamic nature of this chromatin state, its conformational heterogeneity, and different mechanisms of its formation. Here, we review how chemical biology and biophysics shaped our current understanding of the dynamic processes observed in heterochromatin and discuss the emerging technologies to detect chromatin organization directly in the cellular environment.

Probing The Structure And Dynamics Of Nucleosomes Using Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging

Chromatin, which is a long chain of nucleosome subunits, is a dynamic system that allows for such critical processes as DNA replication and transcription to take place in eukaryotic cells. The dynamics of nucleosomes provides access to the DNA by replication and transcription machineries, and critically contributes to the molecular mechanisms underlying chromatin functions. Single-molecule studies such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging have contributed significantly to our current understanding of the role of nucleosome structure and dynamics. The current protocol describes the steps enabling high-resolution AFM imaging techniques to study the structural and dynamic properties of nucleosomes. The protocol is illustrated by AFM data obtained for the centromere nucleosomes in which H3 histone is replaced with its counterpart centromere protein A (CENP-A). The protocol starts with the assembly of mono-nucleosomes using a continuous dilution method. The preparation of the mica substrate functionalized with aminopropyl silatrane (APS-mica) that is used for the nucleosome imaging is critical for the AFM visualization of nucleosomes described and the procedure to prepare the substrate is provided. Nucleosomes deposited on the APS-mica surface are first imaged using static AFM, which captures a snapshot of the nucleosome population. From analyses of these images, such parameters as the size of DNA wrapped around the nucleosomes can be measured and this process is also detailed. The time-lapse AFM imaging procedure in the liquid is described for the high-speed time-lapse AFM that can capture several frames of nucleosome dynamics per second. Finally, the analysis of nucleosome dynamics enabling the quantitative characterization of the dynamic processes is described and illustrated.

Nucleosome structure and dynamics are coming of age

Since the first high-resolution structure of the nucleosome was reported in 1997, the available information on chromatin structure has increased very rapidly. Here, we review insights derived from cutting-edge biophysical and structural approaches applied to the study of nucleosome dynamics and nucleosome-binding factors, with a focus on the experimental advances driving the research. In addition, we highlight emerging challenges in nucleosome structural biology.

High precision FRET studies reveal reversible transitions in nucleosomes between microseconds and minutes

Nucleosomes play a dual role in compacting the genome and regulating the access to DNA. To unravel the underlying mechanism, we study fluorescently labeled mononucleosomes by multi-parameter FRET measurements and characterize their structural and dynamic heterogeneity upon NaCl-induced destabilization. Species-selective fluorescence lifetime analysis and dynamic photon distribution analysis reveal intermediates during nucleosome opening and lead to a coherent structural and kinetic model. In dynamic octasomes and hexasomes the interface between the H2A-H2B dimers and the (H3-H4)₂ tetramer opens asymmetrically by an angle of ≈20° on a 50 and 15 µs time scale, respectively. This is followed by a slower stepwise release of the dimers coupled with DNA unwrapping. A mutation (H2A-R81A) at the interface between H2A and H3 facilitates initial opening, confirming the central role of the dimer:tetramer interface for nucleosome stability. Partially opened states such as those described here might serve as convenient nucleation sites for DNA-recognizing proteins.

Jörg Langowski: his scientific legacy and the future it promises

Background

With the passing of Jörg Langowski 6 May 2017 in a sailplane accident, the scientific community was deprived of a strident and effective voice for DNA and chromatin molecular and computational biophysics, for open access publishing and for the creation of effective scientific research networks.

Methods

Here, after reviewing some of Jörg's key research contributions and ideas, we offer through the personal remembrance of his closest collaborators, a deep analysis of the major results of his research and the future directions they have engendered.

Conclusions

The legacy of Jörg Langowski has been to propel a way of viewing biological function that considers living systems as dynamic and in three dimensions. This physical view of biology that he pioneered is now, finally, becoming established also because of his great effort.

