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Solovei I, Mirny L. Spandrels of the cell nucleus. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 90:102421. [PMID: 39180905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
S.J. Gould and R. Lewontin in their famous "Spandrels paper" (1979) argued that many anatomical elements arise in evolution not due to their "current utility" but rather due to other "reasons for origin", such as other developmental processes, physical constraints and mechanical forces. Here, in the same spirit, we argue that a variety of molecular processes, physical constraints, and mechanical forces, alone or together, generate structures that are detectable in the cell nucleus, yet these structures themselves may not carry any specific function, being a mere reflection of processes that produced them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Solovei
- Biocenter, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Leonid Mirny
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Pedrotti S, Castiglioni I, Perez-Estrada C, Zhao L, Chen JP, Crosetto N, Bienko M. Emerging methods and applications in 3D genomics. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 90:102409. [PMID: 39178735 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Since the advent of Hi-C in 2009, a plethora of high-throughput sequencing methods have emerged to profile the three-dimensional (3D) organization of eukaryotic genomes, igniting the era of 3D genomics. In recent years, the genomic resolution achievable by these approaches has dramatically increased and several single-cell versions of Hi-C have been developed. Moreover, a new repertoire of tools not based on proximity ligation of digested chromatin has emerged, enabling the investigation of the higher-order organization of chromatin in the nucleus. In this review, we summarize the expanding portfolio of 3D genomic technologies, highlighting recent developments and applications from the past three years. Lastly, we present an outlook of where this technology-driven field might be headed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Pedrotti
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Cynthia Perez-Estrada
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, 17165, Sweden
| | - Linxuan Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, 17165, Sweden
| | - Jinxin Phaedo Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, 17165, Sweden
| | - Nicola Crosetto
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157, Milan, Italy; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, 17165, Sweden.
| | - Magda Bienko
- Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157, Milan, Italy; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, 17165, Sweden.
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3
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Goel VY, Aboreden NG, Jusuf JM, Zhang H, Mori LP, Mirny LA, Blobel GA, Banigan EJ, Hansen AS. Dynamics of microcompartment formation at the mitosis-to-G1 transition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.16.611917. [PMID: 39345388 PMCID: PMC11430094 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.16.611917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
As cells exit mitosis and enter G1, mitotic chromosomes decompact and transcription is reestablished. Previously, Hi-C studies showed that essentially all interphase 3D genome features including A/B-compartments, TADs, and CTCF loops, are lost during mitosis. However, Hi-C remains insensitive to features such as microcompartments, nested focal interactions between cis -regulatory elements (CREs). We therefore applied Region Capture Micro-C to cells from mitosis to G1. Unexpectedly, we observe microcompartments in prometaphase, which further strengthen in ana/telophase before gradually weakening in G1. Loss of loop extrusion through condensin depletion differentially impacts microcompartments and large A/B-compartments, suggesting that they are partially distinct. Using polymer modeling, we show that microcompartment formation is favored by chromatin compaction and disfavored by loop extrusion activity, explaining why ana/telophase likely provides a particularly favorable environment. Our results suggest that CREs exhibit intrinsic homotypic affinity leading to microcompartment formation, which may explain transient transcriptional spiking observed upon mitotic exit.
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4
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Toneyan S, Koo PK. Interpreting cis-regulatory interactions from large-scale deep neural networks. Nat Genet 2024:10.1038/s41588-024-01923-3. [PMID: 39284975 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
The rise of large-scale, sequence-based deep neural networks (DNNs) for predicting gene expression has introduced challenges in their evaluation and interpretation. Current evaluations align DNN predictions with orthogonal experimental data, providing insights into generalization but offering limited insights into their decision-making process. Existing model explainability tools focus mainly on motif analysis, which becomes complex when interpreting longer sequences. Here we present cis-regulatory element model explanations (CREME), an in silico perturbation toolkit that interprets the rules of gene regulation learned by a genomic DNN. Applying CREME to Enformer, a state-of-the-art DNN, we identify cis-regulatory elements that enhance or silence gene expression and characterize their complex interactions. CREME can provide interpretations across multiple scales of genomic organization, from cis-regulatory elements to fine-mapped functional sequence elements within them, offering high-resolution insights into the regulatory architecture of the genome. CREME provides a powerful toolkit for translating the predictions of genomic DNNs into mechanistic insights of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushan Toneyan
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter K Koo
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Schooley A, Venev SV, Aksenova V, Navarrete E, Dasso M, Dekker J. Interphase chromosome conformation is specified by distinct folding programs inherited via mitotic chromosomes or through the cytoplasm. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.16.613305. [PMID: 39345587 PMCID: PMC11429855 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.16.613305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Identity-specific interphase chromosome conformation must be re-established each time a cell divides. To understand how interphase folding is inherited, we developed an experimental approach that physically segregates mediators of G1 folding that are intrinsic to mitotic chromosomes from cytoplasmic factors. Proteins essential for nuclear transport, RanGAP1 and Nup93, were degraded in pro-metaphase arrested DLD-1 cells to prevent the establishment of nucleo-cytoplasmic transport during mitotic exit and isolate the decondensing mitotic chromatin of G1 daughter cells from the cytoplasm. Using this approach, we discover a transient folding intermediate entirely driven by chromosome-intrinsic factors. In addition to conventional compartmental segregation, this chromosome-intrinsic folding program leads to prominent genome-scale microcompartmentalization of mitotically bookmarked and cell type-specific cis-regulatory elements. This microcompartment conformation is formed during telophase and subsequently modulated by a second folding program driven by factors inherited through the cytoplasm in G1. This nuclear import-dependent folding program includes cohesin and factors involved in transcription and RNA processing. The combined and inter-dependent action of chromosome-intrinsic and cytoplasmic inherited folding programs determines the interphase chromatin conformation as cells exit mitosis.
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6
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Bohrer CH, Fursova NA, Larson DR. Enhancers: A Focus on Synthetic Biology and Correlated Gene Expression. ACS Synth Biol 2024. [PMID: 39276360 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are central for the regulation of metazoan transcription but have proven difficult to study, primarily due to a myriad of interdependent variables shaping their activity. Consequently, synthetic biology has emerged as the main approach for dissecting mechanisms of enhancer function. We start by reviewing simple but highly parallel reporter assays, which have been successful in quantifying the complexity of the activator/coactivator mechanisms at enhancers. We then describe studies that examine how enhancers function in the genomic context and in combination with other enhancers, revealing that they activate genes through a variety of different mechanisms, working together as a system. Here, we primarily focus on synthetic reporter genes that can quantify the dynamics of enhancer biology through time. We end by considering the consequences of having many genes and enhancers within a 'local environment', which we believe leads to correlated gene expression and likely reports on the general principles of enhancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Bohrer
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Nadezda A Fursova
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Daniel R Larson
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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7
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Šimková H, Câmara AS, Mascher M. Hi-C techniques: from genome assemblies to transcription regulation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:5357-5365. [PMID: 38430521 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
The invention of chromosome conformation capture (3C) techniques, in particular the key method Hi-C providing genome-wide information about chromatin contacts, revolutionized the way we study the three-dimensional organization of the nuclear genome and how it affects transcription, replication, and DNA repair. Because the frequency of chromatin contacts between pairs of genomic segments predictably relates to the distance in the linear genome, the information obtained by Hi-C has also proved useful for scaffolding genomic sequences. Here, we review recent improvements in experimental procedures of Hi-C and its various derivatives, such as Micro-C, HiChIP, and Capture Hi-C. We assess the advantages and limitations of the techniques, and present examples of their use in recent plant studies. We also report on progress in the development of computational tools used in assembling genome sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Šimková
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Slechtitelu 31, CZ-779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Amanda Souza Câmara
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, Gatersleben, D-06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Martin Mascher
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, Gatersleben, D-06466 Seeland, Germany
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8
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Park J, Ke W, Kaage A, Feigin CY, Pritykin Y, Donia MS, Mallarino R. Marsupial immune protection is shaped by enhancer sharing and gene cluster duplication of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.29.605640. [PMID: 39211247 PMCID: PMC11361154 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.29.605640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Marsupial neonates are born with immature immune systems, making them vulnerable to pathogens. While neonates receive maternal protection, they can also independently combat pathogens, though the mechanisms remain unknown. Using the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) as a model, we investigated immunological defense strategies of marsupial neonates. Cathelicidins, a family of antimicrobial peptides expanded in the genomes of marsupials, are highly expressed in developing neutrophils. Sugar glider cathelicidins reside in two genomic clusters and their coordinated expression is achieved by enhancer sharing within clusters and long-range physical interactions between clusters. These cathelicidins modulate immune responses and have potent antimicrobial effects, sufficient to provide protection in a mouse model of sepsis. Lastly, cathelicidins have a complex evolutionary history, where marsupials and monotremes are the only tetrapods that retained two cathelicidin clusters. Thus, cathelicidins are critical mediators of marsupial immunity, and their evolution reflects the life history-specific immunological needs of these animals.
