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Liu S, Athreya A, Lao Z, Zhang B. From Nucleosomes to Compartments: Physicochemical Interactions Underlying Chromatin Organization. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:221-245. [PMID: 38346246 PMCID: PMC11369498 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030822-032650] [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] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Chromatin organization plays a critical role in cellular function by regulating access to genetic information. However, understanding chromatin folding is challenging due to its complex, multiscale nature. Significant progress has been made in studying in vitro systems, uncovering the structure of individual nucleosomes and their arrays, and elucidating the role of physicochemical forces in stabilizing these structures. Additionally, remarkable advancements have been achieved in characterizing chromatin organization in vivo, particularly at the whole-chromosome level, revealing important features such as chromatin loops, topologically associating domains, and nuclear compartments. However, bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies remains challenging. The resemblance between in vitro and in vivo chromatin conformations and the relevance of internucleosomal interactions for chromatin folding in vivo are subjects of debate. This article reviews experimental and computational studies conducted at various length scales, highlighting the significance of intrinsic interactions between nucleosomes and their roles in chromatin folding in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Advait Athreya
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Zhuohan Lao
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
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2
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Zhang J, Zhao H, Zou B, Li H, Dong S, Guan J, Wang C, Li W, Liu Y, Chen Y, Rasheed N, He J. Cryo-EM structure and functional analysis of the chromatin remodeler RSF. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2024; 80:125-134. [PMID: 38818823 PMCID: PMC11189100 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x24004655] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The RSF complex belongs to the ISWI chromatin-remodeling family and is composed of two subunits: RSF1 (remodeling and spacing factor 1) and SNF2h (sucrose nonfermenting protein 2 homolog). The RSF complex participates in nucleosome spacing and assembly, and subsequently promotes nucleosome maturation. Although SNF2h has been extensively studied in the last few years, the structural and functional properties of the remodeler RSF1 still remain vague. Here, a cryo-EM structure of the RSF-nucleosome complex is reported. The 3D model shows a two-lobe architecture of RSF, and the structure of the RSF-nucleosome (flanked with linker DNA) complex shows that the RSF complex moves the DNA away from the histone octamer surface at the DNA-entry point. Additionally, a nucleosome-sliding assay and a restriction-enzyme accessibility assay show that the RSF1 subunit may cause changes in the chromatin-remodeling properties of SNF2h. As a `nucleosome ruler', the results of an RSF-dinucleosome binding affinity test led to the proposal that the critical distance that RSF `measures' between two nucleosomes is about 24 base pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Heyu Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Binqian Zou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Huadong Li
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuqi Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Jiali Guan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Chi Wang
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiAnhuiPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Weijie Li
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yutong Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Yingying Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Nadia Rasheed
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
| | - Jun He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine GIBH–HKU Guangdong–Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre GIBH–CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education InstitutesThe Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of ScienceGuangzhouGuangdongPeople’s Republic of China
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3
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Sinha K, Bilokapic S, Du Y, Malik D, Halic M. Histone modifications regulate pioneer transcription factor binding and cooperativity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.14.532583. [PMID: 36993452 PMCID: PMC10055048 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.14.532583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Pioneer transcription factors have the ability to access DNA in compacted chromatin. Multiple transcription factors can bind together to a regulatory element in a cooperative way and cooperation between pioneer transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2 is important for pluripotency and reprogramming. However, the molecular mechanisms by which pioneer transcription factors function and cooperate remain unclear. Here we present cryo-EM structures of human Oct4 bound to a nucleosome containing human Lin28B and nMatn1 DNA sequences, which bear multiple binding sites for Oct4. Our structural and biochemistry data reveal that Oct4 binding induces changes to the nucleosome structure, repositions the nucleosomal DNA and facilitates cooperative binding of additional Oct4 and of Sox2 to their internal binding sites. The flexible activation domain of Oct4 contacts the histone H4 N-terminal tail, altering its conformation and thus promoting chromatin decompaction. Moreover, the DNA binding domain of Oct4 engages with histone H3 N-terminal tail, and posttranslational modifications at H3K27 modulate DNA positioning and affect transcription factor cooperativity. Thus, our data show that the epigenetic landscape can regulate Oct4 activity to ensure proper cell reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyan Sinha
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Silvija Bilokapic
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Yongming Du
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Deepshikha Malik
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Mario Halic
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- Corresponding author:
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4
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Wen T, Yang K, Greenberg MM. Local Alteration of Ionic Strength in a Nucleosome Core Particle and Its Effect on N7-Methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine Depurination. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2221-2228. [PMID: 36136907 PMCID: PMC9670023 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00342] [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] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Positively charged N-terminal histone tails play important roles in maintaining the nucleosome (and chromatin) structure and function. Charge alteration, including those imposed by post-translational modifications, impacts chromatin dynamics, protein binding, and the fate of DNA damage. There is evidence that N-terminal histone tails affect the local ionic environment within a nucleosome core particle (NCP), but this phenomenon is not well understood. Determining the modulation of the local ionic environment within an NCP by histone tails could help uncover the underlying mechanisms of their functions and effects. Utilizing bottom-up syntheses of NCPs containing wild-type or mutated histones and a fluorescent probe that is sensitive to the local ionic environment, we show that interaction with positively charged N-terminal tails increases the local ionic strength near nucleosomal DNA. The effect is diminished by replacing positively charged residues with neutral ones or deleting a tail in its entirety. Replacing the fluorescent probe with the major DNA methylation product, N7-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (MdG), revealed changes in the depurination rate constant varying inversely with local ionic strength. These data indicate that the MdG hydrolysis rates depend on and also inform on local ionic strength in an NCP. Overall, histone tail charge contributes to the complexity of the NCP structure and function by modulating the local ionic strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingyu Wen
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Marc M Greenberg
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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N-Terminal Tails of Histones H2A and H2B Differentially Affect Transcription by RNA Polymerase II In Vitro. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162475. [PMID: 36010552 PMCID: PMC9406932 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone N-terminal tails and their post-translational modifications affect various biological processes, often in a context-specific manner; the underlying mechanisms are poorly studied. Here, the role of individual N-terminal tails of histones H2A/H2B during transcription through chromatin was analyzed in vitro. spFRET data suggest that the tail of histone H2B (but not of histone H2A) affects nucleosome stability. Accordingly, deletion of the H2B tail (amino acids 1–31, but not 1–26) causes a partial relief of the nucleosomal barrier to transcribing RNA polymerase II (Pol II), likely facilitating uncoiling of DNA from the histone octamer during transcription. Taken together, the data suggest that residues 27–31 of histone H2B stabilize DNA–histone interactions at the DNA region localized ~25 bp in the nucleosome and thus interfere with Pol II progression through the region localized 11–15 bp in the nucleosome. This function of histone H2B requires the presence of the histone H2A N-tail that mediates formation of nucleosome–nucleosome dimers; however, nucleosome dimerization per se plays only a minimal role during transcription. Histone chaperone FACT facilitates transcription through all analyzed nucleosome variants, suggesting that H2A/H2B tails minimally interact with FACT during transcription; therefore, an alternative FACT-interacting domain(s) is likely involved in this process.
