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Chang A, Prabhala S, Daneshkhah A, Lin J, Subramanian H, Roy HK, Backman V. Early screening of colorectal cancer using feature engineering with artificial intelligence-enhanced analysis of nanoscale chromatin modifications. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7808. [PMID: 38565871 PMCID: PMC10987630 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58016-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Colonoscopy is accurate but inefficient for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention due to the low (~ 7 to 8%) prevalence of target lesions, advanced adenomas. We leveraged rectal mucosa to identify patients who harbor CRC field carcinogenesis by evaluating chromatin 3D architecture. Supranucleosomal disordered chromatin chains (~ 5 to 20 nm, ~1 kbp) fold into chromatin packing domains (~ 100 to 200 nm, ~ 100 to 1000 kbp). In turn, the fractal-like conformation of DNA within chromatin domains and the folding of the genome into packing domains has been shown to influence multiple facets of gene transcription, including the transcriptional plasticity of cancer cells. We deployed an optical spectroscopic nanosensing technique, chromatin-sensitive partial wave spectroscopic microscopy (csPWS), to evaluate the packing density scaling D of the chromatin chain conformation within packing domains from rectal mucosa in 256 patients with varying degrees of progression to colorectal cancer. We found average packing scaling D of chromatin domains was elevated in tumor cells, histologically normal-appearing cells 4 cm proximal to the tumor, and histologically normal-appearing rectal mucosa compared to cells from control patients (p < 0.001). Nuclear D had a robust correlation with the model of 5-year risk of CRC with r2 = 0.94. Furthermore, rectal D was evaluated as a screening biomarker for patients with advanced adenomas presenting an AUC of 0.85 and 85% sensitivity and specificity. artificial intelligence-enhanced csPWS improved diagnostic performance with AUC = 0.90. Considering the low sensitivity of existing CRC tests, including liquid biopsies, to early-stage cancers our work highlights the potential of chromatin biomarkers of field carcinogenesis in detecting early, significant precancerous colon lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sravya Prabhala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Ali Daneshkhah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Hariharan Subramanian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- NanoCytomics, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Vadim Backman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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2
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Chang A, Prabhala S, Daneshkhah A, Lin J, Subramanian H, Roy HK, Backman V. Early screening of colorectal cancer using feature engineering with artificial intelligence-enhanced analysis of nanoscale chromatin modifications. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3500134. [PMID: 37961494 PMCID: PMC10635400 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3500134/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Colonoscopy is accurate but inefficient for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention due to the low (~ 7-8%) prevalence of target lesions, advanced adenomas. We leveraged rectal mucosa to identify patients who harbor CRC field carcinogenesis by evaluating chromatin 3D architecture. Supranucleosomal disordered chromatin chains (~ 5-20 nm, ~ 1 kbp) fold into chromatin packing domains (~ 100-200 nm, ~ 100-1,000 kbp). In turn, the fractal-like conformation of DNA within chromatin domains and the folding of the genome into packing domains has been shown to influence multiple facets of gene transcription, including the transcriptional plasticity of cancer cells. We deployed an optical spectroscopic nanosensing technique, chromatin-sensitive partial wave spectroscopic microscopy (csPWS), to evaluate the packing density scaling D of the chromatin chain conformation within packing domains from rectal mucosa in 256 patients with varying degrees of progression to colorectal cancer. We found average packing scaling D of chromatin domains was elevated in tumor cells, histologically normal-appearing cells 4 cm proximal to the tumor, and histologically normal-appearing rectal mucosa compared to cells from control patients (p < 0.001). Nuclear D had a robust correlation with the model of 5-year risk of CRC with r2 = 0.94. Furthermore, rectal D was evaluated as a screening biomarker for patients with advanced adenomas presenting an AUC of 0.85 and 85% sensitivity and specificity. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced csPWS improved diagnostic performance with AUC = 0.90. Considering the low sensitivity of existing CRC tests, including liquid biopsies, to early-stage cancers our work highlights the potential of chromatin biomarkers of field carcinogenesis in detecting early, significant precancerous colon lesions.