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Lam JC, Aboreden NG, Midla SC, Wang S, Huang A, Keller CA, Giardine B, Henderson KA, Hardison RC, Zhang H, Blobel GA. YY1-controlled regulatory connectivity and transcription are influenced by the cell cycle. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1938-1952. [PMID: 39210046 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01871-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Few transcription factors have been examined for their direct roles in physically connecting enhancers and promoters. Here acute degradation of Yin Yang 1 (YY1) in erythroid cells revealed its requirement for the maintenance of numerous enhancer-promoter loops, but not compartments or domains. Despite its reported ability to interact with cohesin, the formation of YY1-dependent enhancer-promoter loops does not involve stalling of cohesin-mediated loop extrusion. Integrating mitosis-to-G1-phase dynamics, we observed partial retention of YY1 on mitotic chromatin, predominantly at gene promoters, followed by rapid rebinding during mitotic exit, coinciding with enhancer-promoter loop establishment. YY1 degradation during the mitosis-to-G1-phase interval revealed a set of enhancer-promoter loops that require YY1 for establishment during G1-phase entry but not for maintenance in interphase, suggesting that cell cycle stage influences YY1's architectural function. Thus, as revealed here for YY1, chromatin architectural functions of transcription factors can vary in their interplay with CTCF and cohesin as well as by cell cycle stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Lam
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas G Aboreden
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Susannah C Midla
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Siqing Wang
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anran Huang
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cheryl A Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Genomics Research Incubator, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Belinda Giardine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kate A Henderson
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ross C Hardison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Haoyue Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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10
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Aboreden NG, Lam JC, Goel VY, Wang S, Wang X, Midla SC, Quijano A, Keller CA, Giardine BM, Hardison RC, Zhang H, Hansen AS, Blobel GA. LDB1 establishes multi-enhancer networks to regulate gene expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.23.609430. [PMID: 39229045 PMCID: PMC11370584 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.23.609430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
How specific enhancer-promoter pairing is established is still mostly unclear. Besides the CTCF/cohesin machinery, only a few nuclear factors have been studied for a direct role in physically connecting regulatory elements. Here, we show via acute degradation experiments that LDB1 directly and broadly promotes enhancer-promoter loops. Most LDB1-mediated contacts, even those spanning hundreds of kb, can form in the absence of CTCF, cohesin, or YY1 as determined via the use of multiple degron systems. Moreover, an engineered LDB1-driven chromatin loop is cohesin independent. Cohesin-driven loop extrusion does not stall at LDB1 occupied sites but may aid the formation of a subset of LDB1 anchored loops. Leveraging the dynamic reorganization of nuclear architecture during the transition from mitosis to G1-phase, we establish a relationship between LDB1-dependent interactions in the context of TAD organization and gene activation. Lastly, Tri-C and Region Capture Micro-C reveal that LDB1 organizes multi-enhancer networks to activate transcription. This establishes LDB1 as a direct driver of regulatory network inter-connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Aboreden
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessica C Lam
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Viraat Y Goel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Siqing Wang
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaokang Wang
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Susannah C Midla
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alma Quijano
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cheryl A Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Belinda M Giardine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Ross C Hardison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Haoyue Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Anders S Hansen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Ke W, Fujioka M, Schedl P, Jaynes JB. Stem-loop and circle-loop TADs generated by directional pairing of boundary elements have distinct physical and regulatory properties. eLife 2024; 13:RP94114. [PMID: 39110491 PMCID: PMC11305674 DOI: 10.7554/elife.94114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The chromosomes in multicellular eukaryotes are organized into a series of topologically independent loops called TADs. In flies, TADs are formed by physical interactions between neighboring boundaries. Fly boundaries exhibit distinct partner preferences, and pairing interactions between boundaries are typically orientation-dependent. Pairing can be head-to-tail or head-to-head. The former generates a stem-loop TAD, while the latter gives a circle-loop TAD. The TAD that encompasses the Drosophila even skipped (eve) gene is formed by the head-to-tail pairing of the nhomie and homie boundaries. To explore the relationship between loop topology and the physical and regulatory landscape, we flanked the nhomie boundary region with two attP sites. The attP sites were then used to generate four boundary replacements: λ DNA, nhomie forward (WT orientation), nhomie reverse (opposite of WT orientation), and homie forward (same orientation as WT homie). The nhomie forward replacement restores the WT physical and regulatory landscape: in MicroC experiments, the eve TAD is a 'volcano' triangle topped by a plume, and the eve gene and its regulatory elements are sequestered from interactions with neighbors. The λ DNA replacement lacks boundary function: the endpoint of the 'new' eve TAD on the nhomie side is ill-defined, and eve stripe enhancers activate a nearby gene, eIF3j. While nhomie reverse and homie forward restore the eve TAD, the topology is a circle-loop, and this changes the local physical and regulatory landscape. In MicroC experiments, the eve TAD interacts with its neighbors, and the plume at the top of the eve triangle peak is converted to a pair of 'clouds' of contacts with the next-door TADs. Consistent with the loss of isolation afforded by the stem-loop topology, the eve enhancers weakly activate genes in the neighboring TADs. Conversely, eve function is partially disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfan Ke
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Miki Fujioka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Paul Schedl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - James B Jaynes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
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12
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Labudina AA, Meier M, Gimenez G, Tatarakis D, Ketharnathan S, Mackie B, Schilling TF, Antony J, Horsfield JA. Cohesin composition and dosage independently affect early development in zebrafish. Development 2024; 151:dev202593. [PMID: 38975838 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Cohesin, a chromatin-associated protein complex with four core subunits (Smc1a, Smc3, Rad21 and either Stag1 or 2), has a central role in cell proliferation and gene expression in metazoans. Human developmental disorders termed 'cohesinopathies' are characterized by germline variants of cohesin or its regulators that do not entirely eliminate cohesin function. However, it is not clear whether mutations in individual cohesin subunits have independent developmental consequences. Here, we show that zebrafish rad21 or stag2b mutants independently influence embryonic tailbud development. Both mutants have altered mesoderm induction, but only homozygous or heterozygous rad21 mutation affects cell cycle gene expression. stag2b mutants have narrower notochords and reduced Wnt signaling in neuromesodermal progenitors as revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Stimulation of Wnt signaling rescues transcription and morphology in stag2b, but not rad21, mutants. Our results suggest that mutations altering the quantity versus composition of cohesin have independent developmental consequences, with implications for the understanding and management of cohesinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia A Labudina
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Michael Meier
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Gregory Gimenez
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - David Tatarakis
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2300, USA
| | - Sarada Ketharnathan
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Bridget Mackie
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Thomas F Schilling
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2300, USA
| | - Jisha Antony
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Julia A Horsfield
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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Clerkin AB, Pagane N, West DW, Spakowitz AJ, Risca VI. Determining mesoscale chromatin structure parameters from spatially correlated cleavage data using a coarse-grained oligonucleosome model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.28.605011. [PMID: 39131347 PMCID: PMC11312488 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.28.605011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
The three-dimensional structure of chromatin has emerged as an important feature of eukaryotic gene regulation. Recent technological advances in DNA sequencing-based assays have revealed locus- and chromatin state-specific structural patterns at the length scale of a few nucleosomes (~1 kb). However, interpreting these data sets remains challenging. Radiation-induced correlated cleavage of chromatin (RICC-seq) is one such chromatin structure assay that maps DNA-DNA-contacts at base pair resolution by sequencing single-stranded DNA fragments released from irradiated cells. Here, we develop a flexible modeling and simulation framework to enable the interpretation of RICC-seq data in terms of oligonucleosome structure ensembles. Nucleosomes are modeled as rigid bodies with excluded volume and adjustable DNA wrapping, connected by linker DNA modeled as a worm-like chain. We validate the model's parameters against cryo-electron microscopy and sedimentation data. Our results show that RICC-seq is sensitive to nucleosome spacing, nucleosomal DNA wrapping, and the strength of inter-nucleosome interactions. We show that nucleosome repeat lengths consistent with orthogonal assays can be extracted from experimental RICC-seq data using a 1D convolutional neural net trained on RICC-seq signal predicted from simulated ensembles. We thus provide a suite of analysis tools that add quantitative structural interpretability to RICC-seq experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Brenner Clerkin
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - Nicole Pagane
- Present affiliation: Computational and Systems Biology PhD Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Devany W. West
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | | | - Viviana I. Risca
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
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14
