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Attar AG, Paturej J, Banigan EJ, Erbaş A. Chromatin phase separation and nuclear shape fluctuations are correlated in a polymer model of the nucleus. Nucleus 2024; 15:2351957. [PMID: 38753956 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2024.2351957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal cell nuclear shapes are hallmarks of diseases, including progeria, muscular dystrophy, and many cancers. Experiments have shown that disruption of heterochromatin and increases in euchromatin lead to nuclear deformations, such as blebs and ruptures. However, the physical mechanisms through which chromatin governs nuclear shape are poorly understood. To investigate how heterochromatin and euchromatin might govern nuclear morphology, we studied chromatin microphase separation in a composite coarse-grained polymer and elastic shell simulation model. By varying chromatin density, heterochromatin composition, and heterochromatin-lamina interactions, we show how the chromatin phase organization may perturb nuclear shape. Increasing chromatin density stabilizes the lamina against large fluctuations. However, increasing heterochromatin levels or heterochromatin-lamina interactions enhances nuclear shape fluctuations by a "wetting"-like interaction. In contrast, fluctuations are insensitive to heterochromatin's internal structure. Our simulations suggest that peripheral heterochromatin accumulation could perturb nuclear morphology, while nuclear shape stabilization likely occurs through mechanisms other than chromatin microphase organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Goktug Attar
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center and Institute of Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Edward J Banigan
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aykut Erbaş
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center and Institute of Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
- Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, Chorzów, Poland
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2
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Pudelko L, Cabianca DS. The influencers' era: how the environment shapes chromatin in 3D. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 85:102173. [PMID: 38417271 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Environment-epigenome interactions are emerging as contributors to disease risk and health outcomes. In fact, organisms outside of the laboratory are constantly exposed to environmental changes that can influence chromatin regulation at multiple levels, potentially impacting on genome function. In this review, we will summarize recent findings on how major external cues impact on 3D chromatin organization in different experimental systems. We will describe environment-induced 3D genome alterations ranging from chromatin accessibility to the spatial distribution of the genome and discuss their role in regulating gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Pudelko
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Munich, Germany. https://twitter.com/@lorenz_pudelko
| | - Daphne S Cabianca
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
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3
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Ye Y, Homer HA. A surge in cytoplasmic viscosity triggers nuclear remodeling required for Dux silencing and pre-implantation embryo development. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113917. [PMID: 38446665 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryonic genome activation (EGA) marks the transition from dependence on maternal transcripts to an embryonic transcriptional program. The precise temporal regulation of gene expression, specifically the silencing of the Dux/murine endogenous retrovirus type L (MERVL) program during late 2-cell interphase, is crucial for developmental progression in mouse embryos. How this finely tuned regulation is achieved within this specific window is poorly understood. Here, using particle-tracking microrheology throughout the mouse oocyte-to-embryo transition, we identify a surge in cytoplasmic viscosity specific to late 2-cell interphase brought about by high microtubule and endomembrane density. Importantly, preventing the rise in 2-cell viscosity severely impairs nuclear reorganization, resulting in a persistently open chromatin configuration and failure to silence Dux/MERVL. This, in turn, derails embryo development beyond the 2- and 4-cell stages. Our findings reveal a mechanical role of the cytoplasm in regulating Dux/MERVL repression via nuclear remodeling during a temporally confined period in late 2-cell interphase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunan Ye
- The Christopher Chen Oocyte Biology Research Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Hayden Anthony Homer
- The Christopher Chen Oocyte Biology Research Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia.