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3
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Chang A, Prabhala S, Daneshkhah A, Lin J, Subramanian H, Roy HK, Backman V. Early screening of colorectal cancer using feature engineering with artificial intelligence-enhanced analysis of nanoscale chromatin modifications. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.10.30.23297790. [PMID: 37961299 PMCID: PMC10635240 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.23297790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Colonoscopy is accurate but inefficient for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention due to the low (~7-8%) prevalence of target lesions, advanced adenomas. We leveraged rectal mucosa to identify patients who harbor CRC field carcinogenesis by evaluating chromatin 3D architecture. Supranucleosomal disordered chromatin chains (~5-20 nm, ~1 kbp) fold into chromatin packing domains (~100-200 nm, ~100-1,000 kbp). In turn, the fractal-like conformation of DNA within chromatin domains and the folding of the genome into packing domains has been shown to influence multiple facets of gene transcription, including the transcriptional plasticity of cancer cells. We deployed an optical spectroscopic nanosensing technique, chromatin-sensitive partial wave spectroscopic microscopy (csPWS), to evaluate the packing density scaling D of the chromatin chain conformation within packing domains from rectal mucosa in 256 patients with varying degrees of progression to colorectal cancer. We found average packing scaling D of chromatin domains was elevated in tumor cells, histologically normal-appearing cells 4 cm proximal to the tumor, and histologically normal-appearing rectal mucosa compared to cells from control patients (p<0.001). Nuclear D had a robust correlation with the model of 5-year risk of CRC with r2=0.94. Furthermore, rectal D was evaluated as a screening biomarker for patients with advanced adenomas presenting an AUC of 0.85 and 85% sensitivity and specificity. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced csPWS improved diagnostic performance with AUC=0.90. Considering the low sensitivity of existing CRC tests, including liquid biopsies, to early-stage cancers our work highlights the potential of chromatin biomarkers of field carcinogenesis in detecting early, significant precancerous colon lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sravya Prabhala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Ali Daneshkhah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Hariharan Subramanian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- NanoCytomics, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Vadim Backman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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4
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Oleinikov PD, Fedulova AS, Armeev GA, Motorin NA, Singh-Palchevskaia L, Sivkina AL, Feskin PG, Glukhov GS, Afonin DA, Komarova GA, Kirpichnikov MP, Studitsky VM, Feofanov AV, Shaytan AK. Interactions of Nucleosomes with Acidic Patch-Binding Peptides: A Combined Structural Bioinformatics, Molecular Modeling, Fluorescence Polarization, and Single-Molecule FRET Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15194. [PMID: 37894874 PMCID: PMC10606924 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic organisms, genomic DNA associates with histone proteins to form nucleosomes. Nucleosomes provide a basis for genome compaction, epigenetic markup, and mediate interactions of nuclear proteins with their target DNA loci. A negatively charged (acidic) patch located on the H2A-H2B histone dimer is a characteristic feature of the nucleosomal surface. The acidic patch is a common site in the attachment of various chromatin proteins, including viral ones. Acidic patch-binding peptides present perspective compounds that can be used to modulate chromatin functioning by disrupting interactions of nucleosomes with natural proteins or alternatively targeting artificial moieties to the nucleosomes, which may be beneficial for the development of new therapeutics. In this work, we used several computational and experimental techniques to improve our understanding of how peptides may bind to the acidic patch and what are the consequences of their binding. Through extensive analysis of the PDB database, histone sequence analysis, and molecular dynamic simulations, we elucidated common binding patterns and key interactions that stabilize peptide-nucleosome complexes. Through MD simulations and FRET measurements, we characterized changes in nucleosome dynamics conferred by peptide binding. Using fluorescence polarization and gel electrophoresis, we evaluated the affinity and specificity of the LANA1-22 peptide to DNA and nucleosomes. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the different patterns of intermolecular interactions that can be employed by natural and designed peptides to bind to nucleosomes, and the effects of peptide binding on nucleosome dynamics and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel D. Oleinikov
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Grigoriy A. Armeev
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikita A. Motorin
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Anastasiia L. Sivkina
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Structural-Functional Organization of Chromosomes, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel G. Feskin
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Grigory S. Glukhov
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, MSU-BIT Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Dmitry A. Afonin