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Zhang M, Díaz-Celis C, Onoa B, Cañari-Chumpitaz C, Requejo KI, Liu J, Vien M, Nogales E, Ren G, Bustamante C. Molecular organization of the early stages of nucleosome phase separation visualized by cryo-electron tomography. Mol Cell 2022; 82:3000-3014.e9. [PMID: 35907400 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
It has been proposed that the intrinsic property of nucleosome arrays to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro is responsible for chromatin domain organization in vivo. However, understanding nucleosomal LLPS has been hindered by the challenge to characterize the structure of the resulting heterogeneous condensates. We used cryo-electron tomography and deep-learning-based 3D reconstruction/segmentation to determine the molecular organization of condensates at various stages of LLPS. We show that nucleosomal LLPS involves a two-step process: a spinodal decomposition process yielding irregular condensates, followed by their unfavorable conversion into more compact, spherical nuclei that grow into larger spherical aggregates through accretion of spinodal materials or by fusion with other spherical condensates. Histone H1 catalyzes more than 10-fold the spinodal-to-spherical conversion. We propose that this transition involves exposure of nucleosome hydrophobic surfaces causing modified inter-nucleosome interactions. These results suggest a physical mechanism by which chromatin may transition from interphase to metaphase structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - César Díaz-Celis
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Bibiana Onoa
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Katherinne I Requejo
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jianfang Liu
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael Vien
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Eva Nogales
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gang Ren
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Carlos Bustamante
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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7
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Dombrowski M, Engeholm M, Dienemann C, Dodonova S, Cramer P. Histone H1 binding to nucleosome arrays depends on linker DNA length and trajectory. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:493-501. [PMID: 35581345 PMCID: PMC9113941 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00768-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Throughout the genome, nucleosomes often form regular arrays that differ in nucleosome repeat length (NRL), occupancy of linker histone H1 and transcriptional activity. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of human H1-containing tetranucleosome arrays with four physiologically relevant NRLs. The structures show a zig-zag arrangement of nucleosomes, with nucleosomes 1 and 3 forming a stack. H1 binding to stacked nucleosomes depends on the NRL, whereas H1 always binds to the non-stacked nucleosomes 2 and 4. Short NRLs lead to altered trajectories of linker DNA, and these altered trajectories sterically impair H1 binding to the stacked nucleosomes in our structures. As the NRL increases, linker DNA trajectories relax, enabling H1 contacts and binding. Our results provide an explanation for why arrays with short NRLs are depleted of H1 and suited for transcription, whereas arrays with long NRLs show full H1 occupancy and can form transcriptionally silent heterochromatin regions. Cryo-EM structures of human H1-containing tetranucleosome arrays with distinct, physiological nucleosome repeat lengths reveal that nucleosomes assume a zig-zag arrangement and H1 binds to stacked nucleosomes with longer linker DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Dombrowski
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maik Engeholm
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Dienemann
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Svetlana Dodonova
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany. .,Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
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8
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Zhou K, Gebala M, Woods D, Sundararajan K, Edwards G, Krzizike D, Wereszczynski J, Straight AF, Luger K. CENP-N promotes the compaction of centromeric chromatin. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:403-413. [PMID: 35422519 PMCID: PMC9010303 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00758-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The histone variant CENP-A is the epigenetic determinant for the centromere, where it is interspersed with canonical H3 to form a specialized chromatin structure that nucleates the kinetochore. How nucleosomes at the centromere arrange into higher order structures is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the human CENP-A-interacting protein CENP-N promotes the stacking of CENP-A-containing mononucleosomes and nucleosomal arrays through a previously undefined interaction between the α6 helix of CENP-N with the DNA of a neighboring nucleosome. We describe the cryo-EM structures and biophysical characterization of such CENP-N-mediated nucleosome stacks and nucleosomal arrays and demonstrate that this interaction is responsible for the formation of densely packed chromatin at the centromere in the cell. Our results provide first evidence that CENP-A, together with CENP-N, promotes specific chromatin higher order structure at the centromere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keda Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Magdalena Gebala
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dustin Woods
- Department of Chemistry and the Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Garrett Edwards
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Dan Krzizike
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jeff Wereszczynski
- Department of Physics and the Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aaron F Straight
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Karolin Luger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
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9
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Furukawa A, Wakamori M, Arimura Y, Ohtomo H, Tsunaka Y, Kurumizaka H, Umehara T, Nishimura Y. Characteristic H3 N-tail dynamics in the nucleosome core particle, nucleosome, and chromatosome. iScience 2022; 25:103937. [PMID: 35265811 PMCID: PMC8898912 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleosome core particle (NCP) comprises a histone octamer, wrapped around by ∼146-bp DNA, while the nucleosome additionally contains linker DNA. We previously showed that, in the nucleosome, H4 N-tail acetylation enhances H3 N-tail acetylation by altering their mutual dynamics. Here, we have evaluated the roles of linker DNA and/or linker histone on H3 N-tail dynamics and acetylation by using the NCP and the chromatosome (i.e., linker histone H1.4-bound nucleosome). In contrast to the nucleosome, H3 N-tail acetylation and dynamics are greatly suppressed in the NCP regardless of H4 N-tail acetylation because the H3 N-tail is strongly bound between two DNA gyres. In the chromatosome, the asymmetric H3 N-tail adopts two conformations: one contacts two DNA gyres, as in the NCP; and one contacts linker DNA, as in the nucleosome. However, the rate of H3 N-tail acetylation is similar in the chromatosome and nucleosome. Thus, linker DNA and linker histone both regulate H3-tail dynamics and acetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Furukawa
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Wakamori
- Laboratory for Epigenetics Drug Discovery, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Arimura
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hideaki Ohtomo
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasuo Tsunaka
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Takashi Umehara
- Laboratory for Epigenetics Drug Discovery, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Nishimura
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.,Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8258, Japan
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10
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Effect of histone H4 tail on nucleosome stability and internucleosomal interactions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24086. [PMID: 34916563 PMCID: PMC8677776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03561-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin structure is dictated by nucleosome assembly and internucleosomal interactions. The tight wrapping of nucleosomes inhibits gene expression, but modifications to histone tails modulate chromatin structure, allowing for proper genetic function. The histone H4 tail is thought to play a large role in regulating chromatin structure. Here we investigated the structure of nucleosomes assembled with a tail-truncated H4 histone using Atomic Force Microscopy. We assembled tail-truncated H4 nucleosomes on DNA templates allowing for the assembly of mononucleosomes or dinucleosomes. Mononucleosomes assembled on nonspecific DNA led to decreased DNA wrapping efficiency. This effect is less pronounced for nucleosomes assembled on positioning motifs. Dinucleosome studies resulted in the discovery of two effects- truncation of the H4 tail does not diminish the preferential positioning observed in full-length nucleosomes, and internucleosomal interaction eliminates the DNA unwrapping effect. These findings provide insight on the role of histone H4 in chromatin structure and stability.
