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Lin HC, Golic MM, Hill HJ, Lemons KF, Vuong TT, Smith M, Golic F, Golic KG. Drosophila ring chromosomes interact with sisters and homologs to produce anaphase bridges in mitosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.08.607186. [PMID: 39149325 PMCID: PMC11326264 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.08.607186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Ring chromosomes are known in many eukaryotic organisms, including humans. They are typically associated with a variety of maladies, including abnormal development and lethality. Underlying these phenotypes are anaphase chromatin bridges that can lead to chromosome loss, nondisjunction and breakage. By cytological examination of ring chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster we identified five causes for anaphase bridges produced by ring chromosomes. Catenation of sister chromatids is the most common cause and these bridges frequently resolve during anaphase, presumably by the action of topoisomerase II. Sister chromatid exchange and chromosome breakage followed by sister chromatid union also produce anaphase bridges. Mitotic recombination with the homolog was rare, but was another route to generation of anaphase bridges. Most surprising, was the discovery of homolog capture, where the ring chromosome was connected to its linear homolog in anaphase. We hypothesize that this is a remnant of mitotic pairing and that the linear chromosome is connected to the ring by multiple wraps produced through the action of topoisomerase II during establishment of homolog pairing. In support, we showed that in a ring/ring homozygote the two rings are frequently catenated in mitotic metaphase, a configuration that requires breaking and rejoining of at least one chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Chen Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Mary M Golic
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Hunter J Hill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Katherine F Lemons
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Truc T Vuong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Madison Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Forrest Golic
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kent G Golic
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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2
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Marshall WF, Fung JC. Modeling homologous chromosome recognition via nonspecific interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317373121. [PMID: 38722810 PMCID: PMC11098084 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317373121] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
In many organisms, most notably Drosophila, homologous chromosomes associate in somatic cells, a phenomenon known as somatic pairing, which takes place without double strand breaks or strand invasion, thus requiring some other mechanism for homologs to recognize each other. Several studies have suggested a "specific button" model, in which a series of distinct regions in the genome, known as buttons, can associate with each other, mediated by different proteins that bind to these different regions. Here, we use computational modeling to evaluate an alternative "button barcode" model, in which there is only one type of recognition site or adhesion button, present in many copies in the genome, each of which can associate with any of the others with equal affinity. In this model, buttons are nonuniformly distributed, such that alignment of a chromosome with its correct homolog, compared with a nonhomolog, is energetically favored; since to achieve nonhomologous alignment, chromosomes would be required to mechanically deform in order to bring their buttons into mutual register. By simulating randomly generated nonuniform button distributions, many highly effective button barcodes can be easily found, some of which achieve virtually perfect pairing fidelity. This model is consistent with existing literature on the effect of translocations of different sizes on homolog pairing. We conclude that a button barcode model can attain highly specific homolog recognition, comparable to that seen in actual cells undergoing somatic homolog pairing, without the need for specific interactions. This model may have implications for how meiotic pairing is achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace F. Marshall
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Jennifer C. Fung
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
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3
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Ordway AJ, Helt RN, Johnston RJ. Transcriptional priming and chromatin regulation during stochastic cell fate specification. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230046. [PMID: 38432315 PMCID: PMC10909510 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0046] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Stochastic cell fate specification, in which a cell chooses between two or more fates with a set probability, diversifies cell subtypes in development. Although this is a vital process across species, a common mechanism for these cell fate decisions remains elusive. This review examines two well-characterized stochastic cell fate decisions to identify commonalities between their developmental programmes. In the fly eye, two subtypes of R7 photoreceptors are specified by the stochastic ON/OFF expression of a transcription factor, spineless. In the mouse olfactory system, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) randomly select to express one copy of an olfactory receptor (OR) gene out of a pool of 2800 alleles. Despite the differences in these sensory systems, both stochastic fate choices rely on the dynamic interplay between transcriptional priming, chromatin regulation and terminal gene expression. The coupling of transcription and chromatin modifications primes gene loci in undifferentiated neurons, enabling later expression during terminal differentiation. Here, we compare these mechanisms, examine broader implications for gene regulation during development and posit key challenges moving forward. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes and consequences of stochastic processes in development and disease'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J. Ordway