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Galina A. Komarova
- Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail P. Kirpichnikov
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vasily M. Studitsky
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Alexey V. Feofanov
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey K. Shaytan
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
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Li Y, Agrawal V, Virk RKA, Roth E, Li WS, Eshein A, Frederick J, Huang K, Almassalha L, Bleher R, Carignano MA, Szleifer I, Dravid VP, Backman V. Analysis of three-dimensional chromatin packing domains by chromatin scanning transmission electron microscopy (ChromSTEM). Sci Rep 2022; 12:12198. [PMID: 35842472 PMCID: PMC9288481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16028-2] [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: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin organization over multiple length scales plays a critical role in the regulation of transcription. Deciphering the interplay of these processes requires high-resolution, three-dimensional, quantitative imaging of chromatin structure in vitro. Herein, we introduce ChromSTEM, a method that utilizes high-angle annular dark-field imaging and tomography in scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with DNA-specific staining for electron microscopy. We utilized ChromSTEM for an in-depth quantification of 3D chromatin conformation with high spatial resolution and contrast, allowing for characterization of higher-order chromatin structure almost down to the level of the DNA base pair. Employing mass scaling analysis on ChromSTEM mass density tomograms, we observed that chromatin forms spatially well-defined higher-order domains, around 80 nm in radius. Within domains, chromatin exhibits a polymeric fractal-like behavior and a radially decreasing mass-density from the center to the periphery. Unlike other nanoimaging and analysis techniques, we demonstrate that our unique combination of this high-resolution imaging technique with polymer physics-based analysis enables us to (i) investigate the chromatin conformation within packing domains and (ii) quantify statistical descriptors of chromatin structure that are relevant to transcription. We observe that packing domains have heterogeneous morphological properties even within the same cell line, underlying the potential role of statistical chromatin packing in regulating gene expression within eukaryotic nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Li
- Applied Physics Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Vasundhara Agrawal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Ranya K A Virk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Eric Roth
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Wing Shun Li
- Applied Physics Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Adam Eshein
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Jane Frederick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Kai Huang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen, 518132, China
| | - Luay Almassalha
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Reiner Bleher
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Marcelo A Carignano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Igal Szleifer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Vinayak P Dravid
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - Vadim Backman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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Interphase epichromatin: last refuge for the 30-nm chromatin fiber? Chromosoma 2021; 130:91-102. [PMID: 34091761 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-021-00759-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
"Interphase epichromatin" describes the surface of chromatin located adjacent to the interphase nuclear envelope. It was discovered in 2011 using a bivalent anti-nucleosome antibody (mAb PL2-6), now known to be directed against the nucleosome acidic patch. The molecular structure of interphase epichromatin is unknown, but is thought to be heterochromatic with a high density of "exposed" acidic patches. In the 1960s, transmission electron microscopy of fixed, dehydrated, sectioned, and stained inactive chromatin revealed "unit threads," frequently organized into parallel arrays at the nuclear envelope, which were interpreted as regular helices with ~ 30-nm center-to-center distance. Also observed in certain cell types, the nuclear envelope forms a "sandwich" around a layer of closely packed unit threads (ELCS, envelope-limited chromatin sheets). Discovery of the nucleosome in 1974 led to revised helical models of chromatin. But these models became very controversial and the existence of in situ 30-nm chromatin fibers has been challenged. Development of cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) gave hope that in situ chromatin fibers, devoid of artifacts, could be structurally defined. Combining a contrast-enhancing phase plate and cryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET), it is now possible to visualize chromatin in a "close-to-native" situation. ELCS are particularly interesting to study by Cryo-ET. The chromatin sheet appears to have two layers of ~ 30-nm chromatin fibers arranged in a criss-crossed pattern. The chromatin in ELCS is continuous with adjacent interphase epichromatin. It appears that hydrated ~ 30-nm chromatin fibers are quite rare in most cells, possibly confined to interphase epichromatin at the nuclear envelope.