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11
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Ackermann BE, Debelouchina GT. Emerging Contributions of Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy to Chromatin Structural Biology. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:741581. [PMID: 34708075 PMCID: PMC8544521 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.741581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic genome is packaged into chromatin, a polymer of DNA and histone proteins that regulates gene expression and the spatial organization of nuclear content. The repetitive character of chromatin is diversified into rich layers of complexity that encompass DNA sequence, histone variants and post-translational modifications. Subtle molecular changes in these variables can often lead to global chromatin rearrangements that dictate entire gene programs with far reaching implications for development and disease. Decades of structural biology advances have revealed the complex relationship between chromatin structure, dynamics, interactions, and gene expression. Here, we focus on the emerging contributions of magic-angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MAS NMR), a relative newcomer on the chromatin structural biology stage. Unique among structural biology techniques, MAS NMR is ideally suited to provide atomic level information regarding both the rigid and dynamic components of this complex and heterogenous biological polymer. In this review, we highlight the advantages MAS NMR can offer to chromatin structural biologists, discuss sample preparation strategies for structural analysis, summarize recent MAS NMR studies of chromatin structure and dynamics, and close by discussing how MAS NMR can be combined with state-of-the-art chemical biology tools to reconstitute and dissect complex chromatin environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Galia T. Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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12
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Daban JR. Soft-matter properties of multilayer chromosomes. Phys Biol 2021; 18. [PMID: 34126606 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac0aff] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This perspective aims to identify the relationships between the structural and dynamic properties of chromosomes and the fundamental properties of soft-matter systems. Chromatin is condensed into metaphase chromosomes during mitosis. The resulting structures are elongated cylinders having micrometer-scale dimensions. Our previous studies, using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and cryo-electron tomography, suggested that metaphase chromosomes have a multilayered structure, in which each individual layer has the width corresponding to a mononucleosome sheet. The self-assembly of multilayer chromatin plates from small chromatin fragments suggests that metaphase chromosomes are self-organized hydrogels (in which a single DNA molecule crosslinks the whole structure) with an internal liquid-crystal order produced by the stacking of chromatin layers along the chromosome axis. This organization of chromatin was unexpected, but the spontaneous assembly of large structures has been studied in different soft-matter systems and, according to these studies, the self-organization of chromosomes could be justified by the interplay between weak interactions of repetitive nucleosome building blocks and thermal fluctuations. The low energy of interaction between relatively large building blocks also justifies the easy deformation and structural fluctuations of soft-matter structures and the changes of phase caused by diverse external factors. Consistent with these properties of soft matter, different experimental results show that metaphase chromosomes are easily deformable. Furthermore, at the end of mitosis, condensed chromosomes undergo a phase transition into a more fluid structure, which can be correlated to the decrease in the Mg2+concentration and to the dissociation of condensins from chromosomes. Presumably, the unstacking of layers and chromatin fluctuations driven by thermal energy facilitate gene expression during interphase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan-Ramon Daban
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
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13
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Strom AR, Biggs RJ, Banigan EJ, Wang X, Chiu K, Herman C, Collado J, Yue F, Ritland Politz JC, Tait LJ, Scalzo D, Telling A, Groudine M, Brangwynne CP, Marko JF, Stephens AD. HP1α is a chromatin crosslinker that controls nuclear and mitotic chromosome mechanics. eLife 2021; 10:e63972. [PMID: 34106828 PMCID: PMC8233041 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin, which consists of DNA and associated proteins, contains genetic information and is a mechanical component of the nucleus. Heterochromatic histone methylation controls nucleus and chromosome stiffness, but the contribution of heterochromatin protein HP1α (CBX5) is unknown. We used a novel HP1α auxin-inducible degron human cell line to rapidly degrade HP1α. Degradation did not alter transcription, local chromatin compaction, or histone methylation, but did decrease chromatin stiffness. Single-nucleus micromanipulation reveals that HP1α is essential to chromatin-based mechanics and maintains nuclear morphology, separate from histone methylation. Further experiments with dimerization-deficient HP1αI165E indicate that chromatin crosslinking via HP1α dimerization is critical, while polymer simulations demonstrate the importance of chromatin-chromatin crosslinkers in mechanics. In mitotic chromosomes, HP1α similarly bolsters stiffness while aiding in mitotic alignment and faithful segregation. HP1α is therefore a critical chromatin-crosslinking protein that provides mechanical strength to chromosomes and the nucleus throughout the cell cycle and supports cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Strom
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ronald J Biggs
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Edward J Banigan
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Xiaotao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Katherine Chiu
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Cameron Herman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Jimena Collado
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Feng Yue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | | | - Leah J Tait
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - David Scalzo
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Agnes Telling
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Mark Groudine
- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Clifford P Brangwynne
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - John F Marko
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Andrew D Stephens
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
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14
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Peng Y, Li S, Landsman D, Panchenko AR. Histone tails as signaling antennas of chromatin. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 67:153-160. [PMID: 33279866 PMCID: PMC8096652 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Histone tails, representing the N-terminal or C-terminal regions flanking the histone core, play essential roles in chromatin signaling networks. Intrinsic disorder of histone tails and their propensity for post-translational modifications allow them to serve as hubs in coordination of epigenetic processes within the nucleosomal context. Deposition of histone variants with distinct histone tail properties further enriches histone tails' repertoire in epigenetic signaling. Given the advances in experimental techniques and in silico modelling, we review the most recent data on histone tails' effects on nucleosome stability and dynamics, their function in regulating chromatin accessibility and folding. Finally, we discuss different molecular mechanisms to understand how histone tails are involved in nucleosome recognition by binding partners and formation of higher-order chromatin structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhui Peng
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shuxiang Li
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Queen's University, ON, Canada
| | - David Landsman
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anna R Panchenko
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Queen's University, ON, Canada.