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Guckelberger P, Doughty BR, Munson G, Rao SSP, Tan Y, Cai XS, Fulco CP, Nasser J, Mualim KS, Bergman DT, Ray J, Jagoda E, Munger CJ, Gschwind AR, Sheth MU, Tan AS, Pulido SG, Mitra N, Weisz D, Shamim MS, Durand NC, Mahajan R, Khan R, Steinmetz LM, Kanemaki MT, Lander ES, Meissner A, Aiden EL, Engreitz JM. Cohesin-mediated 3D contacts tune enhancer-promoter regulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.12.603288. [PMID: 39026740 PMCID: PMC11257546 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.12.603288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are key drivers of gene regulation thought to act via 3D physical interactions with the promoters of their target genes. However, genome-wide depletions of architectural proteins such as cohesin result in only limited changes in gene expression, despite a loss of contact domains and loops. Consequently, the role of cohesin and 3D contacts in enhancer function remains debated. Here, we developed CRISPRi of regulatory elements upon degron operation (CRUDO), a novel approach to measure how changes in contact frequency impact enhancer effects on target genes by perturbing enhancers with CRISPRi and measuring gene expression in the presence or absence of cohesin. We systematically perturbed all 1,039 candidate enhancers near five cohesin-dependent genes and identified 34 enhancer-gene regulatory interactions. Of 26 regulatory interactions with sufficient statistical power to evaluate cohesin dependence, 18 show cohesin-dependent effects. A decrease in enhancer-promoter contact frequency upon removal of cohesin is frequently accompanied by a decrease in the regulatory effect of the enhancer on gene expression, consistent with a contact-based model for enhancer function. However, changes in contact frequency and regulatory effects on gene expression vary as a function of distance, with distal enhancers (e.g., >50Kb) experiencing much larger changes than proximal ones (e.g., <50Kb). Because most enhancers are located close to their target genes, these observations can explain how only a small subset of genes - those with strong distal enhancers - are sensitive to cohesin. Together, our results illuminate how 3D contacts, influenced by both cohesin and genomic distance, tune enhancer effects on gene expression.
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15
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Pushkarev O, van Mierlo G, Kribelbauer JF, Saelens W, Gardeux V, Deplancke B. Non-coding variants impact cis-regulatory coordination in a cell type-specific manner. Genome Biol 2024; 25:190. [PMID: 39026229 PMCID: PMC11256678 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03333-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interactions among cis-regulatory elements (CREs) play a crucial role in gene regulation. Various approaches have been developed to map these interactions genome-wide, including those relying on interindividual epigenomic variation to identify groups of covariable regulatory elements, referred to as chromatin modules (CMs). While CM mapping allows to investigate the relationship between chromatin modularity and gene expression, the computational principles used for CM identification vary in their application and outcomes. RESULTS We comprehensively evaluate and streamline existing CM mapping tools and present guidelines for optimal utilization of epigenome data from a diverse population of individuals to assess regulatory coordination across the human genome. We showcase the effectiveness of our recommended practices by analyzing distinct cell types and demonstrate cell type specificity of CRE interactions in CMs and their relevance for gene expression. Integration of genotype information revealed that many non-coding disease-associated variants affect the activity of CMs in a cell type-specific manner by affecting the binding of cell type-specific transcription factors. We provide example cases that illustrate in detail how CMs can be used to deconstruct GWAS loci, assess variable expression of cell surface receptors in immune cells, and reveal how genetic variation can impact the expression of prognostic markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CONCLUSIONS Our study presents an optimal strategy for CM mapping and reveals how CMs capture the coordination of CREs and its impact on gene expression. Non-coding genetic variants can disrupt this coordination, and we highlight how this may lead to disease predisposition in a cell type-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Pushkarev
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guido van Mierlo
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Judith Franziska Kribelbauer
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wouter Saelens
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Gardeux
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bart Deplancke
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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16
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Oguchi A, Suzuki A, Komatsu S, Yoshitomi H, Bhagat S, Son R, Bonnal RJP, Kojima S, Koido M, Takeuchi K, Myouzen K, Inoue G, Hirai T, Sano H, Takegami Y, Kanemaru A, Yamaguchi I, Ishikawa Y, Tanaka N, Hirabayashi S, Konishi R, Sekito S, Inoue T, Kere J, Takeda S, Takaori-Kondo A, Endo I, Kawaoka S, Kawaji H, Ishigaki K, Ueno H, Hayashizaki Y, Pagani M, Carninci P, Yanagita M, Parrish N, Terao C, Yamamoto K, Murakawa Y. An atlas of transcribed enhancers across helper T cell diversity for decoding human diseases. Science 2024; 385:eadd8394. [PMID: 38963856 DOI: 10.1126/science.add8394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Transcribed enhancer maps can reveal nuclear interactions underpinning each cell type and connect specific cell types to diseases. Using a 5' single-cell RNA sequencing approach, we defined transcription start sites of enhancer RNAs and other classes of coding and noncoding RNAs in human CD4+ T cells, revealing cellular heterogeneity and differentiation trajectories. Integration of these datasets with single-cell chromatin profiles showed that active enhancers with bidirectional RNA transcription are highly cell type-specific and that disease heritability is strongly enriched in these enhancers. The resulting cell type-resolved multimodal atlas of bidirectionally transcribed enhancers, which we linked with promoters using fine-scale chromatin contact maps, enabled us to systematically interpret genetic variants associated with a range of immune-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Oguchi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akari Suzuki
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shuichiro Komatsu
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- IFOM ETS - the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Hiroyuki Yoshitomi
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shruti Bhagat
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Raku Son
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Shohei Kojima
- Genome Immunobiology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masaru Koido
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory of Complex Trait Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Takeuchi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Medical Systems Genomics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keiko Myouzen
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Gyo Inoue
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomoya Hirai
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiromi Sano
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Yuki Ishikawa
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Nao Tanaka
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shigeki Hirabayashi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Division of Precision Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Riyo Konishi
- Inter-Organ Communication Research Team, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sho Sekito
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu, Japan
| | - Takahiro Inoue
- Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu, Japan
| | - Juha Kere
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhalsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shunichi Takeda
- Department of Radiation Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Akifumi Takaori-Kondo
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shinpei Kawaoka
- Inter-Organ Communication Research Team, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Integrative Bioanalytics, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hideya Kawaji
- Research Center for Genome & Medical Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Preventive Medicine and Applied Genomics Unit, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideki Ueno
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Hayashizaki
- K.K. DNAFORM, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Japan
| | - Massimiliano Pagani
- IFOM ETS - the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi, Milan, Italy
| | - Piero Carninci
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Motoko Yanagita
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nicholas Parrish
- Genome Immunobiology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Chikashi Terao
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Clinical Research Center, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Applied Genetics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Yamamoto
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Murakawa
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- IFOM ETS - the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Systems Genomics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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17
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Yang JH, Hansen AS. Enhancer selectivity in space and time: from enhancer-promoter interactions to promoter activation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:574-591. [PMID: 38413840 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The primary regulators of metazoan gene expression are enhancers, originally functionally defined as DNA sequences that can activate transcription at promoters in an orientation-independent and distance-independent manner. Despite being crucial for gene regulation in animals, what mechanisms underlie enhancer selectivity for promoters, and more fundamentally, how enhancers interact with promoters and activate transcription, remain poorly understood. In this Review, we first discuss current models of enhancer-promoter interactions in space and time and how enhancers affect transcription activation. Next, we discuss different mechanisms that mediate enhancer selectivity, including repression, biochemical compatibility and regulation of 3D genome structure. Through 3D polymer simulations, we illustrate how the ability of 3D genome folding mechanisms to mediate enhancer selectivity strongly varies for different enhancer-promoter interaction mechanisms. Finally, we discuss how recent technical advances may provide new insights into mechanisms of enhancer-promoter interactions and how technical biases in methods such as Hi-C and Micro-C and imaging techniques may affect their interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin H Yang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anders S Hansen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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18
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Salari H, Fourel G, Jost D. Transcription regulates the spatio-temporal dynamics of genes through micro-compartmentalization. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5393. [PMID: 38918438 PMCID: PMC11199603 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49727-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Although our understanding of the involvement of heterochromatin architectural factors in shaping nuclear organization is improving, there is still ongoing debate regarding the role of active genes in this process. In this study, we utilize publicly-available Micro-C data from mouse embryonic stem cells to investigate the relationship between gene transcription and 3D gene folding. Our analysis uncovers a nonmonotonic - globally positive - correlation between intragenic contact density and Pol II occupancy, independent of cohesin-based loop extrusion. Through the development of a biophysical model integrating the role of transcription dynamics within a polymer model of chromosome organization, we demonstrate that Pol II-mediated attractive interactions with limited valency between transcribed regions yield quantitative predictions consistent with chromosome-conformation-capture and live-imaging experiments. Our work provides compelling evidence that transcriptional activity shapes the 4D genome through Pol II-mediated micro-compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Salari
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5239, Inserm U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France.