Plug-and-Play Approach for Preparing Chromatin Containing Site-Specific DNA Modifications: The Influence of Chromatin Structure on Base Excision Repair

The genomic DNA of eukaryotic cells exists in the form of chromatin, the structure of which controls the biochemical accessibility of the underlying DNA to effector proteins. In order to gain an in depth molecular understanding of how chromatin structure regulates DNA repair, detailed in vitro biochemical and biophysical studies are required. However, because of challenges associated with reconstituting nucleosome arrays containing site-specifically positioned DNA modifications, such studies have been limited to the use of mono- and dinucleosomes as model in vitro substrates, which are incapable of folding into native chromatin structures. To address this issue, we developed a straightforward and general approach for assembling chemically defined oligonucleosome arrays (i.e., designer chromatin) containing site-specifically modified DNA. Our method takes advantage of nicking endonucleases to excise short fragments of unmodified DNA, which are subsequently replaced with synthetic oligonucleotides containing the desired modification. Using this approach, we prepared several oligonucleosome substrates containing precisely positioned 2'-deoxyuridine (dU) residues and examined the efficiency of base excision repair (BER) within several distinct chromatin architectures. We show that, depending on the translational position of the lesion, the combined catalytic activities of uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) can be either inhibited by as much as 20-fold or accelerated by more than 5-fold within compact chromatin (i.e., the 30 nm fiber) relative to naked DNA. Moreover, we demonstrate that digestion of dU by UDG/APE1 proceeds much more rapidly in mononucleosomes than in compacted nucleosome arrays, thereby providing the first direct evidence that internucleosome interactions play an important role in regulating BER within higher-order chromatin structures. Overall, this work highlights the value of performing detailed biochemical studies on precisely modified chromatin substrates in vitro and provides a robust platform for investigating DNA modifications in chromatin biology.

Cryo-EM of nucleosome core particle interactions in trans

Nucleosomes, the basic unit of chromatin, are repetitively spaced along DNA and regulate genome expression and maintenance. The long linear chromatin molecule is extensively condensed to fit DNA inside the nucleus. How distant nucleosomes interact to build tertiary chromatin structure remains elusive. In this study, we used cryo-EM to structurally characterize different states of long range nucleosome core particle (NCP) interactions. Our structures show that NCP pairs can adopt multiple conformations, but, commonly, two NCPs are oriented with the histone octamers facing each other. In this conformation, the dyad of both nucleosome core particles is facing the same direction, however, the NCPs are laterally shifted and tilted. The histone octamer surface and histone tails in trans NCP pairs remain accessible to regulatory proteins. The overall conformational flexibility of the NCP pair suggests that chromatin tertiary structure is dynamic and allows access of various chromatin modifying machineries to nucleosomes.

A bi-terminal protein ligation strategy to probe chromatin structure during DNA damage

The cellular response to DNA damage results in a signaling cascade that primes chromatin for repair. Combinatorial post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an important role in this process by altering the physical properties of chromatin and recruiting downstream factors. One key signal integrator is the histone variant H2A.X, which is phosphorylated at a C-terminal serine (S139ph), and ubiquitylated within its N-terminal tail at lysines 13 and 15 (K13/15ub). How these PTMs directly impact chromatin structure and thereby facilitate DNA repair is not well understood. Detailed studies require synthetic access to such N- and C-terminally modified proteins. This is complicated by the requirement for protecting groups allowing multi-fragment assembly. Here, we report a semi-synthetic route to generate simultaneously N- and C-terminally modified proteins using genetically encoded orthogonal masking groups. Applied to H2A.X, expression of a central protein fragment, containing a protected N-terminal cysteine and a C-terminal thioester masked as a split intein, enables sequential C- and N-terminal protein modification and results in the convergent production of H2A.X carrying K15ub and S139ph. Using single-molecule FRET between defined nucleosomes in synthetic chromatin fibers, we then show that K15 ubiquitylation (but not S139ph) impairs nucleosome stacking in tetranucleosome units, opening chromatin during DNA repair.