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15
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Ghoneim M, Fuchs HA, Musselman CA. Histone Tail Conformations: A Fuzzy Affair with DNA. Trends Biochem Sci 2021; 46:564-578. [PMID: 33551235 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The core histone tails are critical in chromatin structure and signaling. Studies over the past several decades have provided a wealth of information on the histone tails and their interaction with chromatin factors. However, the conformation of the histone tails in a chromatin relevant context has remained elusive. Only recently has enough evidence emerged to start to build a structural model of the tails in the context of nucleosomes and nucleosome arrays. Here, we review these studies and propose that the histone tails adopt a high-affinity fuzzy complex with DNA, characterized by robust but dynamic association. Furthermore, we discuss how these DNA-bound conformational ensembles promote distinct chromatin structure and signaling, and that their fuzzy nature is important in transitioning between functional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ghoneim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Harrison A Fuchs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Catherine A Musselman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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16
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Linker histone defines structure and self-association behaviour of the 177 bp human chromatosome. Sci Rep 2021; 11:380. [PMID: 33432055 PMCID: PMC7801413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79654-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Linker histones play essential roles in the regulation and maintenance of the dynamic chromatin structure of higher eukaryotes. The influence of human histone H1.0 on the nucleosome structure and biophysical properties of the resulting chromatosome were investigated and compared with the 177-bp nucleosome using Cryo-EM and SAXS. The 4.5 Å Cryo-EM chromatosome structure showed that the linker histone binds at the nucleosome dyad interacting with both linker DNA arms but in a tilted manner leaning towards one of the linker sides. The chromatosome is laterally compacted and rigid in the dyad and linker DNA area, in comparison with the nucleosome where linker DNA region is more flexible and displays structural variability. In solution, the chromatosomes appear slightly larger than the nucleosomes, with the volume increase compared to the bound linker histone, according to solution SAXS measurements. SAXS X-ray diffraction characterisation of Mg-precipitated samples showed that the different shapes of the 177 chromatosome enabled the formation of a highly ordered lamello-columnar phase when precipitated by Mg2+, indicating the influence of linker histone on the nucleosome stacking. The biological significance of linker histone, therefore, may be affected by the change in the polyelectrolyte and DNA conformation properties of the chromatosomes, in comparison to nucleosomes.
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17
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Zhou BR, Feng H, Kale S, Fox T, Khant H, de Val N, Ghirlando R, Panchenko AR, Bai Y. Distinct Structures and Dynamics of Chromatosomes with Different Human Linker Histone Isoforms. Mol Cell 2021; 81:166-182.e6. [PMID: 33238161 PMCID: PMC7796963 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.10.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The repeating structural unit of metazoan chromatin is the chromatosome, a nucleosome bound to a linker histone, H1. There are 11 human H1 isoforms with diverse cellular functions, but how they interact with the nucleosome remains elusive. Here, we determined the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of chromatosomes containing 197 bp DNA and three different human H1 isoforms, respectively. The globular domains of all three H1 isoforms bound to the nucleosome dyad. However, the flanking/linker DNAs displayed substantial distinct dynamic conformations. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and H1 tail-swapping cryo-EM experiments revealed that the C-terminal tails of the H1 isoforms mainly controlled the flanking DNA orientations. We also observed partial ordering of the core histone H2A C-terminal and H3 N-terminal tails in the chromatosomes. Our results provide insights into the structures and dynamics of the chromatosomes and have implications for the structure and function of chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Rui Zhou
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hanqiao Feng
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Seyit Kale
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Dokuz Eylul University Health Campus, Balcova, Izmir 35330, Turkey
| | - Tara Fox
- Center of Macromolecular Microscopy, National Cancer Institute, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Htet Khant
- Center of Macromolecular Microscopy, National Cancer Institute, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Natalia de Val
- Center of Macromolecular Microscopy, National Cancer Institute, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anna R Panchenko
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Yawen Bai
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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18
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le Paige UB, Xiang S, Hendrix MMRM, Zhang Y, Folkers GE, Weingarth M, Bonvin AMJJ, Kutateladze TG, Voets IK, Baldus M, van Ingen H. Characterization of nucleosome sediments for protein interaction studies by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. MAGNETIC RESONANCE (GOTTINGEN, GERMANY) 2021; 2:187-202. [PMID: 35647606 PMCID: PMC9135053 DOI: 10.5194/mr-2-187-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of DNA-templated processes such as gene transcription and DNA repair depend on the interaction of a wide range of proteins with the nucleosome, the fundamental building block of chromatin. Both solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy have become an attractive approach to study the dynamics and interactions of nucleosomes, despite their high molecular weight of ~ 200 kDa. For solid-state NMR (ssNMR) studies, dilute solutions of nucleosomes are converted to a dense phase by sedimentation or precipitation. Since nucleosomes are known to self-associate, these dense phases may induce extensive interactions between nucleosomes, which could interfere with protein-binding studies. Here, we characterized the packing of nucleosomes in the dense phase created by sedimentation using NMR and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments. We found that nucleosome sediments are gels with variable degrees of solidity, have nucleosome concentration close to that found in crystals, and are stable for weeks under high-speed magic angle spinning (MAS). Furthermore, SAXS data recorded on recovered sediments indicate that there is no pronounced long-range ordering of nucleosomes in the sediment. Finally, we show that the sedimentation approach can also be used to study low-affinity protein interactions with the nucleosome. Together, our results give new insights into the sample characteristics of nucleosome sediments for ssNMR studies and illustrate the broad applicability of sedimentation-based NMR studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulric B. le Paige
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - ShengQi Xiang
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marco M. R. M. Hendrix
- Laboratory of Self-Organizing Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry & Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Gert E. Folkers
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Markus Weingarth
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexandre M. J. J. Bonvin
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tatiana G. Kutateladze
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Ilja K. Voets
- Laboratory of Self-Organizing Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry & Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Baldus
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hugo van Ingen
- Utrecht NMR Group, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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19