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Abstract
Dehydration of cells by acute hyperosmotic stress has profound effects upon cell structure and function. Interphase chromatin and mitotic chromosomes collapse ("congelation"). HL-60/S4 cells remain ~100% viable for, at least, 1 hour, exhibiting shrinkage to ~2/3 their original volume, when placed in 300mM sucrose in tissue culture medium. Fixed cells were imaged by immunostaining confocal and STED microscopy. At a "global" structural level (μm), mitotic chromosomes congeal into a residual gel with apparent (phase) separations of Ki67, CTCF, SMC2, RAD21, H1 histones and HMG proteins. At an "intermediate" level (sub-μm), radial distribution analysis of STED images revealed a most probable peak DNA density separation of ~0.16 μm, essentially unchanged by hyperosmotic stress. At a "local" structural level (~1-2 nm), in vivo crosslinking revealed essentially unchanged crosslinked products between H1, HMG and inner histones. Hyperosmotic cellular stress is discussed in terms of concepts of mitotic chromosome structure and liquid-liquid phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada L Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, ME, USA
| | - Travis J Gould
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Bates College, Lewiston, ME,USA
| | - Logan Boyd
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Bates College, Lewiston, ME,USA
| | - Bettina Sarg
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Donald E Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, ME, USA
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Teif VB, Gould TJ, Clarkson CT, Boyd L, Antwi EB, Ishaque N, Olins AL, Olins DE. Linker histone epitopes are hidden by in situ higher-order chromatin structure. Epigenetics Chromatin 2020; 13:26. [PMID: 32505195 PMCID: PMC7276084 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histone H1 is the most mobile histone in the cell nucleus. Defining the positions of H1 on chromatin in situ, therefore, represents a challenge. Immunoprecipitation of formaldehyde-fixed and sonicated chromatin, followed by DNA sequencing (xChIP-seq), is traditionally the method for mapping histones onto DNA elements. But since sonication fragmentation precedes ChIP, there is a consequent loss of information about chromatin higher-order structure. Here, we present a new method, xxChIP-seq, employing antibody binding to fixed intact in situ chromatin, followed by extensive washing, a second fixation, sonication and immunoprecipitation. The second fixation is intended to prevent the loss of specifically bound antibody during washing and subsequent sonication and to prevent antibody shifting to epitopes revealed by the sonication process. In many respects, xxChIP-seq is comparable to immunostaining microscopy, which also involves interaction of the primary antibody with fixed and permeabilized intact cells. The only epitopes displayed after immunostaining are the "exposed" epitopes, not "hidden" by the fixation of chromatin higher-order structure. Comparison of immunoprecipitated fragments between xChIP-seq versus xxChIP-seq should indicate which epitopes become inaccessible with fixation and identify their associated DNA elements. RESULTS We determined the genomic distribution of histone variants H1.2 and H1.5 in human myeloid leukemia cells HL-60/S4 and compared their epitope exposure by both xChIP-seq and xxChIP-seq, as well as high-resolution microscopy, illustrating the influences of preserved chromatin higher-order structure in situ. We found that xChIP and xxChIP H1 signals are in general negatively correlated, with differences being more pronounced near active regulatory regions. Among the intriguing observations, we find that transcription-related regions and histone PTMs (i.e., enhancers, promoters, CpG islands, H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K9ac, H3K27ac and H3K36me3) exhibit significant deficiencies (depletions) in H1.2 and H1.5 xxChIP-seq reads, compared to xChIP-seq. These observations suggest the existence of in situ transcription-related chromatin higher-order structures stabilized by formaldehyde. CONCLUSION Comparison of H1 xxChIP-seq to H1 xChIP-seq allows the development of hypotheses on the chromosomal localization of (stabilized) higher-order structure, indicated by the generation of "hidden" H1 epitopes following formaldehyde crosslinking. Changes in H1 epitope exposure surrounding averaged chromosomal binding sites or epigenetic modifications can also indicate whether these sites have chromatin higher-order structure. For example, comparison between averaged active or inactive promoter regions suggests that both regions can acquire stabilized higher-order structure with hidden H1 epitopes. However, the H1 xChIP-seq comparison cannot define their differences. Application of the xxChIP-seq versus H1 xChIP-seq method is particularly relevant to chromatin-associated proteins, such as linker histones, that play dynamic roles in establishing chromatin higher-order structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir B Teif
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.