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4
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Attar AG, Paturej J, Banigan EJ, Erbas A. Chromatin phase separation and nuclear shape fluctuations are correlated in a polymer model of the nucleus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.16.571697. [PMID: 38168411 PMCID: PMC10760070 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.16.571697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Abnormalities in the shapes of mammalian cell nuclei are hallmarks of a variety of diseases, including progeria, muscular dystrophy, and various cancers. Experiments have shown that there is a causal relationship between chromatin organization and nuclear morphology. Decreases in heterochromatin levels, perturbations to heterochromatin organization, and increases in euchromatin levels all lead to misshapen nuclei, which exhibit deformations, such as nuclear blebs and nuclear ruptures. However, the polymer physical mechanisms of how chromatin governs nuclear shape and integrity are poorly understood. To investigate how heterochromatin and euchromatin, which are thought to microphase separate in vivo , govern nuclear morphology, we implemented a composite coarse-grained polymer and elastic shell model. By varying chromatin volume fraction (density), heterochromatin levels and structure, and heterochromatin-lamina interactions, we show how the spatial organization of chromatin polymer phases within the nucleus could perturb nuclear shape in some scenarios. Increasing the volume fraction of chromatin in the cell nucleus stabilizes the nuclear lamina against large fluctuations. However, surprisingly, we find that increasing heterochromatin levels or heterochromatin-lamina interactions enhances nuclear shape fluctuations in our simulations by a "wetting"-like interaction. In contrast, shape fluctuations are largely insensitive to the internal structure of the heterochromatin, such as the presence or absence of chromatin-chromatin crosslinks. Therefore, our simulations suggest that heterochromatin accumulation at the nuclear periphery could perturb nuclear morphology in a nucleus or nuclear region that is sufficiently soft, while stabilization of the nucleus via heterochromatin likely occurs through mechanisms other than chromatin microphase organization.
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5
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Gorsheneva NA, Sopova JV, Azarov VV, Grizel AV, Rubel AA. Biomolecular Condensates: Structure, Functions, Methods of Research. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:S205-S223. [PMID: 38621751 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924140116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The term "biomolecular condensates" is used to describe membraneless compartments in eukaryotic cells, accumulating proteins and nucleic acids. Biomolecular condensates are formed as a result of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Often, they demonstrate properties of liquid-like droplets or gel-like aggregates; however, some of them may appear to have a more complex structure and high-order organization. Membraneless microcompartments are involved in diverse processes both in cytoplasm and in nucleus, among them ribosome biogenesis, regulation of gene expression, cell signaling, and stress response. Condensates properties and structure could be highly dynamic and are affected by various internal and external factors, e.g., concentration and interactions of components, solution temperature, pH, osmolarity, etc. In this review, we discuss variety of biomolecular condensates and their functions in live cells, describe their structure variants, highlight domain and primary sequence organization of the constituent proteins and nucleic acids. Finally, we describe current advances in methods that characterize structure, properties, morphology, and dynamics of biomolecular condensates in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia V Sopova
- St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| | | | - Anastasia V Grizel
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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6
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Gao G, Sumrall ES, Pitchiaya S, Bitzer M, Alberti S, Walter NG. Biomolecular condensates in kidney physiology and disease. Nat Rev Nephrol 2023; 19:756-770. [PMID: 37752323 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-023-00767-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The regulation and preservation of distinct intracellular and extracellular solute microenvironments is crucial for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. In mammals, the kidneys control bodily salt and water homeostasis. Specifically, the urine-concentrating mechanism within the renal medulla causes fluctuations in extracellular osmolarity, which enables cells of the kidney to either conserve or eliminate water and electrolytes, depending on the balance between intake and loss. However, relatively little is known about the subcellular and molecular changes caused by such osmotic stresses. Advances have shown that many cells, including those of the kidney, rapidly (within seconds) and reversibly (within minutes) assemble membraneless, nano-to-microscale subcellular assemblies termed biomolecular condensates via the biophysical process of hyperosmotic phase separation (HOPS). Mechanistically, osmotic cell compression mediates changes in intracellular hydration, concentration and molecular crowding, rendering HOPS one of many related phase-separation phenomena. Osmotic stress causes numerous homo-multimeric proteins to condense, thereby affecting gene expression and cell survival. HOPS rapidly regulates specific cellular biochemical processes before appropriate protective or corrective action by broader stress response mechanisms can be initiated. Here, we broadly survey emerging evidence for, and the impact of, biomolecular condensates in nephrology, where initial concentration buffering by HOPS and its subsequent cellular escalation mechanisms are expected to have important implications for kidney physiology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoming Gao
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Emily S Sumrall
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Markus Bitzer
- Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Simon Alberti
- Technische Universität Dresden, Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) and Center for Molecular and Cellular Engineering (CMCB), Dresden, Germany