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Kenzaki H, Takada S. Linker DNA Length is a Key to Tri-nucleosome Folding. J Mol Biol 2020; 433:166792. [PMID: 33383034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.166792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The folding of a nucleosome array has long been one of the fundamental and unsolved problems in chromatin biology. In this study, we address how nucleosome array folding depends on the length of linker DNA. We performed molecular dynamics simulations of a tri-nucleosome, a minimal model of chromatin folding, with various linker lengths (LLs) ranging from 20 to 40 base pairs (bps). We found that the tri-nucleosome folding strongly depends on LLs, and classified the structure ensemble into five classes, named from trinuc-1 to trinuc-5. As a function of LL, the different classes appear, on average, every 2 bps with a period of 10 bps, and are characterized by distinct inter-nucleosome interactions. The trinuc-1 conformation corresponds to LL ~ 10n, where n is an integer, and is stabilized by the tight packing between the first and the third nucleosomes, consistent with a zigzag fiber form. Structures of the other four classes are more diverse and distributed continuously in the space of possible configurations. Histone-DNA electrostatic interactions in the tri-nucleosome are further analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroo Kenzaki
- Information Systems Division, Head Office for Information Systems and Cybersecurity, RIKEN, Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Shoji Takada
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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20
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Gaullier G, Roberts G, Muthurajan UM, Bowerman S, Rudolph J, Mahadevan J, Jha A, Rae PS, Luger K. Bridging of nucleosome-proximal DNA double-strand breaks by PARP2 enhances its interaction with HPF1. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240932. [PMID: 33141820 PMCID: PMC7608914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase 2 (PARP2) is one of three DNA-dependent PARPs involved in the detection of DNA damage. Upon binding to DNA double-strand breaks, PARP2 uses nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to synthesize poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) onto itself and other proteins, including histones. PAR chains in turn promote the DNA damage response by recruiting downstream repair factors. These early steps of DNA damage signaling are relevant for understanding how genome integrity is maintained and how their failure leads to genome instability or cancer. There is no structural information on DNA double-strand break detection in the context of chromatin. Here we present a cryo-EM structure of two nucleosomes bridged by human PARP2 and confirm that PARP2 bridges DNA ends in the context of nucleosomes bearing short linker DNA. We demonstrate that the conformation of PARP2 bound to damaged chromatin provides a binding platform for the regulatory protein Histone PARylation Factor 1 (HPF1), and that the resulting HPF1•PARP2•nucleosome complex is enzymatically active. Our results contribute to a structural view of the early steps of the DNA damage response in chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Gaullier
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Genevieve Roberts
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Uma M. Muthurajan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Samuel Bowerman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Johannes Rudolph
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Jyothi Mahadevan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Asmita Jha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Purushka S. Rae
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Karolin Luger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
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21
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Should Virus Capsids Assemble Perfectly? Theory and Observation of Defects. Biophys J 2020; 119:1781-1790. [PMID: 33113349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Although published structural models of viral capsids generally exhibit a high degree of regularity or symmetry, structural defects might be expected because of the fluctuating environment in which capsids assemble and the requirement of some capsids for disassembly before genome delivery. Defective structures are observed in computer simulations, and are evident in single-particle cryoelectron microscopy studies. Here, we quantify the conditions under which defects might be expected, using a statistical mechanics model allowing for ideal, defective, and vacant sites. The model displays a threshold in affinity parameters below which there is an appreciable population of defective capsids. Even when defective sites are not allowed, there is generally some population of vacancies. Analysis of single particles in cryoelectron microscopy micrographs yields a confirmatory ≳15% of defective particles. Our findings suggest structural heterogeneity in virus capsids may be under-appreciated, and also points to a nontraditional strategy for assembly inhibition.
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22
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Bilokapic S, Suskiewicz MJ, Ahel I, Halic M. Bridging of DNA breaks activates PARP2-HPF1 to modify chromatin. Nature 2020; 585:609-613. [PMID: 32939087 PMCID: PMC7529888 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2725-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Breaks in DNA strands recruit the protein PARP1 and its paralogue PARP2 to modify histones and other substrates through the addition of mono- and poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR)1-5. In the DNA damage responses, this post-translational modification occurs predominantly on serine residues6-8 and requires HPF1, an accessory factor that switches the amino acid specificity of PARP1 and PARP2 from aspartate or glutamate to serine9,10. Poly(ADP) ribosylation (PARylation) is important for subsequent chromatin decompaction and provides an anchor for the recruitment of downstream signalling and repair factors to the sites of DNA breaks2,11. Here, to understand the molecular mechanism by which PARP enzymes recognize DNA breaks within chromatin, we determined the cryo-electron-microscopic structure of human PARP2-HPF1 bound to a nucleosome. This showed that PARP2-HPF1 bridges two nucleosomes, with the broken DNA aligned in a position suitable for ligation, revealing the initial step in the repair of double-strand DNA breaks. The bridging induces structural changes in PARP2 that signal the recognition of a DNA break to the catalytic domain, which licenses HPF1 binding and PARP2 activation. Our data suggest that active PARP2 cycles through different conformational states to exchange NAD+ and substrate, which may enable PARP enzymes to act processively while bound to chromatin. The processes of PARP activation and the PARP catalytic cycle we describe can explain mechanisms of resistance to PARP inhibitors and will aid the development of better inhibitors as cancer treatments12-16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvija Bilokapic
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Ivan Ahel
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mario Halic
- Department of Structural Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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23
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Sanulli S, J Narlikar G. Liquid-like interactions in heterochromatin: Implications for mechanism and regulation. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 64:90-96. [PMID: 32434105 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A large portion of the eukaryotic genome is packed into heterochromatin, a versatile platform that is essential to maintain genome stability. Often associated with a compact and transcriptionally repressed chromatin state, heterochromatin was earlier considered a static and locked compartment. However, cumulative findings over the last 17 years have suggested that heterochromatin displays dynamics at different timescales and size scales. These dynamics are thought to be essential for the regulation of heterochromatin. This review illustrates how the key principles underlying heterochromatin structure and function have evolved along the years and summarizes the discoveries that have led to the continuous revision of these principles. Using heterochromatin protein 1-mediated heterochromatin as a context, we discuss a novel paradigm for heterochromatin organization based on two emerging concepts, phase separation and nucleosome structural plasticity. We also examine the broader implications of this paradigm for chromatin organization and regulation beyond heterochromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Sanulli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Geeta J Narlikar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
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24
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Chikhirzhina EV, Starkova TY, Polyanichko AM. The Role of Linker Histones in Chromatin Structural Organization. 2. Interaction with DNA and Nuclear Proteins. Biophysics (Nagoya-shi) 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006350920020049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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25