| | - Travis J Gould
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, USA
| | | | - Logan Boyd
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, USA.,StarBird Technologies, LLC, Brunswick, ME, USA
| | - Enoch B Antwi
- Division of Theoretical Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, Freiburg im Breisgau, 79104 , Germany
| | - Naveed Ishaque
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Digital Health Centre, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Str. 2, Berlin, 10178 , Germany
| | - Ada L Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Donald E Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
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Myers CG, Olins DE, Olins AL, Schlick T. Mesoscale Modeling of Nucleosome-Binding Antibody PL2-6: Mono- versus Bivalent Chromatin Complexes. Biophys J 2020; 118:2066-2076. [PMID: 31668748 PMCID: PMC7202932 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions of chromatin with bivalent immunoglobin nucleosome-binding antibodies and their monovalent (papain-derived) antigen-binding fragment analogs are useful probes for examining chromatin conformational states. To help interpret antibody-chromatin interactions and explore how antibodies might compete for interactions with chromatin components, we incorporate coarse-grained PL2-6 antibody modeling into our mesoscale chromatin model. We analyze interactions and fiber structures for the antibody-chromatin complexes in open and condensed chromatin, with and without H1 linker histone (LH). Despite minimal and transient interactions at physiological salt, we capture significant differences in antibody-chromatin complex configurations in open fibers, with more intense interactions between the bivalent antibody and chromatin compared to monovalent antigen-binding fragments. For these open chromatin fiber morphologies, antibody binding to histone tails is increased and compaction is greater for bivalent compared to monovalent and antibody-free systems. Differences between monovalent and bivalent binding result from antibody competition with internal chromatin fiber components (nucleosome core and linker DNA) for histone tail (H3, H4, H2A, H2B) interactions. This antibody competition for tail contacts reduces tail-core and tail-linker interactions and increases tail-antibody interactions. Such internal structural changes in open fibers resemble mechanisms of LH condensation, driven by charge screening and entropy changes. For condensed fibers at physiological salt, the three systems are much more similar overall, but some subtle tail interaction differences can be noted. Adding LH results in less-dramatic changes for all systems, except that the bivalent complex at physiological salt shows cooperative effects between LH and the antibodies in condensing chromatin fibers. Such dynamic interactions that depend on the internal structure and complex-stabilizing interactions within the chromatin fiber have implications for gene regulation and other chromatin complexes such as with LH, remodeling proteins, and small molecular chaperones that bind and modulate chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Donald E Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, Maine
| | - Ada L Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, Maine
| | - Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York; Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York; New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry at New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Erenpreisa J, Krigerts J, Salmina K, Selga T, Sorokins H, Freivalds T. Differential staining of peripheral nuclear chromatin with Acridine orange implies an A-form epichromatin conformation of the DNA. Nucleus 2019; 9:171-181. [PMID: 29363398 PMCID: PMC5973139 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2018.1431081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromatin observed by conventional electron microscopy under the nuclear envelope constitutes a single layer of dense 30–35 nm granules, while ∼30 nm fibrils laterally attached to them, form large patches of lamin-associated domains (LADs). This particular surface “epichromatin” can be discerned by specific (H2A+H2B+DNA) conformational antibody at the inner nuclear envelope and around mitotic chromosomes. In order to differentiate the DNA conformation of the peripheral chromatin we applied an Acridine orange (AO) DNA structural test involving RNAse treatment and the addition of AO after acid pre-treatment. MCF-7 cells treated in this way revealed yellow/red patches of LADs attached to a thin green nuclear rim and with mitotic chromosomes outlined in green, topologically corresponding to epichromatin epitope staining by immunofluorescence. Differentially from LADs, the epichromatin was unable to provide metachromatic staining by AO, unless thermally denatured at 94oC. DNA enrichment in GC stretches has been recently reported for immunoprecipitated ∼ 1Kb epichromatin domains. Together these data suggest that certain epichromatin segments assume the relatively hydrophobic DNA A-conformation at the nuclear envelope and surface of mitotic chromosomes, preventing AO side dimerisation. We hypothesize that epichromatin domains form nucleosome superbeads. Hydrophobic interactions stack these superbeads and align them at the nuclear envelope, while repulsing the hydrophilic LADs. The hydrophobicity of epichromatin explains its location at the surface of mitotic chromosomes and its function in mediating chromosome attachment to the restituting nuclear envelope during telophase.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jekabs Krigerts
- a Latvian Biomedical Research & Study Centre , Ratsupites 1, Riga , Latvia.,b Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanotechnologies, Riga Technical University , Kalku iela 1, Riga , Latvia
| | - Kristine Salmina
- a Latvian Biomedical Research & Study Centre , Ratsupites 1, Riga , Latvia
| | - Turs Selga
- c Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia , Raina bulvaris 19, Riga , Latvia
| | - Hermanis Sorokins
- b Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanotechnologies, Riga Technical University , Kalku iela 1, Riga , Latvia
| | - Talivaldis Freivalds
- d Institute of Kardiology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Latvia , Raina bulvaris 19, Riga , Latvia
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11
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Atomic resolution cryo-EM structure of a native-like CENP-A nucleosome aided by an antibody fragment. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2301. [PMID: 31127102 PMCID: PMC6534667 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10247-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic DNA in eukaryotes is organized into chromatin through association with core histones to form nucleosomes, each distinguished by their DNA sequences and histone variants. Here, we used a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) derived from the anti-nucleosome antibody mAb PL2-6 to stabilize human CENP-A nucleosome containing a native α-satellite DNA and solved its structure by the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to 2.6 Å resolution. In comparison, the corresponding cryo-EM structure of the free CENP-A nucleosome could only reach 3.4 Å resolution. We find that scFv binds to a conserved acidic patch on the histone H2A-H2B dimer without perturbing the nucleosome structure. Our results provide an atomic resolution cryo-EM structure of a nucleosome and insight into the structure and function of the CENP-A nucleosome. The scFv approach is applicable to the structural determination of other native-like nucleosomes with distinct DNA sequences. CENP-A histone variants replace histones H3 at centromeres. Here the authors use a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) to stabilize human CENP-A nucleosome containing a native α-satellite DNA and solved its structure by cryo-EM to 2.6 Å resolution, providing insight into the structure and function of the CENP-A nucleosome.