| | - Nils G Walter
- Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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7
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Burgers TCQ, Vlijm R. Fluorescence-based super-resolution-microscopy strategies for chromatin studies. Chromosoma 2023:10.1007/s00412-023-00792-9. [PMID: 37000292 PMCID: PMC10356683 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-023-00792-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) is a prime tool to study chromatin organisation at near biomolecular resolution in the native cellular environment. With fluorescent labels DNA, chromatin-associated proteins and specific epigenetic states can be identified with high molecular specificity. The aim of this review is to introduce the field of diffraction-unlimited SRM to enable an informed selection of the most suitable SRM method for a specific chromatin-related research question. We will explain both diffraction-unlimited approaches (coordinate-targeted and stochastic-localisation-based) and list their characteristic spatio-temporal resolutions, live-cell compatibility, image-processing, and ability for multi-colour imaging. As the increase in resolution, compared to, e.g. confocal microscopy, leads to a central role of the sample quality, important considerations for sample preparation and concrete examples of labelling strategies applicable to chromatin research are discussed. To illustrate how SRM-based methods can significantly improve our understanding of chromatin functioning, and to serve as an inspiring starting point for future work, we conclude with examples of recent applications of SRM in chromatin research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Q Burgers
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Rifka Vlijm
- Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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8
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Krokowski D, Jobava R, Szkop KJ, Chen CW, Fu X, Venus S, Guan BJ, Wu J, Gao Z, Banaszuk W, Tchorzewski M, Mu T, Ropelewski P, Merrick WC, Mao Y, Sevval AI, Miranda H, Qian SB, Manifava M, Ktistakis NT, Vourekas A, Jankowsky E, Topisirovic I, Larsson O, Hatzoglou M. Stress-induced perturbations in intracellular amino acids reprogram mRNA translation in osmoadaptation independently of the ISR. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111092. [PMID: 35858571 PMCID: PMC9491157 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The integrated stress response (ISR) plays a pivotal role in adaptation of translation machinery to cellular stress. Here, we demonstrate an ISR-independent osmoadaptation mechanism involving reprogramming of translation via coordinated but independent actions of mTOR and plasma membrane amino acid transporter SNAT2. This biphasic response entails reduced global protein synthesis and mTOR signaling followed by translation of SNAT2. Induction of SNAT2 leads to accumulation of amino acids and reactivation of mTOR and global protein synthesis, paralleled by partial reversal of the early-phase, stress-induced translatome. We propose SNAT2 functions as a molecular switch between inhibition of protein synthesis and establishment of an osmoadaptive translation program involving the formation of cytoplasmic condensates of SNAT2-regulated RNA-binding proteins DDX3X and FUS. In summary, we define key roles of SNAT2 in osmotolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Krokowski
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Raul Jobava
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Krzysztof J Szkop
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Chien-Wen Chen
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xu Fu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Venus
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Bo-Jhih Guan
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Zhaofeng Gao
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Wioleta Banaszuk
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Marek Tchorzewski
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland; EcoTech-Complex Centre, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| | - Tingwei Mu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Phil Ropelewski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - William C Merrick
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yuanhui Mao
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Aksoylu Inci Sevval
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen Miranda
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Shu-Bing Qian
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | | | - Anastasios Vourekas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Eckhard Jankowsky
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ivan Topisirovic
- The Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada; Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Ola Larsson
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Maria Hatzoglou
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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9
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Hyperosmotic-stress-induced liquid-liquid phase separation of ALS-related proteins in the nucleus. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111086. [PMID: 35858576 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperosmotic stress as physiologic dysfunction can reduce the cell volume and then redistribute both protein concentration and ionic strength, but its effect on liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is not well understood. Here, we map the hyperosmotic-stress-induced nuclear LLPS of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related proteins (fused in sarcoma [FUS], TAR DNA-binding protein 43 [TDP-43]). The dynamic and reversibility of FUS granules are continuable with the increase of hypertonic stimulation time, but those of TDP-43 granules decrease significantly. Strikingly, FUS granules, but not TDP-43 granules, contain essential chaperone Hsp40, which can protect amyloid protein from solid aggregation. Moreover, FUS nuclear granules can co-localize with paraspeckles, but not promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies or nuclear speckles, while TDP-43 nuclear granules cannot co-localize with the above nuclear bodies. Together, these results may broaden our understanding of the LLPS of ALS-related proteins in response to cellular stress.