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Bendandi A, Dante S, Zia SR, Diaspro A, Rocchia W. Chromatin Compaction Multiscale Modeling: A Complex Synergy Between Theory, Simulation, and Experiment. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:15. [PMID: 32158765 PMCID: PMC7051991 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that trigger chromatin compaction, its patterns, and the factors they depend on, is a fundamental and still open question in Biology. Chromatin compacts and reinforces DNA and is a stable but dynamic structure, to make DNA accessible to proteins. In recent years, computational advances have provided larger amounts of data and have made large-scale simulations more viable. Experimental techniques for the extraction and reconstitution of chromatin fibers have improved, reinvigorating theoretical and experimental interest in the topic and stimulating debate on points previously considered as certainties regarding chromatin. A great assortment of approaches has emerged, from all-atom single-nucleosome or oligonucleosome simulations to various degrees of coarse graining, to polymer models, to fractal-like structures and purely topological models. Different fiber-start patterns have been studied in theory and experiment, as well as different linker DNA lengths. DNA is a highly charged macromolecule, making ionic and electrostatic interactions extremely important for chromatin topology and dynamics. Indeed, the repercussions of varying ionic concentration have been extensively examined at the computational level, using all-atom, coarse-grained, and continuum techniques. The presence of high-curvature AT-rich segments in DNA can cause conformational variations, attesting to the fact that the role of DNA is both structural and electrostatic. There have been some tentative attempts to describe the force fields governing chromatin conformational changes and the energy landscapes of these transitions, but the intricacy of the system has hampered reaching a consensus. The study of chromatin conformations is an intrinsically multiscale topic, influenced by a wide range of biological and physical interactions, spanning from the atomic to the chromosome level. Therefore, powerful modeling techniques and carefully planned experiments are required for an overview of the most relevant phenomena and interactions. The topic provides fertile ground for interdisciplinary studies featuring a synergy between theoretical and experimental scientists from different fields and the cross-validation of respective results, with a multi-scale perspective. Here, we summarize some of the most representative approaches, and focus on the importance of electrostatics and solvation, often overlooked aspects of chromatin modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemi Bendandi
- Physics Department, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Nanophysics & NIC@IIT, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Dante
- Nanophysics & NIC@IIT, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Syeda Rehana Zia
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Alberto Diaspro
- Physics Department, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Nanophysics & NIC@IIT, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Walter Rocchia
- Concept Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
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Daban JR. Supramolecular multilayer organization of chromosomes: possible functional roles of planar chromatin in gene expression and DNA replication and repair. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:395-411. [PMID: 31879954 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Experimental evidence indicates that the chromatin filament is self-organized into a multilayer planar structure that is densely stacked in metaphase and unstacked in interphase. This chromatin organization is unexpected, but it is shown that diverse supramolecular assemblies, including dinoflagellate chromosomes, are multilayered. The mechanical strength of planar chromatin protects the genome integrity, even when double-strand breaks are produced. Here, it is hypothesized that the chromatin filament in the loops and topologically associating domains is folded within the thin layers of the multilaminar chromosomes. It is also proposed that multilayer chromatin has two states: inactive when layers are stacked and active when layers are unstacked. Importantly, the well-defined topology of planar chromatin may facilitate DNA replication without entanglements and DNA repair by homologous recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan-Ramon Daban
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Grigoryev SA, Popova EY. Attraction of Likenesses: Mechanisms of Self-Association and Compartmentalization of Eukaryotic Chromatin. Mol Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893319060050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Beltran B, Kannan D, MacPherson Q, Spakowitz AJ. Geometrical Heterogeneity Dominates Thermal Fluctuations in Facilitating Chromatin Contacts. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:208103. [PMID: 31809067 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.208103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Within a living cell, the myriad of proteins that bind DNA introduce heterogeneously spaced kinks into an otherwise semiflexible DNA double helix. To investigate the effects of heterogeneous nucleosome binding on chromatin organization, we extend the wormlike chain model to include statistically spaced, rigid kinks. On timescales where nucleosome positions are fixed, we find that the probability of chromatin loop formation can vary by up to six orders of magnitude between two sets of nucleosome positions drawn from the same distribution. On longer timescales, we show that continuous rerandomization due to nucleosome turnover results in chromatin tracing out an effective WLC with a dramatically smaller Kuhn length than bare DNA. Together, these observations demonstrate that nucleosome spacing acts as the primary source of the structural heterogeneity that dominates local and global chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Beltran
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Deepti Kannan
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Quinn MacPherson
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Andrew J Spakowitz
- Chemical Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Socol M, Wang R, Jost D, Carrivain P, Vaillant C, Le Cam E, Dahirel V, Normand C, Bystricky K, Victor JM, Gadal O, Bancaud A. Rouse model with transient intramolecular contacts on a timescale of seconds recapitulates folding and fluctuation of yeast chromosomes. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:6195-6207. [PMID: 31114898 PMCID: PMC6614813 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA folding and dynamics along with major nuclear functions are determined by chromosome structural properties, which remain, thus far, elusive in vivo. Here, we combine polymer modeling and single particle tracking experiments to determine the physico-chemical parameters of chromatin in vitro and in living yeast. We find that the motion of reconstituted chromatin fibers can be recapitulated by the Rouse model using mechanical parameters of nucleosome arrays deduced from structural simulations. Conversely, we report that the Rouse model shows some inconsistencies to analyze the motion and structural properties inferred from yeast chromosomes determined with chromosome conformation capture techniques (specifically, Hi-C). We hence introduce the Rouse model with Transient Internal Contacts (RouseTIC), in which random association and dissociation occurs along the chromosome contour. The parametrization of this model by fitting motion and Hi-C data allows us to measure the kinetic parameters of the contact formation reaction. Chromosome contacts appear to be transient; associated to a lifetime of seconds and characterized by an attractive energy of -0.3 to -0.5 kBT. We suggest attributing this energy to the occurrence of histone tail-DNA contacts and notice that its amplitude sets chromosomes in 'theta' conditions, in which they are poised for compartmentalization and phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Socol
- LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, F-31400 Toulouse, France
- IRIM, CNRS, University of Montpellier, France
| | - Renjie Wang
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Eucaryote (LBME), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse, France
- Material Science & Engineering School, Henan University of Technology, 450001 Zhengzhou, P.R. China
| | - Daniel Jost
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Pascal Carrivain
- Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5672, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Cédric Vaillant
- Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5672, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Eric Le Cam
- Genome Maintenance and Molecular Microscopy UMR8126, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gustave Roussy, F-94805 Villejuif Cedex France