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Olins DE, Olins AL. Epichromatin and chromomeres: a 'fuzzy' perspective. Open Biol 2019; 8:rsob.180058. [PMID: 29875200 PMCID: PMC6030114 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
'Epichromatin', the surface of chromatin beneath the interphase nuclear envelope (NE) or at the surface of mitotic chromosomes, was discovered by immunostaining with a specific bivalent mouse monoclonal anti-nucleosome antibody (mAb PL2-6). 'Chromomeres', punctate chromatin particles approximately 200-300 nm in diameter, identified throughout the interphase chromatin and along mitotic chromosomes, were observed by immunostaining with the monovalent papain-derived Fab fragments of bivalent PL2-6. The specific target for PL2-6 appears to include the nucleosome acidic patch. Thus, within the epichromatin and chromomeric regions, this epitope is 'exposed'. Considering that histones possess unstructured 'tails' (i.e. intrinsically disordered peptide regions, IDPR), our perception of these chromatin regions becomes more 'fuzzy' (less defined). We suggest that epichromatin cationic tails facilitate interactions with anionic components of NE membranes. We also suggest that the unstructured histone tails (especially, histone H1 tails), with their presumed promiscuous binding, establish multivalent binding that stabilizes each chromomere as a unit of chromatin higher order structure. We propose an 'unstructured stability' hypothesis, which postulates that the stability of epichromatin and chromomeres (as well as other nuclear chromatin structures) is a consequence of the collective contributions of numerous weak histone IDPR binding interactions arising from the multivalent nucleosome, analogous to antibody avidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald E Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Ada L Olins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, 716 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME 04103, USA
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Chirico G, Gansen A, Leuba SH, Olins AL, Olins DE, Smith JC, Tóth K. Jörg Langowski: his scientific legacy and the future it promises. BMC BIOPHYSICS 2018; 11:5. [PMID: 30026939 PMCID: PMC6048899 DOI: 10.1186/s13628-018-0045-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background With the passing of Jörg Langowski 6 May 2017 in a sailplane accident, the scientific community was deprived of a strident and effective voice for DNA and chromatin molecular and computational biophysics, for open access publishing and for the creation of effective scientific research networks. Methods Here, after reviewing some of Jörg's key research contributions and ideas, we offer through the personal remembrance of his closest collaborators, a deep analysis of the major results of his research and the future directions they have engendered. Conclusions The legacy of Jörg Langowski has been to propel a way of viewing biological function that considers living systems as dynamic and in three dimensions. This physical view of biology that he pioneered is now, finally, becoming established also because of his great effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Chirico
- 1Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexander Gansen
- 2Biophysics of Macromolecules (B040), Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sanford H Leuba
- 3Departments of Cell Biology and Bioengineering, 2.26a UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA
| | - Ada L Olins
- 4Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, ME USA
| | - Donald E Olins
- 4Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New England, Portland, ME USA
| | - Jeremy C Smith
- 5Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008 MS6309, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6309 USA.,6Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, M407 Walters Life Sciences, 1414 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
| | - Katalin Tóth
- 2Biophysics of Macromolecules (B040), Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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