- École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France.
| | - Geneviève Fourel
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5239, Inserm U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Daniel Jost
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR5239, Inserm U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007, Lyon, France.
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19
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Bonato A, Chiang M, Corbett D, Kitaev S, Marenduzzo D, Morozov A, Orlandini E. Topological Spectra and Entropy of Chromatin Loop Networks. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:248403. [PMID: 38949344 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.248403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The 3D folding of a mammalian gene can be studied by a polymer model, where the chromatin fiber is represented by a semiflexible polymer which interacts with multivalent proteins, representing complexes of DNA-binding transcription factors and RNA polymerases. This physical model leads to the natural emergence of clusters of proteins and binding sites, accompanied by the folding of chromatin into a set of topologies, each associated with a different network of loops. Here, we combine numerics and analytics to first classify these networks and then find their relative importance or statistical weight, when the properties of the underlying polymer are those relevant to chromatin. Unlike polymer networks previously studied, our chromatin networks have finite average distances between successive binding sites, and this leads to giant differences between the weights of topologies with the same number of edges and nodes but different wiring. These weights strongly favor rosettelike structures with a local cloud of loops with respect to more complicated nonlocal topologies. Our results suggest that genes should overwhelmingly fold into a small fraction of all possible 3D topologies, which can be robustly characterized by the framework we propose here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bonato
- Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Chiang
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Dom Corbett
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Sergey Kitaev
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XH, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Marenduzzo
- Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Morozov
- Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova and INFN, Sezione Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy
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20
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Gonzalez-Avalos E, Onodera A, Samaniego-Castruita D, Rao A, Ay F. Predicting gene expression state and prioritizing putative enhancers using 5hmC signal. Genome Biol 2024; 25:142. [PMID: 38825692 PMCID: PMC11145787 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03273-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Like its parent base 5-methylcytosine (5mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is a direct epigenetic modification of cytosines in the context of CpG dinucleotides. 5hmC is the most abundant oxidized form of 5mC, generated through the action of TET dioxygenases at gene bodies of actively-transcribed genes and at active or lineage-specific enhancers. Although such enrichments are reported for 5hmC, to date, predictive models of gene expression state or putative regulatory regions for genes using 5hmC have not been developed. RESULTS Here, by using only 5hmC enrichment in genic regions and their vicinity, we develop neural network models that predict gene expression state across 49 cell types. We show that our deep neural network models distinguish high vs low expression state utilizing only 5hmC levels and these predictive models generalize to unseen cell types. Further, in order to leverage 5hmC signal in distal enhancers for expression prediction, we employ an Activity-by-Contact model and also develop a graph convolutional neural network model with both utilizing Hi-C data and 5hmC enrichment to prioritize enhancer-promoter links. These approaches identify known and novel putative enhancers for key genes in multiple immune cell subsets. CONCLUSIONS Our work highlights the importance of 5hmC in gene regulation through proximal and distal mechanisms and provides a framework to link it to genome function. With the recent advances in 6-letter DNA sequencing by short and long-read techniques, profiling of 5mC and 5hmC may be done routinely in the near future, hence, providing a broad range of applications for the methods developed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edahi Gonzalez-Avalos
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Atsushi Onodera
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan
| | - Daniela Samaniego-Castruita
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Anjana Rao
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Ferhat Ay
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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21
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Lalanne JB, Regalado SG, Domcke S, Calderon D, Martin BK, Li X, Li T, Suiter CC, Lee C, Trapnell C, Shendure J. Multiplex profiling of developmental cis-regulatory elements with quantitative single-cell expression reporters. Nat Methods 2024; 21:983-993. [PMID: 38724692 PMCID: PMC11166576 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-024-02260-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The inability to scalably and precisely measure the activity of developmental cis-regulatory elements (CREs) in multicellular systems is a bottleneck in genomics. Here we develop a dual RNA cassette that decouples the detection and quantification tasks inherent to multiplex single-cell reporter assays. The resulting measurement of reporter expression is accurate over multiple orders of magnitude, with a precision approaching the limit set by Poisson counting noise. Together with RNA barcode stabilization via circularization, these scalable single-cell quantitative expression reporters provide high-contrast readouts, analogous to classic in situ assays but entirely from sequencing. Screening >200 regions of accessible chromatin in a multicellular in vitro model of early mammalian development, we identify 13 (8 previously uncharacterized) autonomous and cell-type-specific developmental CREs. We further demonstrate that chimeric CRE pairs generate cognate two-cell-type activity profiles and assess gain- and loss-of-function multicellular expression phenotypes from CRE variants with perturbed transcription factor binding sites. Single-cell quantitative expression reporters can be applied in developmental and multicellular systems to quantitatively characterize native, perturbed and synthetic CREs at scale, with high sensitivity and at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel G Regalado
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Silvia Domcke
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Diego Calderon
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Beth K Martin
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tony Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chase C Suiter
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Choli Lee
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cole Trapnell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
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22
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Martitz A, Schulz EG. Spatial orchestration of the genome: topological reorganisation during X-chromosome inactivation. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102198. [PMID: 38663040 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Genomes are organised through hierarchical structures, ranging from local kilobase-scale cis-regulatory contacts to large chromosome territories. Most notably, (sub)-compartments partition chromosomes according to transcriptional activity, while topologically associating domains (TADs) define cis-regulatory landscapes. The inactive X chromosome in mammals has provided unique insights into the regulation and function of the three-dimensional (3D) genome. Concurrent with silencing of the majority of genes and major alterations of its chromatin state, the X chromosome undergoes profound spatial rearrangements at multiple scales. These include the emergence of megadomains, alterations of the compartment structure and loss of the majority of TADs. Moreover, the Xist locus, which orchestrates X-chromosome inactivation, has provided key insights into regulation and function of regulatory domains. This review provides an overview of recent insights into the control of these structural rearrangements and contextualises them within a broader understanding of 3D genome organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Martitz
- Systems Epigenetics, Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Edda G Schulz
- Systems Epigenetics, Otto Warburg Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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23
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Yang Z, Peng Y, Wang Y, Yang P, Huang Z, Quan T, Xu X, Sun P, Sun Y, Lv J, Wei D, Zhou GQ. KLF5 regulates actin remodeling to enhance the metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Oncogene 2024; 43:1779-1795. [PMID: 38649438 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03033-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) engage in various cellular essential processes including differentiation, growth and migration. However, the master TF involved in distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains largely unclear. Here we show that KLF5 regulates actin remodeling to enhance NPC metastasis. We analyzed the msVIPER algorithm-generated transcriptional regulatory networks and identified KLF5 as a master TF of metastatic NPC linked to poor clinical outcomes. KLF5 regulates actin remodeling and lamellipodia formation to promote the metastasis of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, KLF5 preferentially occupies distal enhancer regions of ACTN4 to activate its transcription, whereby decoding the informative DNA sequences. ACTN4, extensively localized within actin cytoskeleton, facilitates dense and branched actin networks and lamellipodia formation at the cell leading edge, empowering cells to migrate faster. Collectively, our findings reveal that KLF5 controls robust transcription program of ACTN4 to modulate actin remodeling and augment cell motility which enhances NPC metastasis, and provide new potential biomarkers and therapeutic interventions for NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Yanfu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Yaqin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Panyang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Zhuohui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Tingqiu Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Xudong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Peng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Ying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Jiawei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China.
| | - Denghui Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China.
| | - Guan-Qun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China.