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Rina N. Helt
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Robert J. Johnston
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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4
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Bredeson JV, Mudd AB, Medina-Ruiz S, Mitros T, Smith OK, Miller KE, Lyons JB, Batra SS, Park J, Berkoff KC, Plott C, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Aguirre-Figueroa G, Khokha MK, Lane M, Philipp I, Laslo M, Hanken J, Kerdivel G, Buisine N, Sachs LM, Buchholz DR, Kwon T, Smith-Parker H, Gridi-Papp M, Ryan MJ, Denton RD, Malone JH, Wallingford JB, Straight AF, Heald R, Hockemeyer D, Harland RM, Rokhsar DS. Conserved chromatin and repetitive patterns reveal slow genome evolution in frogs. Nat Commun 2024; 15:579. [PMID: 38233380 PMCID: PMC10794172 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43012-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Frogs are an ecologically diverse and phylogenetically ancient group of anuran amphibians that include important vertebrate cell and developmental model systems, notably the genus Xenopus. Here we report a high-quality reference genome sequence for the western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis, along with draft chromosome-scale sequences of three distantly related emerging model frog species, Eleutherodactylus coqui, Engystomops pustulosus, and Hymenochirus boettgeri. Frog chromosomes have remained remarkably stable since the Mesozoic Era, with limited Robertsonian (i.e., arm-preserving) translocations and end-to-end fusions found among the smaller chromosomes. Conservation of synteny includes conservation of centromere locations, marked by centromeric tandem repeats associated with Cenp-a binding surrounded by pericentromeric LINE/L1 elements. This work explores the structure of chromosomes across frogs, using a dense meiotic linkage map for X. tropicalis and chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) data for all species. Abundant satellite repeats occupy the unusually long (~20 megabase) terminal regions of each chromosome that coincide with high rates of recombination. Both embryonic and differentiated cells show reproducible associations of centromeric chromatin and of telomeres, reflecting a Rabl-like configuration. Our comparative analyses reveal 13 conserved ancestral anuran chromosomes from which contemporary frog genomes were constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessen V Bredeson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- DOE-Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Austin B Mudd
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sofia Medina-Ruiz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Therese Mitros
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Owen Kabnick Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman Center 409, Stanford, CA, 94305-5307, USA
| | - Kelly E Miller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jessica B Lyons
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sanjit S Batra
- Computer Science Division, University of California Berkeley, 2626 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Joseph Park
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kodiak C Berkoff
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Christopher Plott
- HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Guadalupe Aguirre-Figueroa
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman Center 409, Stanford, CA, 94305-5307, USA
| | - Mustafa K Khokha
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Maura Lane
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Isabelle Philipp
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mara Laslo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - James Hanken
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Gwenneg Kerdivel
- Département Adaptation du Vivant, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Buisine
- Département Adaptation du Vivant, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Laurent M Sachs
- Département Adaptation du Vivant, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Daniel R Buchholz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Taejoon Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Heidi Smith-Parker
- Department of Integrative Biology, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Marcos Gridi-Papp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Robert D Denton
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, 181 Auditorium Road, Unit 3197, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - John H Malone
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, 181 Auditorium Road, Unit 3197, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Aaron F Straight
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman Center 409, Stanford, CA, 94305-5307, USA
| | - Rebecca Heald
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Dirk Hockemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Richard M Harland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Daniel S Rokhsar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Weill Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- DOE-Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 9040495, Japan.