Measurement of Mesoscale Conformational Dynamics of Freely Diffusing Molecules with Tracking FCS

Few techniques are suited to probe the structure and dynamics of molecular complexes at the mesoscale level (∼100-1000 nm). We have developed a single-molecule technique that uses tracking fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (tFCS) to probe the conformation and dynamics of mesoscale molecular assemblies. tFCS measures the distance fluctuations between two fluorescently labeled sites within an untethered, freely diffusing biomolecule. To achieve subdiffraction spatial resolution, we developed a feedback scheme that allows us to maintain the molecule at an optimal position within the laser intensity gradient for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. We characterized tFCS spatial sensitivity by measuring the Brownian end-to-end dynamics of DNA molecules as short as 1000 bp. We demonstrate that tFCS detects changes in the compaction of reconstituted nucleosome arrays and can assay transient protein-mediated interactions between distant sites in an individual DNA molecule. Our measurements highlight the applicability of tFCS to a wide variety of biochemical processes involving mesoscale conformational dynamics.

Single-molecule FRET reveals multiscale chromatin dynamics modulated by HP1α

The dynamic architecture of chromatin fibers, a key determinant of genome regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we employ multimodal single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer studies to reveal structural states and their interconversion kinetics in chromatin fibers. We show that nucleosomes engage in short-lived (micro- to milliseconds) stacking interactions with one of their neighbors. This results in discrete tetranucleosome units with distinct interaction registers that interconvert within hundreds of milliseconds. Additionally, we find that dynamic chromatin architecture is modulated by the multivalent architectural protein heterochromatin protein 1α (HP1α), which engages methylated histone tails and thereby transiently stabilizes stacked nucleosomes. This compacted state nevertheless remains dynamic, exhibiting fluctuations on the timescale of HP1α residence times. Overall, this study reveals that exposure of internal DNA sites and nucleosome surfaces in chromatin fibers is governed by an intrinsic dynamic hierarchy from micro- to milliseconds, allowing the gene regulation machinery to access compact chromatin.

Chromatin fibers undergo continuous structural rearrangements but their dynamic architecture is poorly understood. Here, the authors use single-molecule FRET to determine the structural states and interconversion kinetics of chromatin fibers, monitoring their effector protein-dependent dynamic motions.

H4 Tails Potentially Produce the Diversity in the Orientation of Two Nucleosomes

Histone tails play an important role in internucleosomal interaction and chromatin compaction. To understand how the H4 tails are involved in the internucleosomal interaction, an adaptively biased molecular dynamics simulation of 63 models of two stacked nucleosomes, each with the H4 tails in different locations, was carried out. This simulation generated a variety of orientations of the separated nucleosomes depending on the formation of the H4 tail bridge between the H4 tails and the DNA of the neighboring nucleosomes. For the models that showed distinctive orientations of the two nucleosomes, the free energies of the separation of the nucleosomes were further investigated using umbrella sampling simulations. The attractive force between the nucleosomes was estimated from the free energies; the force when two H4 tail bridges formed varied from 36 to 63 pN, depending on the formation of the H4 tail-bridge and the interfacial interaction, whereas the force reduced to 15-18 pN after either one of the H4 tail bridges had broken, regardless of the conformation of the H4 tail. Additional simulations of the nucleosomes show that when the H4 tail was truncated, the force between the nucleosomes became repulsive (from-3 to -7 pN). We concluded that the H4 tails potentially produce the diversity in the orientation of the two nucleosomes, which would contribute to the polymorphism of the chromatin structure.