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24
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Milne TA. Chromatin and aberrant enhancer activity in KMT2A rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102191. [PMID: 38579381 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
To make a multicellular organism, genes need to be transcribed at the right developmental stages and in the right tissues. DNA sequences termed 'enhancers' are crucial to achieve this. Despite concerted efforts, the exact mechanisms of enhancer activity remain elusive. Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL or KMT2A) rearrangements (MLLr), commonly observed in cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia, produce novel in-frame fusion proteins. Recent work has shown that the MLL-AF4 fusion protein drives aberrant enhancer activity at key oncogenes in ALL, dependent on the continued presence of MLL-AF4 complex components. As well as providing some general insights into enhancer function, these observations may also provide an explanation for transcriptional heterogeneity observed in MLLr patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Milne
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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25
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Hayward-Lara G, Fischer MD, Mir M. Dynamic microenvironments shape nuclear organization and gene expression. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102177. [PMID: 38461773 PMCID: PMC11162947 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Live imaging has revealed that the regulation of gene expression is largely driven by transient interactions. For example, many regulatory proteins bind chromatin for just seconds, and loop-like genomic contacts are rare and last only minutes. These discoveries have been difficult to reconcile with our canonical models that are predicated on stable and hierarchical interactions. Proteomic microenvironments that concentrate nuclear factors may explain how brief interactions can still mediate gene regulation by creating conditions where reactions occur more frequently. Here, we summarize new imaging technologies and recent discoveries implicating microenvironments as a potential driver of nuclear function. Finally, we propose that key properties of proteomic microenvironments, such as their size, enrichment, and lifetimes, are directly linked to regulatory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Hayward-Lara
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Matthew D. Fischer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Mustafa Mir
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA 19104
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26
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Magnitov M, de Wit E. Attraction and disruption: how loop extrusion and compartmentalisation shape the nuclear genome. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102194. [PMID: 38636335 PMCID: PMC11190842 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Chromatin loops, which bring two distal loci of the same chromosome into close physical proximity, are the ubiquitous units of the three-dimensional genome. Recent advances in understanding the spatial organisation of chromatin suggest that several distinct mechanisms control chromatin interactions, such as loop extrusion by cohesin complexes, compartmentalisation by phase separation, direct protein-protein interactions and others. Here, we review different types of chromatin loops and highlight the factors and processes involved in their regulation. We discuss how loop extrusion and compartmentalisation shape chromatin interactions and how these two processes can either positively or negatively influence each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Magnitov
- Division of Gene Regulation, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands. https://twitter.com/@MMagnitov
| | - Elzo de Wit
- Division of Gene Regulation, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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27
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Harris HL, Rowley MJ. Mechanistic drivers of chromatin organization into compartments. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102193. [PMID: 38626581 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
The human genome is not just a simple string of DNA, it is a complex and dynamic entity intricately folded within the cell's nucleus. This three-dimensional organization of chromatin, the combination of DNA and proteins in the nucleus, is crucial for many biological processes and has been prominently studied for its intricate relationship to gene expression. Indeed, the transcriptional machinery does not operate in isolation but interacts intimately with the folded chromatin structure. Techniques for chromatin conformation capture, including genome-wide sequencing approaches, have revealed key organizational features of chromatin, such as the formation of loops by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and the division of loci into chromatin compartments. While much of the recent research and reviews have focused on CTCF loops, we discuss several new revelations that have emerged concerning chromatin compartments, with a particular focus on what is known about mechanistic drivers of compartmentalization. These insights challenge the traditional views of chromatin organization and reveal the complexity behind the formation and maintenance of chromatin compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Harris
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha 68198, NE, USA
| | - M Jordan Rowley
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha 68198, NE, USA.
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28
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Lee KH, Kim J, Kim JH. 3D epigenomics and 3D epigenopathies. BMB Rep 2024; 57:216-231. [PMID: 38627948 PMCID: PMC11139681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genomes are intricately compacted to form sophisticated 3-dimensional structures within the tiny nucleus, so called 3D genome folding. Despite their shapes reminiscent of an entangled yarn, the rapid development of molecular and next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) has revealed that mammalian genomes are highly organized in a hierarchical order that delicately affects transcription activities. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that 3D genome folding is implicated in diseases, giving us a clue on how to identify novel therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will study what 3D genome folding means in epigenetics, what types of 3D genome structures there are, how they are formed, and how the technologies have developed to explore them. We will also discuss the pathological implications of 3D genome folding. Finally, we will discuss how to leverage 3D genome folding and engineering for future studies. [BMB Reports 2024; 57(5): 216-231].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Hwan Lee
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jungyu Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Ji Hun Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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29
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Kim KL, Rahme GJ, Goel VY, El Farran CA, Hansen AS, Bernstein BE. Dissection of a CTCF topological boundary uncovers principles of enhancer-oncogene regulation. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1365-1376.e7. [PMID: 38452764 PMCID: PMC10997458 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Enhancer-gene communication is dependent on topologically associating domains (TADs) and boundaries enforced by the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) insulator, but the underlying structures and mechanisms remain controversial. Here, we investigate a boundary that typically insulates fibroblast growth factor (FGF) oncogenes but is disrupted by DNA hypermethylation in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The boundary contains an array of CTCF sites that enforce adjacent TADs, one containing FGF genes and the other containing ANO1 and its putative enhancers, which are specifically active in GIST and its likely cell of origin. We show that coordinate disruption of four CTCF motifs in the boundary fuses the adjacent TADs, allows the ANO1 enhancer to contact FGF3, and causes its robust induction. High-resolution micro-C maps reveal specific contact between transcription initiation sites in the ANO1 enhancer and FGF3 promoter that quantitatively scales with FGF3 induction such that modest changes in contact frequency result in strong changes in expression, consistent with a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Lock Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Gilbert J Rahme
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Viraat Y Goel
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Chadi A El Farran
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anders S Hansen
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Bradley E Bernstein
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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30
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Rittenhouse NL, Dowen JM. Cohesin regulation and roles in chromosome structure and function. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 85:102159. [PMID: 38382406 PMCID: PMC10947815 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Chromosome structure regulates DNA-templated processes such as transcription of genes. Dynamic changes to chromosome structure occur during development and in disease contexts. The cohesin complex is a molecular motor that regulates chromosome structure by generating DNA loops that bring two distal genomic sites into close spatial proximity. There are many open questions regarding the formation and dissolution of DNA loops, as well as the role(s) of DNA loops in regulating transcription of the interphase genome. This review focuses on recent discoveries that provide molecular insights into the role of cohesin and chromosome structure in gene transcription during development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie L Rittenhouse
- Curriculum in Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jill M Dowen
- Department of Biophysics & Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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31
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Cheng G, Pratto F, Brick K, Li X, Alleva B, Huang M, Lam G, Camerini-Otero RD. High resolution maps of chromatin reorganization through mouse meiosis reveal novel features of the 3D meiotic structure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.25.586627. [PMID: 38903112 PMCID: PMC11188084 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.25.586627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
When germ cells transition from the mitotic cycle into meiotic prophase I (MPI), chromosomes condense into an array of chromatin loops that are required to promote homolog pairing and genetic recombination. To identify the changes in chromosomal conformation, we isolated nuclei on a trajectory from spermatogonia to the end of MPI. At each stage along this trajectory, we built genomic interaction maps with the highest temporal and spatial resolution to date. The changes in chromatin folding coincided with a concurrent decline in mitotic cohesion and a rise in meiotic cohesin complexes. We found that the stereotypical large-scale A and B compartmentalization was lost during meiotic prophase I alongside the loss of topological associating domains (TADs). Still, local subcompartments were detected and maintained throughout meiosis. The enhanced Micro-C resolution revealed that, despite the loss of TADs, higher frequency contact sites between two loci were detectable during meiotic prophase I coinciding with CTCF bound sites. The pattern of interactions around these CTCF sites with their neighboring loci showed that CTCF sites were often anchoring the meiotic loops. Additionally, the localization of CTCF to the meiotic axes indicated that these anchors were at the base of loops. Strikingly, even in the face of the dramatic reconfiguration of interphase chromatin into a condensed loop-array, the interactions between regulatory elements remained well preserved. This establishes a potential mechanism for how the meiotic chromatin maintains active transcription within a highly structured genome. In summary, the high temporal and spatial resolution of these data revealed previously unappreciated aspects of mammalian meiotic chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Cheng
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Florencia Pratto
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kevin Brick