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5
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Chaubal A, Waldern JM, Taylor C, Laederach A, Marzluff WF, Duronio RJ. Coordinated expression of replication-dependent histone genes from multiple loci promotes histone homeostasis in Drosophila. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar118. [PMID: 37647143 PMCID: PMC10846616 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-11-0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of large amounts of histone proteins during S phase is critical for proper chromatin formation and genome integrity. This process is achieved in part by the presence of multiple copies of replication dependent (RD) histone genes that occur in one or more clusters in metazoan genomes. In addition, RD histone gene clusters are associated with a specialized nuclear body, the histone locus body (HLB), which facilitates efficient transcription and 3' end-processing of RD histone mRNA. How all five RD histone genes within these clusters are coordinately regulated such that neither too few nor too many histones are produced, a process referred to as histone homeostasis, is not fully understood. Here, we explored the mechanisms of coordinate regulation between multiple RD histone loci in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilis. We provide evidence for functional competition between endogenous and ectopic transgenic histone arrays located at different chromosomal locations in D. melanogaster that helps maintain proper histone mRNA levels. Consistent with this model, in both species we found that individual histone gene arrays can independently assemble an HLB that results in active histone transcription. Our findings suggest a role for HLB assembly in coordinating RD histone gene expression to maintain histone homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlesha Chaubal
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Justin M. Waldern
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Colin Taylor
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Alain Laederach
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - William F. Marzluff
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Robert J. Duronio
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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6
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Marshall WF, Fung JC. Homologous chromosome recognition via nonspecific interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.09.544427. [PMID: 37333079 PMCID: PMC10274854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.09.544427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
In many organisms, most notably Drosophila, homologous chromosomes in somatic cells associate with each other, a phenomenon known as somatic homolog pairing. Unlike in meiosis, where homology is read out at the level of DNA sequence complementarity, somatic homolog pairing takes place without double strand breaks or strand invasion, thus requiring some other mechanism for homologs to recognize each other. Several studies have suggested a "specific button" model, in which a series of distinct regions in the genome, known as buttons, can associate with each other, presumably mediated by different proteins that bind to these different regions. Here we consider an alternative model, which we term the "button barcode" model, in which there is only one type of recognition site or adhesion button, present in many copies in the genome, each of which can associate with any of the others with equal affinity. An important component of this model is that the buttons are non-uniformly distributed, such that alignment of a chromosome with its correct homolog, compared with a non-homolog, is energetically favored; since to achieve nonhomologous alignment, chromosomes would be required to mechanically deform in order to bring their buttons into mutual register. We investigated several types of barcodes and examined their effect on pairing fidelity. We found that high fidelity homolog recognition can be achieved by arranging chromosome pairing buttons according to an actual industrial barcode used for warehouse sorting. By simulating randomly generated non-uniform button distributions, many highly effective button barcodes can be easily found, some of which achieve virtually perfect pairing fidelity. This model is consistent with existing literature on the effect of translocations of different sizes on homolog pairing. We conclude that a button barcode model can attain highly specific homolog recognition, comparable to that seen in actual cells undergoing somatic homolog pairing, without the need for specific interactions. This model may have implications for how meiotic pairing is achieved.
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7
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Urban EA, Chernoff C, Layng KV, Han J, Anderson C, Konzman D, Johnston RJ. Activating and repressing gene expression between chromosomes during stochastic fate specification. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111910. [PMID: 36640351 PMCID: PMC9976292 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111910] [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: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA elements act across long genomic distances to regulate gene expression. During transvection in Drosophila, DNA elements on one allele of a gene act between chromosomes to regulate expression of the other allele. Little is known about the biological roles and developmental regulation of transvection. Here, we study the stochastic expression of spineless (ss) in photoreceptors in the fly eye to understand transvection. We determine a biological role for transvection in regulating expression of naturally occurring ss alleles. We identify DNA elements required for activating and repressing transvection. Different enhancers participate in transvection at different times during development to promote gene expression and specify cell fates. Bringing a silencer element on a heterologous chromosome into proximity with the ss locus "reconstitutes" the gene, leading to repression. Our studies show that transvection regulates gene expression via distinct DNA elements at specific timepoints in development, with implications for genome organization and architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Urban
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Chaim Chernoff