Binding of DNA-bending non-histone proteins destabilizes regular 30-nm chromatin structure

Why most of the in vivo experiments do not find the 30-nm chromatin fiber, well studied in vitro, is a puzzle. Two basic physical inputs that are crucial for understanding the structure of the 30-nm fiber are the stiffness of the linker DNA and the relative orientations of the DNA entering/exiting nucleosomes. Based on these inputs we simulate chromatin structure and show that the presence of non-histone proteins, which bind and locally bend linker DNA, destroys any regular higher order structures (e.g., zig-zag). Accounting for the bending geometry of proteins like nhp6 and HMG-B, our theory predicts phase-diagram for the chromatin structure as a function of DNA-bending non-histone protein density and mean linker DNA length. For a wide range of linker lengths, we show that as we vary one parameter, that is, the fraction of bent linker region due to non-histone proteins, the steady-state structure will show a transition from zig-zag to an irregular structure-a structure that is reminiscent of what is observed in experiments recently. Our theory can explain the recent in vivo observation of irregular chromatin having co-existence of finite fraction of the next-neighbor (i + 2) and neighbor (i + 1) nucleosome interactions.

Recent insights from in vitro single-molecule studies into nucleosome structure and dynamics

Eukaryotic DNA is tightly packed into a hierarchically ordered structure called chromatin in order to fit into the micron-scaled nucleus. The basic unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which consists of a short piece of DNA wrapped around a core of eight histone proteins. In addition to their role in packaging DNA, nucleosomes impact the regulation of essential nuclear processes such as replication, transcription, and repair by controlling the accessibility of DNA. Thus, knowledge of this fundamental DNA-protein complex is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of gene control. While structural and biochemical studies over the past few decades have provided key insights into both the molecular composition and functional aspects of nucleosomes, these approaches necessarily average over large populations and times. In contrast, single-molecule methods are capable of revealing features of subpopulations and dynamic changes in the structure or function of biomolecules, rendering them a powerful complementary tool for probing mechanistic aspects of DNA-protein interactions. In this review, we highlight how these single-molecule approaches have recently yielded new insights into nucleosomal and subnucleosomal structures and dynamics.

Acetylation Mimics Within a Single Nucleosome Alter Local DNA Accessibility In Compacted Nucleosome Arrays

The activation of a silent gene locus is thought to involve pioneering transcription factors that initiate changes in the local chromatin structure to increase promoter accessibility and binding of downstream effectors. To better understand the molecular requirements for the first steps of locus activation, we investigated whether acetylation of a single nucleosome is sufficient to alter DNA accessibility within a condensed 25-nucleosome array. We found that acetylation mimics within the histone H4 tail domain increased accessibility of the surrounding linker DNA, with the increased accessibility localized to the immediate vicinity of the modified nucleosome. In contrast, acetylation mimics within the H3 tail had little effect, but were able to synergize with H4 tail acetylation mimics to further increase accessibility. Moreover, replacement of the central nucleosome with a nucleosome free region also resulted in increased local, but not global DNA accessibility. Our results indicate that modification or disruption of only a single target nucleosome results in significant changes in local chromatin architecture and suggest that very localized chromatin modifications imparted by pioneer transcription factors are sufficient to initiate a cascade of events leading to promoter activation.

Histone acetylation dependent energy landscapes in tri-nucleosome revealed by residue-resolved molecular simulations

Histone tail acetylation is a key epigenetic marker that tends to open chromatin folding and activate transcription. Despite intensive studies, precise roles of individual lysine acetylation in chromatin folding have only been poorly understood. Here, we revealed structural dynamics of tri-nucleosomes with several histone tail acetylation states and analyzed histone tail interactions with DNA by performing molecular simulations at an unprecedentedly high resolution. We found versatile acetylation-dependent landscapes of tri-nucleosome. The H4 and H2A tail acetylation reduced the contact between the first and third nucleosomes mediated by the histone tails. The H3 tail acetylation reduced its interaction with neighboring linker DNAs resulting in increase of the distance between consecutive nucleosomes. Notably, two copies of the same histone in a single nucleosome have markedly asymmetric interactions with DNAs, suggesting specific pattern of nucleosome docking albeit high inherent flexibility. Estimated transcription factor accessibility was significantly high for the H4 tail acetylated structures.