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Alleva
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mini Huang
- Present address: Sun Yat-Sen University, School of Medicine, Shen Zhen, China
| | - Gabriel Lam
- Present address: RNA Regulation Section, NIA, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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32
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Liu R, Xu R, Yan S, Li P, Jia C, Sun H, Sheng K, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Guo J, Xin X, Li X, Guo D. Hi-C, a chromatin 3D structure technique advancing the functional genomics of immune cells. Front Genet 2024; 15:1377238. [PMID: 38586584 PMCID: PMC10995239 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1377238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The functional performance of immune cells relies on a complex transcriptional regulatory network. The three-dimensional structure of chromatin can affect chromatin status and gene expression patterns, and plays an important regulatory role in gene transcription. Currently available techniques for studying chromatin spatial structure include chromatin conformation capture techniques and their derivatives, chromatin accessibility sequencing techniques, and others. Additionally, the recently emerged deep learning technology can be utilized as a tool to enhance the analysis of data. In this review, we elucidate the definition and significance of the three-dimensional chromatin structure, summarize the technologies available for studying it, and describe the research progress on the chromatin spatial structure of dendritic cells, macrophages, T cells, B cells, and neutrophils.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dianhao Guo
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
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33
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Schmidt MR, Barcons-Simon A, Rabuffo C, Siegel T. Smoother: on-the-fly processing of interactome data using prefix sums. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e23. [PMID: 38281191 PMCID: PMC10954447 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid interactome data, such as chromosome conformation capture data and RNA-DNA interactome data, are currently analyzed via pipelines that must be rerun for each new parameter set. A more dynamic approach is desirable since the optimal parameter set is commonly unknown ahead of time and rerunning pipelines is a time-consuming process. We have developed an approach fast enough to process interactome data on-the-fly using a sparse prefix sum index. With this index, we created Smoother, a flexible, multifeatured visualization and analysis tool that allows interactive filtering, e.g. by mapping quality, almost instant comparisons between different normalization approaches, e.g. iterative correction, and ploidy correction. Further, Smoother can overlay other sequencing data or genomic annotations, compare different samples, and perform virtual 4C analysis. Smoother permits a novel way to interact with and explore interactome data, fostering comprehensive, high-quality data analysis. Smoother is available at https://github.com/Siegel-Lab/BioSmoother under the MIT license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus R Schmidt
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Barcons-Simon
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Rabuffo
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - T Nicolai Siegel
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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34
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Fleck K, Luria V, Garag N, Karger A, Hunter T, Marten D, Phu W, Nam KM, Sestan N, O’Donnell-Luria AH, Erceg J. Functional associations of evolutionarily recent human genes exhibit sensitivity to the 3D genome landscape and disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.17.585403. [PMID: 38559085 PMCID: PMC10980080 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.17.585403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Genome organization is intricately tied to regulating genes and associated cell fate decisions. In this study, we examine the positioning and functional significance of human genes, grouped by their evolutionary age, within the 3D organization of the genome. We reveal that genes of different evolutionary origin have distinct positioning relationships with both domains and loop anchors, and remarkably consistent relationships with boundaries across cell types. While the functional associations of each group of genes are primarily cell type-specific, such associations of conserved genes maintain greater stability across 3D genomic features and disease than recently evolved genes. Furthermore, the expression of these genes across various tissues follows an evolutionary progression, such that RNA levels increase from young genes to ancient genes. Thus, the distinct relationships of gene evolutionary age, function, and positioning within 3D genomic features contribute to tissue-specific gene regulation in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Fleck
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Victor Luria
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Nitanta Garag
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Amir Karger
- IT-Research Computing, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Trevor Hunter
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Daniel Marten
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - William Phu
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Kee-Myoung Nam
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Nenad Sestan
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Anne H. O’Donnell-Luria
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jelena Erceg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030
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35
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Monteagudo-Sánchez A, Noordermeer D, Greenberg MVC. The impact of DNA methylation on CTCF-mediated 3D genome organization. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:404-412. [PMID: 38499830 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Cytosine DNA methylation is a highly conserved epigenetic mark in eukaryotes. Although the role of DNA methylation at gene promoters and repetitive elements has been extensively studied, the function of DNA methylation in other genomic contexts remains less clear. In the nucleus of mammalian cells, the genome is spatially organized at different levels, and strongly influences myriad genomic processes. There are a number of factors that regulate the three-dimensional (3D) organization of the genome, with the CTCF insulator protein being among the most well-characterized. Pertinently, CTCF binding has been reported as being DNA methylation-sensitive in certain contexts, perhaps most notably in the process of genomic imprinting. Therefore, it stands to reason that DNA methylation may play a broader role in the regulation of chromatin architecture. Here we summarize the current understanding that is relevant to both the mammalian DNA methylation and chromatin architecture fields and attempt to assess the extent to which DNA methylation impacts the folding of the genome. The focus is in early embryonic development and cellular transitions when the epigenome is in flux, but we also describe insights from pathological contexts, such as cancer, in which the epigenome and 3D genome organization are misregulated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daan Noordermeer
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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36
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Nolan B, Harris HL, Kalluchi A, Reznicek TE, Cummings CT, Rowley MJ. HiCrayon reveals distinct layers of multi-state 3D chromatin organization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.11.579821. [PMID: 38405883 PMCID: PMC10888951 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.11.579821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The co-visualization of chromatin conformation with 1D 'omics data is key to the multi-omics driven data analysis of 3D genome organization. Chromatin contact maps are often shown as 2D heatmaps and visually compared to 1D genomic data by simple juxtaposition. While common, this strategy is imprecise, placing the onus on the reader to align features with each other. To remedy this, we developed HiCrayon, an interactive tool that facilitates the integration of 3D chromatin organization maps and 1D datasets. This visualization method integrates data from genomic assays directly into the chromatin contact map by coloring interactions according to 1D signal. HiCrayon is implemented using R shiny and python to create a graphical user interface (GUI) application, available in both web or containerized format to promote accessibility. HiCrayon is implemented in R, and includes a graphical user interface (GUI), as well as a slimmed-down web-based version that lets users quickly produce publication-ready images. We demonstrate the utility of HiCrayon in visualizing the effectiveness of compartment calling and the relationship between ChIP-seq and various features of chromatin organization. We also demonstrate the improved visualization of other 3D genomic phenomena, such as differences between loops associated with CTCF/cohesin vs. those associated with H3K27ac. We then demonstrate HiCrayon's visualization of organizational changes that occur during differentiation and use HiCrayon to detect compartment patterns that cannot be assigned to either A or B compartments, revealing a distinct 3rd chromatin compartment. Overall, we demonstrate the utility of co-visualizing 2D chromatin conformation with 1D genomic signals within the same matrix to reveal fundamental aspects of genome organization. Local version: https://github.com/JRowleyLab/HiCrayon Web version: https://jrowleylab.com/HiCrayon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Nolan
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA
| | - Hannah L Harris
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA
| | - Achyuth Kalluchi
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA
| | - Timothy E Reznicek
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA
| | - Christopher T Cummings
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA
| | - M Jordan Rowley
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emile St, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA
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37
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Zhang Y, Boninsegna L, Yang M, Misteli T, Alber F, Ma J. Computational methods for analysing multiscale 3D genome organization. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:123-141. [PMID: 37673975 PMCID: PMC11127719 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00638-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent progress in whole-genome mapping and imaging technologies has enabled the characterization of the spatial organization and folding of the genome in the nucleus. In parallel, advanced computational methods have been developed to leverage these mapping data to reveal multiscale three-dimensional (3D) genome features and to provide a more complete view of genome structure and its connections to genome functions such as transcription. Here, we discuss how recently developed computational tools, including machine-learning-based methods and integrative structure-modelling frameworks, have led to a systematic, multiscale delineation of the connections among different scales of 3D genome organization, genomic and epigenomic features, functional nuclear components and genome function. However, approaches that more comprehensively integrate a wide variety of genomic and imaging datasets are still needed to uncover the functional role of 3D genome structure in defining cellular phenotypes in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lorenzo Boninsegna
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Muyu Yang
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tom Misteli
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Frank Alber
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jian Ma
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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38