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10
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Benelli R, Weiss M. Probing local chromatin dynamics by tracking telomeres. Biophys J 2022; 121:2684-2692. [PMID: 35733342 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin dynamics is key for cell viability and replication. In interphase, chromatin is decondensed, allowing the transcription machinery to access a plethora of DNA loci. Yet, decondensed chromatin occupies almost the entire nucleus, suggesting that DNA molecules can hardly move. Recent reports have even indicated that interphase chromatin behaves like a solid body on mesoscopic scales. To explore the local chromatin dynamics, we have performed single-particle tracking on telomeres under varying conditions. We find that mobile telomeres feature in all conditions a strongly subdiffusive, anti-persistent motion that is consistent with the monomer motion of a Rouse polymer in viscoelastic media. In addition, telomere trajectories show intermittent accumulations in local niches at physiological conditions, suggesting the surrounding chromatin to reorganize on these time scales. Reducing the temperature or exposing cells to osmotic stress resulted in a significant reduction of mobile telomeres and the number of visited niches. Altogether, our data indicate a vivid local chromatin dynamics, akin to a semi-dilute polymer solution, unless perturbations enforce a more rigid or entangled state of chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Benelli
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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11
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Vertii A. Stress as a Chromatin Landscape Architect. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:790138. [PMID: 34970548 PMCID: PMC8712864 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.790138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The exponential development of methods investigating different levels of spatial genome organization leads to the appreciation of the chromatin landscape's contribution to gene regulation and cell fate. Multiple levels of 3D chromatin organization include chromatin loops and topologically associated domains, followed by euchromatin and heterochromatin compartments, chromatin domains associated with nuclear bodies, and culminate with the chromosome territories. 3D chromatin architecture is exposed to multiple factors such as cell division and stress, including but not limited to mechanical, inflammatory, and environmental challenges. How exactly the stress exposure shapes the chromatin landscape is a new and intriguing area of research. In this mini-review, the developments that motivate the exploration of this field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastassiia Vertii
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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12
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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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13
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Bakhshandeh S, Taïeb HM, Schlüßler R, Kim K, Beck T, Taubenberger A, Guck J, Cipitria A. Optical quantification of intracellular mass density and cell mechanics in 3D mechanical confinement. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:853-862. [PMID: 33232425 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01556c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Biophysical properties of cells such as intracellular mass density and cell mechanics are known to be involved in a wide range of homeostatic functions and pathological alterations. An optical readout that can be used to quantify such properties is the refractive index (RI) distribution. It has been recently reported that the nucleus, initially presumed to be the organelle with the highest dry mass density (ρ) within the cell, has in fact a lower RI and ρ than its surrounding cytoplasm. These studies have either been conducted in suspended cells, or cells adhered on 2D substrates, neither of which reflects the situation in vivo where cells are surrounded by the extracellular matrix (ECM). To better approximate the 3D situation, we encapsulated cells in 3D covalently-crosslinked alginate hydrogels with varying stiffness, and imaged the 3D RI distribution of cells, using a combined optical diffraction tomography (ODT)-epifluorescence microscope. Unexpectedly, the nuclei of cells in 3D displayed a higher ρ than the cytoplasm, in contrast to 2D cultures. Using a Brillouin-epifluorescence microscope we subsequently showed that in addition to higher ρ, the nuclei also had a higher longitudinal modulus (M) and viscosity (η) compared to the cytoplasm. Furthermore, increasing the stiffness of the hydrogel resulted in higher M for both the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells in stiff 3D alginate compared to cells in compliant 3D alginate. The ability to quantify intracellular biophysical properties with non-invasive techniques will improve our understanding of biological processes such as dormancy, apoptosis, cell growth or stem cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadra Bakhshandeh
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.