| | - Vincent Dahirel
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physicochimie des Electrolytes et Nanosystèmes interfaciaux, laboratoire PHENIX, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Christophe Normand
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Eucaryote (LBME), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Kerstin Bystricky
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Eucaryote (LBME), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Marc Victor
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, LPTMC, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Gadal
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Eucaryote (LBME), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Aurélien Bancaud
- LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, F-31400 Toulouse, France
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Gebala M, Johnson SL, Narlikar GJ, Herschlag D. Ion counting demonstrates a high electrostatic field generated by the nucleosome. eLife 2019; 8:e44993. [PMID: 31184587 PMCID: PMC6584128 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, a first step towards the nuclear DNA compaction process is the formation of a nucleosome, which is comprised of negatively charged DNA wrapped around a positively charged histone protein octamer. Often, it is assumed that the complexation of the DNA into the nucleosome completely attenuates the DNA charge and hence the electrostatic field generated by the molecule. In contrast, theoretical and computational studies suggest that the nucleosome retains a strong, negative electrostatic field. Despite their fundamental implications for chromatin organization and function, these opposing views of nucleosome electrostatics have not been experimentally tested. Herein, we directly measure nucleosome electrostatics and find that while nucleosome formation reduces the complex charge by half, the nucleosome nevertheless maintains a strong negative electrostatic field. Our studies highlight the importance of considering the polyelectrolyte nature of the nucleosome and its impact on processes ranging from factor binding to DNA compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Gebala
- Department of BiochemistryStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Stephanie L Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Geeta J Narlikar
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Dan Herschlag
- Department of BiochemistryStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of ChemistryStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- ChEM-H InstituteStanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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Lazniewski M, Dawson WK, Rusek AM, Plewczynski D. One protein to rule them all: The role of CCCTC-binding factor in shaping human genome in health and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 90:114-127. [PMID: 30096365 PMCID: PMC6642822 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The eukaryotic genome, constituting several billion base pairs, must be contracted to fit within the volume of a nucleus where the diameter is on the scale of μm. The 3D structure and packing of such a long sequence cannot be left to pure chance, as DNA must be efficiently used for its primary roles as a matrix for transcription and replication. In recent years, methods like chromatin conformation capture (including 3C, 4C, Hi-C, ChIA-PET and Multi-ChIA) and optical microscopy have advanced substantially and have shed new light on how eukaryotic genomes are hierarchically organized; first into 10-nm fiber, next into DNA loops, topologically associated domains and finally into interphase or mitotic chromosomes. This knowledge has allowed us to revise our understanding regarding the mechanisms governing the process of DNA organization. Mounting experimental evidence suggests that the key element in the formation of loops is the binding of the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) to DNA; a protein that can be referred to as the chief organizer of the genome. However, CTCF does not work alone but in cooperation with other proteins, such as cohesin or Yin Yang 1 (YY1). In this short review, we briefly describe our current understanding of the structure of eukaryotic genomes, how they are established and how the formation of DNA loops can influence gene expression. We discuss the recent discoveries describing the 3D structure of the CTCF-DNA complex and the role of CTCF in establishing genome structure. Finally, we briefly explain how various genetic disorders might arise as a consequence of mutations in the CTCF target sequence or alteration of genomic imprinting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Lazniewski
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wayne K Dawson
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 103-8657, Japan
| | - Anna Maria Rusek
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Clinical Molecular Biology Department, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Dariusz Plewczynski
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; Centre for Innovative Research, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland; Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.
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32
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Maeshima K, Ide S, Babokhov M. Dynamic chromatin organization without the 30-nm fiber. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2019; 58:95-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Polymer coil-globule phase transition is a universal folding principle of Drosophila epigenetic domains. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:28. [PMID: 31084607 PMCID: PMC6515630 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0269-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Localized functional domains within chromosomes, known as topologically associating domains (TADs), have been recently highlighted. In Drosophila, TADs are biochemically defined by epigenetic marks, this suggesting that the 3D arrangement may be the “missing link” between epigenetics and gene activity. Recent observations (Boettiger et al. in Nature 529(7586):418–422, 2016) provide access to structural features of these domains with unprecedented resolution thanks to super-resolution experiments. In particular, they give access to the distribution of the radii of gyration for domains of different linear length and associated with different transcriptional activity states: active, inactive or repressed. Intriguingly, the observed scaling laws lack consistent interpretation in polymer physics. Results We develop a new methodology conceived to extract the best information from such super-resolution data by exploiting the whole distribution of gyration radii, and to place these experimental results on a theoretical framework. We show that the experimental data are compatible with the finite-size behavior of a self-attracting polymer. The same generic polymer model leads to quantitative differences between active, inactive and repressed domains. Active domains behave as pure polymer coils, while inactive and repressed domains both lie at the coil–globule crossover. For the first time, the “color-specificity” of both the persistence length and the mean interaction energy are estimated, leading to important differences between epigenetic states. Conclusion These results point toward a crucial role of criticality to enhance the system responsivity, resulting in both energy transitions and structural rearrangements. We get strong indications that epigenetically induced changes in nucleosome–nucleosome interaction can cause chromatin to shift between different activity states. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-019-0269-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Chromatin structures condensed by linker histones. Essays Biochem 2019; 63:75-87. [DOI: 10.1042/ebc20180056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA exists in the form of chromatin through association with histone proteins, which consist of four core histone (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) families and one linker histone (H1) family. The core histones bind to DNA to form the nucleosome, the recurring structural unit of chromatin. The linker histone binds to the nucleosome to form the next structural unit of chromatin, the chromatosome, which occurs dominantly in metazoans. Linker histones also play an essential role in condensing chromatin to form higher order structures. Unlike the core histones in the formation of the nucleosome, the role of linker histone in the formation of the chromatosome and high-order chromatin structure is not well understood. Nevertheless, exciting progress in the structural studies of chromatosomes and nucleosome arrays condensed by linker histones has been made in the last several years. In this mini-review, we discuss these recent experimental results and provide some perspectives for future studies.