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Li Z, Schlick T. Hi-BDiSCO: folding 3D mesoscale genome structures from Hi-C data using brownian dynamics. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:583-599. [PMID: 38015443 PMCID: PMC10810283 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure and dynamics of the eukaryotic genome are intimately linked to gene regulation and transcriptional activity. Many chromosome conformation capture experiments like Hi-C have been developed to detect genome-wide contact frequencies and quantify loop/compartment structures for different cellular contexts and time-dependent processes. However, a full understanding of these events requires explicit descriptions of representative chromatin and chromosome configurations. With the exponentially growing amount of data from Hi-C experiments, many methods for deriving 3D structures from contact frequency data have been developed. Yet, most reconstruction methods use polymer models with low resolution to predict overall genome structure. Here we present a Brownian Dynamics (BD) approach termed Hi-BDiSCO for producing 3D genome structures from Hi-C and Micro-C data using our mesoscale-resolution chromatin model based on the Discrete Surface Charge Optimization (DiSCO) model. Our approach integrates reconstruction with chromatin simulations at nucleosome resolution with appropriate biophysical parameters. Following a description of our protocol, we present applications to the NXN, HOXC, HOXA and Fbn2 mouse genes ranging in size from 50 to 100 kb. Such nucleosome-resolution genome structures pave the way for pursuing many biomedical applications related to the epigenomic regulation of chromatin and control of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Li
- Department of Chemistry, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, 24 Waverly Place, Silver Building, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012, USA
- New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China
- Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, 24 Waverly Place, Silver Building, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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39
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Ahmad K, Brahma S, Henikoff S. Epigenetic pioneering by SWI/SNF family remodelers. Mol Cell 2024; 84:194-201. [PMID: 38016477 PMCID: PMC10842064 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic genomes, transcriptional machinery and nucleosomes compete for binding to DNA sequences; thus, a crucial aspect of gene regulatory element function is to modulate chromatin accessibility for transcription factor (TF) and RNA polymerase binding. Recent structural studies have revealed multiple modes of TF engagement with nucleosomes, but how initial "pioneering" results in steady-state DNA accessibility for further TF binding and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) engagement has been unclear. Even less well understood is how distant sites of open chromatin interact with one another, such as when developmental enhancers activate promoters to release RNAPII for productive elongation. Here, we review evidence for the centrality of the conserved SWI/SNF family of nucleosome remodeling complexes, both in pioneering and in mediating enhancer-promoter contacts. Consideration of the nucleosome unwrapping and ATP hydrolysis activities of SWI/SNF complexes, together with their architectural features, may reconcile steady-state TF occupancy with rapid TF dynamics observed by live imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kami Ahmad
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sandipan Brahma
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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40
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Sun L, Zhou J, Xu X, Liu Y, Ma N, Liu Y, Nie W, Zou L, Deng XW, He H. Mapping nucleosome-resolution chromatin organization and enhancer-promoter loops in plants using Micro-C-XL. Nat Commun 2024; 15:35. [PMID: 38167349 PMCID: PMC10762229 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44347-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Although chromatin organizations in plants have been dissected at the scales of compartments and topologically associating domain (TAD)-like domains, there remains a gap in resolving fine-scale structures. Here, we use Micro-C-XL, a high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C)-based technology that involves micrococcal nuclease (instead of restriction enzymes) and long cross-linkers, to dissect single nucleosome-resolution chromatin organization in Arabidopsis. Insulation analysis reveals more than 14,000 boundaries, which mostly include chromatin accessibility, epigenetic modifications, and transcription factors. Micro-C-XL reveals associations between RNA Pols and local chromatin organizations, suggesting that gene transcription substantially contributes to the establishment of local chromatin domains. By perturbing Pol II both genetically and chemically at the gene level, we confirm its function in regulating chromatin organization. Visible loops and stripes are assigned to super-enhancers and their targeted genes, thus providing direct insights for the identification and mechanistic analysis of distal CREs and their working modes in plants. We further investigate possible factors regulating these chromatin loops. Subsequently, we expand Micro-C-XL to soybean and rice. In summary, we use Micro-C-XL for analyses of plants, which reveal fine-scale chromatin organization and enhancer-promoter loops and provide insights regarding three-dimensional genomes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhua Sun
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jingru Zhou
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ni Ma
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- PKU-Tsinghua-NIBS Graduate Program, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yutong Liu
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Wenchao Nie
- Wuhan Frasergen Bioinformatics Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430075, China
| | - Ling Zou
- Wuhan Frasergen Bioinformatics Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430075, China
| | - Xing Wang Deng
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China.
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Hang He
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China.
- School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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41
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Sept CE, Tak YE, Cerda-Smith CG, Hutchinson HM, Goel V, Blanchette M, Bhakta MS, Hansen AS, Joung JK, Johnstone S, Eyler CE, Aryee MJ. High-resolution CTCF footprinting reveals impact of chromatin state on cohesin extrusion dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.20.563340. [PMID: 37961446 PMCID: PMC10634716 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
DNA looping is vital for establishing many enhancer-promoter interactions. While CTCF is known to anchor many cohesin-mediated loops, the looped chromatin fiber appears to predominantly exist in a poorly characterized actively extruding state. To better characterize extruding chromatin loop structures, we used CTCF MNase HiChIP data to determine both CTCF binding at high resolution and 3D contact information. Here we present FactorFinder, a tool that identifies CTCF binding sites at near base-pair resolution. We leverage this substantial advance in resolution to determine that the fully extruded (CTCF-CTCF) state is rare genome-wide with locus-specific variation from ~1-10%. We further investigate the impact of chromatin state on loop extrusion dynamics, and find that active enhancers and RNA Pol II impede cohesin extrusion, facilitating an enrichment of enhancer-promoter contacts in the partially extruded loop state. We propose a model of topological regulation whereby the transient, partially extruded states play active roles in transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corriene E Sept
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Y Esther Tak
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital; Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christian G Cerda-Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Haley M Hutchinson
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Viraat Goel
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Marco Blanchette
- Dovetail Genomics, Cantata Bio LLC, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, USA
| | - Mital S Bhakta
- Dovetail Genomics, Cantata Bio LLC, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, USA
| | - Anders S Hansen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - J Keith Joung
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital; Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sarah Johnstone
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christine E Eyler
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Martin J Aryee
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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42
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Negri ML, D'Annunzio S, Vitali G, Zippo A. May the force be with you: Nuclear condensates function beyond transcription control: Potential nongenetic functions of nuclear condensates in physiological and pathological conditions. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300075. [PMID: 37530178 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, research has revealed biomolecular condensates' relevance in diverse cellular functions. Through a phase separation process, they concentrate macromolecules in subcompartments shaping the cellular organization and physiology. In the nucleus, biomolecular condensates assemble relevant biomolecules that orchestrate gene expression. We here hypothesize that chromatin condensates can also modulate the nongenetic functions of the genome, including the nuclear mechanical properties. The importance of chromatin condensates is supported by the genetic evidence indicating that mutations in their members are causative of a group of rare Mendelian diseases named chromatinopathies (CPs). Despite a broad spectrum of clinical features and the perturbations of the epigenetic machinery characterizing the CPs, recent findings highlighted negligible changes in gene expression. These data argue in favor of possible noncanonical functions of chromatin condensates in regulating the genome's spatial organization and, consequently, the nuclear mechanics. In this review, we discuss how condensates may impact nuclear mechanical properties, thus affecting the cellular response to mechanical cues and, eventually, cell fate and identity. Chromatin condensates organize macromolecules in the nucleus orchestrating the transcription regulation and mutations in their members are responsible for rare diseases named chromatinopathies. We argue that chromatin condensates, in concert with the nuclear lamina, may also govern the nuclear mechanical properties affecting the cellular response to external cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luce Negri
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Sarah D'Annunzio
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giulia Vitali
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessio Zippo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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43
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Soroczynski J, Risca VI. Technological advances in probing 4D genome organization. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 84:102211. [PMID: 37556867 PMCID: PMC10588670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
The last two decades of work on chromosome conformation in eukaryotic nuclei have revealed a complex and highly regulated hierarchy of architectural features, from self-associating domains and compartmental interactions to locus-specific loops. Recent findings have shown that these structures are dynamic and heterogeneous, with emerging insights into the factors that shape them and implications for the control of transcription and other nuclear processes. Here, we review the latest advances in the DNA sequencing- and microscopy-based technologies for probing these features in space and time (4D) and discuss how they have been combined with complementary approaches such as genetic perturbations, protein and RNA measurements, and modeling to gain mechanistic insights about genome regulation across space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Soroczynski
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., Box 176, New York, NY 10065, USA; David Rockefeller Graduate Program in Bioscience, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Viviana I Risca
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., Box 176, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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44