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14
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Jalihal AP, Schmidt A, Gao G, Little SR, Pitchiaya S, Walter NG. Hyperosmotic phase separation: Condensates beyond inclusions, granules and organelles. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100044. [PMID: 33168632 PMCID: PMC7948973 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.010899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological liquid-liquid phase separation has gained considerable attention in recent years as a driving force for the assembly of subcellular compartments termed membraneless organelles. The field has made great strides in elucidating the molecular basis of biomolecular phase separation in various disease, stress response, and developmental contexts. Many important biological consequences of such "condensation" are now emerging from in vivo studies. Here we review recent work from our group and others showing that many proteins undergo rapid, reversible condensation in the cellular response to ubiquitous environmental fluctuations such as osmotic changes. We discuss molecular crowding as an important driver of condensation in these responses and suggest that a significant fraction of the proteome is poised to undergo phase separation under physiological conditions. In addition, we review methods currently emerging to visualize, quantify, and modulate the dynamics of intracellular condensates in live cells. Finally, we propose a metaphor for rapid phase separation based on cloud formation, reasoning that our familiar experiences with the readily reversible condensation of water droplets help understand the principle of phase separation. Overall, we provide an account of how biological phase separation supports the highly intertwined relationship between the composition and dynamic internal organization of cells, thus facilitating extremely rapid reorganization in response to internal and external fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameya P Jalihal
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Andreas Schmidt
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Guoming Gao
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Saffron R Little
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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15
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Strickfaden H, Tolsma TO, Sharma A, Underhill DA, Hansen JC, Hendzel MJ. Condensed Chromatin Behaves like a Solid on the Mesoscale In Vitro and in Living Cells. Cell 2020; 183:1772-1784.e13. [PMID: 33326747 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The association of nuclear DNA with histones to form chromatin is essential for temporal and spatial control of eukaryotic genomes. In this study, we examined the physical state of condensed chromatin in vitro and in vivo. Our in vitro studies demonstrate that self-association of nucleosomal arrays under a wide range of solution conditions produces supramolecular condensates in which the chromatin is physically constrained and solid-like. By measuring DNA mobility in living cells, we show that condensed chromatin also exhibits solid-like behavior in vivo. Representative heterochromatin proteins, however, display liquid-like behavior and coalesce around the solid chromatin scaffold. Importantly, euchromatin and heterochromatin show solid-like behavior even under conditions that produce limited interactions between chromatin fibers. Our results reveal that condensed chromatin exists in a solid-like state whose properties resist external forces and create an elastic gel and provides a scaffold that supports liquid-liquid phase separation of chromatin binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilmar Strickfaden
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Thomas O Tolsma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Ajit Sharma
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - D Alan Underhill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jeffrey C Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Michael J Hendzel
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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16
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Strickfaden H. Reflections on the organization and the physical state of chromatin in eukaryotic cells. Genome 2020; 64:311-325. [PMID: 33306433 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2020-0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, our perception of chromatin structure and organization in the cell nucleus has changed in fundamental ways. The 30 nm chromatin fiber has lost its status as an essential in vivo structure. Hi-C and related biochemical methods, advanced electron and super-resolved fluorescence microscopy, together with concepts from soft matter physics, have revolutionized the field. A comprehensive understanding of the structural and functional interactions that regulate cell cycle and cell type specific nuclear functions appears within reach, but it requires the integration of top-down and bottom-up approachs. In this review, I present an update on nuclear architecture studies with an emphasis on organization and the controversy regarding the physical state of chromatin in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilmar Strickfaden
- Departments of Cell Biology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Departments of Cell Biology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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