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Biggs R, Liu PZ, Stephens AD, Marko JF. Effects of altering histone posttranslational modifications on mitotic chromosome structure and mechanics. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:820-827. [PMID: 30625026 PMCID: PMC6589789 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-09-0592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During cell division, chromatin is compacted into mitotic chromosomes to aid faithful segregation of the genome between two daughter cells. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of histones alter compaction of interphase chromatin, but it remains poorly understood how these modifications affect mitotic chromosome stiffness and structure. Using micropipette-based force measurements and epigenetic drugs, we probed the influence of canonical histone PTMs that dictate interphase euchromatin (acetylation) and heterochromatin (methylation) on mitotic chromosome stiffness. By measuring chromosome doubling force (the force required to double chromosome length), we find that histone methylation, but not acetylation, contributes to mitotic structure and stiffness. We discuss our findings in the context of chromatin gel modeling of the large-scale organization of mitotic chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Biggs
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Patrick Z Liu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Andrew D Stephens
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - John F Marko
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
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Chicano A, Crosas E, Otón J, Melero R, Engel BD, Daban JR. Frozen-hydrated chromatin from metaphase chromosomes has an interdigitated multilayer structure. EMBO J 2019; 38:embj.201899769. [PMID: 30609992 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201899769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron tomography and small-angle X-ray scattering were used to investigate the chromatin folding in metaphase chromosomes. The tomographic 3D reconstructions show that frozen-hydrated chromatin emanated from chromosomes is planar and forms multilayered plates. The layer thickness was measured accounting for the contrast transfer function fringes at the plate edges, yielding a width of ~ 7.5 nm, which is compatible with the dimensions of a monolayer of nucleosomes slightly tilted with respect to the layer surface. Individual nucleosomes are visible decorating distorted plates, but typical plates are very dense and nucleosomes are not identifiable as individual units, indicating that they are tightly packed. Two layers in contact are ~ 13 nm thick, which is thinner than the sum of two independent layers, suggesting that nucleosomes in the layers interdigitate. X-ray scattering of whole chromosomes shows a main scattering peak at ~ 6 nm, which can be correlated with the distance between layers and between interdigitating nucleosomes interacting through their faces. These observations support a model where compact chromosomes are composed of many chromatin layers stacked along the chromosome axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Chicano
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Crosas
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,NCD Beamline, ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquín Otón
- National Center of Biotechnology (CSIC), Campus Univ. Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Melero
- National Center of Biotechnology (CSIC), Campus Univ. Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Benjamin D Engel
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Joan-Ramon Daban
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Ohno M, Ando T, Priest DG, Kumar V, Yoshida Y, Taniguchi Y. Sub-nucleosomal Genome Structure Reveals Distinct Nucleosome Folding Motifs. Cell 2019; 176:520-534.e25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Garcia-Saez I, Menoni H, Boopathi R, Shukla MS, Soueidan L, Noirclerc-Savoye M, Le Roy A, Skoufias DA, Bednar J, Hamiche A, Angelov D, Petosa C, Dimitrov S. Structure of an H1-Bound 6-Nucleosome Array Reveals an Untwisted Two-Start Chromatin Fiber Conformation. Mol Cell 2018; 72:902-915.e7. [PMID: 30392928 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin adopts a diversity of regular and irregular fiber structures in vitro and in vivo. However, how an array of nucleosomes folds into and switches between different fiber conformations is poorly understood. We report the 9.7 Å resolution crystal structure of a 6-nucleosome array bound to linker histone H1 determined under ionic conditions that favor incomplete chromatin condensation. The structure reveals a flat two-start helix with uniform nucleosomal stacking interfaces and a nucleosome packing density that is only half that of a twisted 30-nm fiber. Hydroxyl radical footprinting indicates that H1 binds the array in an on-dyad configuration resembling that observed for mononucleosomes. Biophysical, cryo-EM, and crosslinking data validate the crystal structure and reveal that a minor change in ionic environment shifts the conformational landscape to a more compact, twisted form. These findings provide insights into the structural plasticity of chromatin and suggest a possible assembly pathway for a 30-nm fiber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Garcia-Saez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Hervé Menoni
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Ramachandran Boopathi
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Manu S Shukla
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Lama Soueidan
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | | | - Aline Le Roy
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Dimitrios A Skoufias
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Jan Bednar
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Laboratory of the Biology and Pathology of the Eye, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Albertov 4, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Ali Hamiche
- Département de Génomique Fonctionnelle et Cancer, Institut de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France.
| | - Dimitar Angelov
- Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France.
| | - Carlo Petosa
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Stefan Dimitrov
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; "Roumen Tsanev" Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Zhou BR, Jiang J, Ghirlando R, Norouzi D, Sathish Yadav KN, Feng H, Wang R, Zhang P, Zhurkin V, Bai Y. Revisit of Reconstituted 30-nm Nucleosome Arrays Reveals an Ensemble of Dynamic Structures. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:3093-3110. [PMID: 29959925 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
It has long been suggested that chromatin may form a fiber with a diameter of ~30 nm that suppresses transcription. Despite nearly four decades of study, the structural nature of the 30-nm chromatin fiber and conclusive evidence of its existence in vivo remain elusive. The key support for the existence of specific 30-nm chromatin fiber structures is based on the determination of the structures of reconstituted nucleosome arrays using X-ray crystallography and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy coupled with glutaraldehyde chemical cross-linking. Here we report the characterization of these nucleosome arrays in solution using analytical ultracentrifugation, NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering. We found that the physical properties of these nucleosome arrays in solution are not consistent with formation of just a few discrete structures of nucleosome arrays. In addition, we obtained a crystal of the nucleosome in complex with the globular domain of linker histone H5 that shows a new form of nucleosome packing and suggests a plausible alternative compact conformation for nucleosome arrays. Taken together, our results challenge the key evidence for the existence of a limited number of structures of reconstituted nucleosome arrays in solution by revealing that the reconstituted nucleosome arrays are actually best described as an ensemble of various conformations with a zigzagged arrangement of nucleosomes. Our finding has implications for understanding the structure and function of chromatin in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Rui Zhou
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jiansheng Jiang
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - K N Sathish Yadav
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Hanqiao Feng
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ping Zhang
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Victor Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yawen Bai
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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