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Cerda-Smith CG, Hutchinson HM, Liu A, Goel VY, Sept C, Kim H, Casaní-Galdón S, Burkman KG, Bassil CF, Hansen AS, Aryee MJ, Johnstone SE, Eyler CE, Wood KC. Integrative PTEN Enhancer Discovery Reveals a New Model of Enhancer Organization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.20.558459. [PMID: 37786671 PMCID: PMC10541578 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.20.558459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers possess both structural elements mediating promoter looping and functional elements mediating gene expression. Traditional models of enhancer-mediated gene regulation imply genomic overlap or immediate adjacency of these elements. We test this model by combining densely-tiled CRISPRa screening with nucleosome-resolution Region Capture Micro-C topology analysis. Using this integrated approach, we comprehensively define the cis-regulatory landscape for the tumor suppressor PTEN, identifying and validating 10 distinct enhancers and defining their 3D spatial organization. Unexpectedly, we identify several long-range functional enhancers whose promoter proximity is facilitated by chromatin loop anchors several kilobases away, and demonstrate that accounting for this spatial separation improves the computational prediction of validated enhancers. Thus, we propose a new model of enhancer organization incorporating spatial separation of essential functional and structural components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian G. Cerda-Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Haley M. Hutchinson
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Annie Liu
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Viraat Y. Goel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, 02139, USA
- Broad Institute; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Corriene Sept
- Broad Institute; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health; Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Holly Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Salvador Casaní-Galdón
- Broad Institute; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Katherine G. Burkman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Christopher F. Bassil
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anders S. Hansen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, 02139, USA
- Broad Institute; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Martin J. Aryee
- Broad Institute; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sarah E. Johnstone
- Broad Institute; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christine E. Eyler
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kris C. Wood
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine; Durham, NC 27710, USA
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45
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Friman ET, Flyamer IM, Marenduzzo D, Boyle S, Bickmore WA. Ultra-long-range interactions between active regulatory elements. Genome Res 2023; 33:1269-1283. [PMID: 37451823 PMCID: PMC10547262 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277567.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Contacts between enhancers and promoters are thought to relate to their ability to activate transcription. Investigating factors that contribute to such chromatin interactions is therefore important for understanding gene regulation. Here, we have determined contact frequencies between millions of pairs of cis-regulatory elements from chromosome conformation capture data sets and analyzed a collection of hundreds of DNA-binding factors for binding at regions of enriched contacts. This analysis revealed enriched contacts at sites bound by many factors associated with active transcription. We show that active regulatory elements, independent of cohesin and polycomb, interact with each other across distances of tens of megabases in vertebrate and invertebrate genomes and that interactions correlate and change with activity. However, these ultra-long-range interactions are not dependent on RNA polymerase II transcription or individual transcription cofactors. Using simulations, we show that a model of chromatin and multivalent binding factors can give rise to long-range interactions via bridging-induced clustering. We propose that long-range interactions between cis-regulatory elements are driven by at least three distinct processes: cohesin-mediated loop extrusion, polycomb contacts, and clustering of active regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias T Friman
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom;
| | - Ilya M Flyamer
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Marenduzzo
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Shelagh Boyle
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy A Bickmore
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom;
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46
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Galitsyna A, Ulianov SV, Bykov NS, Veil M, Gao M, Perevoschikova K, Gelfand M, Razin SV, Mirny L, Onichtchouk D. Extrusion fountains are hallmarks of chromosome organization emerging upon zygotic genome activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.15.549120. [PMID: 37503128 PMCID: PMC10370019 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.15.549120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The first activation of gene expression during development (zygotic genome activation, ZGA) is accompanied by massive changes in chromosome organization. The connection between these two processes remains unknown. Using Hi-C for zebrafish embryos, we found that chromosome folding starts by establishing "fountains", novel elements of chromosome organization, emerging selectively at enhancers upon ZGA. Using polymer simulations, we demonstrate that fountains can emerge as sites of targeted cohesin loading and require two-sided, yet desynchronized, loop extrusion. Specific loss of fountains upon loss of pioneer transcription factors that drive ZGA reveals a causal connection between enhancer activity and fountain formation. Finally, we show that fountains emerge in early Medaka and Xenopus embryos; moreover, we found cohesin-dependent fountain pattern on enhancers of mouse embryonic stem cells. Taken together, fountains are the first enhancer-specific elements of chromosome organization; they constitute starting points of chromosome folding during early development, likely serving as sites of targeted cohesin loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Galitsyna
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sergey V. Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Nikolai S. Bykov
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems (the Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Baldiri Reixac 4, Barcelona, 08028 Spain
| | - Marina Veil
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Meijiang Gao
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Kristina Perevoschikova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Mikhail Gelfand
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems (the Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - Sergey V. Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Leonid Mirny
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Daria Onichtchouk
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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47
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Ramasamy S, Aljahani A, Karpinska MA, Cao TBN, Velychko T, Cruz JN, Lidschreiber M, Oudelaar AM. The Mediator complex regulates enhancer-promoter interactions. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023:10.1038/s41594-023-01027-2. [PMID: 37430065 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01027-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer-mediated gene activation generally requires physical proximity between enhancers and their target gene promoters. However, the molecular mechanisms by which interactions between enhancers and promoters are formed are not well understood. Here, we investigate the function of the Mediator complex in the regulation of enhancer-promoter interactions, by combining rapid protein depletion and high-resolution MNase-based chromosome conformation capture approaches. We show that depletion of Mediator leads to reduced enhancer-promoter interaction frequencies, which are associated with a strong decrease in gene expression. In addition, we find increased interactions between CTCF-binding sites upon Mediator depletion. These changes in chromatin architecture are associated with a redistribution of the Cohesin complex on chromatin and a reduction in Cohesin occupancy at enhancers. Together, our results indicate that the Mediator and Cohesin complexes contribute to enhancer-promoter interactions and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms by which communication between enhancers and promoters is regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Ramasamy
- Genome Organization and Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Abrar Aljahani
- Genome Organization and Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Magdalena A Karpinska
- Genome Organization and Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - T B Ngoc Cao
- Genome Organization and Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Taras Velychko
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - J Neos Cruz
- Genome Organization and Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Lidschreiber
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - A Marieke Oudelaar
- Genome Organization and Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
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48
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Razin SV, Ulianov SV, Iarovaia OV. Enhancer Function in the 3D Genome. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1277. [PMID: 37372457 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we consider various aspects of enhancer functioning in the context of the 3D genome. Particular attention is paid to the mechanisms of enhancer-promoter communication and the significance of the spatial juxtaposition of enhancers and promoters in 3D nuclear space. A model of an activator chromatin compartment is substantiated, which provides the possibility of transferring activating factors from an enhancer to a promoter without establishing direct contact between these elements. The mechanisms of selective activation of individual promoters or promoter classes by enhancers are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey V Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V Iarovaia
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
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49
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Goychuk A, Kannan D, Chakraborty AK, Kardar M. Polymer folding through active processes recreates features of genome organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221726120. [PMID: 37155885 PMCID: PMC10194017 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221726120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
From proteins to chromosomes, polymers fold into specific conformations that control their biological function. Polymer folding has long been studied with equilibrium thermodynamics, yet intracellular organization and regulation involve energy-consuming, active processes. Signatures of activity have been measured in the context of chromatin motion, which shows spatial correlations and enhanced subdiffusion only in the presence of adenosine triphosphate. Moreover, chromatin motion varies with genomic coordinate, pointing toward a heterogeneous pattern of active processes along the sequence. How do such patterns of activity affect the conformation of a polymer such as chromatin? We address this question by combining analytical theory and simulations to study a polymer subjected to sequence-dependent correlated active forces. Our analysis shows that a local increase in activity (larger active forces) can cause the polymer backbone to bend and expand, while less active segments straighten out and condense. Our simulations further predict that modest activity differences can drive compartmentalization of the polymer consistent with the patterns observed in chromosome conformation capture experiments. Moreover, segments of the polymer that show correlated active (sub)diffusion attract each other through effective long-ranged harmonic interactions, whereas anticorrelations lead to effective repulsions. Thus, our theory offers nonequilibrium mechanisms for forming genomic compartments, which cannot be distinguished from affinity-based folding using structural data alone. As a first step toward exploring whether active mechanisms contribute to shaping genome conformations, we discuss a data-driven approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andriy Goychuk
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Deepti Kannan
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Arup K. Chakraborty
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Mehran Kardar
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
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