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA,Present address: Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Kayla Viets Layng
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jeong Han
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Caitlin Anderson
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Daniel Konzman
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Robert J. Johnston
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence:
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8
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Homologous chromosomes are stably conjoined for Drosophila male meiosis I by SUM, a multimerized protein assembly with modules for DNA-binding and for separase-mediated dissociation co-opted from cohesin. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010547. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
For meiosis I, homologous chromosomes must be paired into bivalents. Maintenance of homolog conjunction in bivalents until anaphase I depends on crossovers in canonical meiosis. However, instead of crossovers, an alternative system achieves homolog conjunction during the achiasmate male meiosis of Drosophila melanogaster. The proteins SNM, UNO and MNM are likely constituents of a physical linkage that conjoins homologs in D. melanogaster spermatocytes. Here, we report that SNM binds tightly to the C-terminal region of UNO. This interaction is homologous to that of the cohesin subunits stromalin/Scc3/STAG and α-kleisin, as revealed by sequence similarities, structure modeling and cross-link mass spectrometry. Importantly, purified SU_C, the heterodimeric complex of SNM and the C-terminal region of UNO, displayed DNA-binding in vitro. DNA-binding was severely impaired by mutational elimination of positively charged residues from the C-terminal helix of UNO. Phenotypic analyses in flies fully confirmed the physiological relevance of this basic helix for chromosome-binding and homolog conjunction during male meiosis. Beyond DNA, SU_C also bound MNM, one of many isoforms expressed from the complex mod(mdg4) locus. This binding of MNM to SU_C was mediated by the MNM-specific C-terminal region, while the purified N-terminal part common to all Mod(mdg4) isoforms multimerized into hexamers in vitro. Similarly, the UNO N-terminal domain formed tetramers in vitro. Thus, we suggest that multimerization confers to SUM, the assemblies composed of SNM, UNO and MNM, the capacity to conjoin homologous chromosomes stably by the resultant multivalent DNA-binding. Moreover, to permit homolog separation during anaphase I, SUM is dissociated by separase, since UNO, the α-kleisin-related protein, includes a separase cleavage site. In support of this proposal, we demonstrate that UNO cleavage by tobacco etch virus protease is sufficient to release homolog conjunction in vivo after mutational exchange of the separase cleavage site with that of the bio-orthogonal protease.
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9
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Fleck K, Raj R, Erceg J. The 3D genome landscape: Diverse chromosomal interactions and their functional implications. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:968145. [PMID: 36036013 PMCID: PMC9402908 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.968145] [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: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome organization includes contacts both within a single chromosome and between distinct chromosomes. Thus, regulatory organization in the nucleus may include interplay of these two types of chromosomal interactions with genome activity. Emerging advances in omics and single-cell imaging technologies have allowed new insights into chromosomal contacts, including those of homologs and sister chromatids, and their significance to genome function. In this review, we highlight recent studies in this field and discuss their impact on understanding the principles of chromosome organization and associated functional implications in diverse cellular processes. Specifically, we describe the contributions of intra-chromosomal, inter-homolog, and inter-sister chromatid contacts to genome organization and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Fleck
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Romir Raj
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Jelena Erceg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States
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10
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Galouzis CC, Prud’homme B. Relevance and mechanisms of transvection. C R Biol 2021; 344:373-387. [DOI: 10.5802/crbiol.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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11
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Vernizzi L, Lehner CF. Bivalent individualization during chromosome territory formation in Drosophila spermatocytes by controlled condensin II protein activity and additional force generators. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009870. [PMID: 34669718 PMCID: PMC8559962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduction of genome ploidy from diploid to haploid necessitates stable pairing of homologous chromosomes into bivalents before the start of the first meiotic division. Importantly, this chromosome pairing must avoid interlocking of non-homologous chromosomes. In spermatocytes of Drosophila melanogaster, where homolog pairing does not involve synaptonemal complex formation and crossovers, associations between non-homologous chromosomes are broken up by chromosome territory formation in early spermatocytes. Extensive non-homologous associations arise from the coalescence of the large blocks of pericentromeric heterochromatin into a chromocenter and from centromere clustering. Nevertheless, during territory formation, bivalents are moved apart into spatially separate subnuclear regions. The condensin II subunits, Cap-D3 and Cap-H2, have been implicated, but the remarkable separation of bivalents during interphase might require more than just condensin II. For further characterization of this process, we have applied time-lapse imaging using fluorescent markers of centromeres, telomeres and DNA satellites in pericentromeric heterochromatin. We describe the dynamics of the disruption of centromere clusters and the chromocenter in normal spermatocytes. Mutations in Cap-D3 and Cap-H2 abolish chromocenter disruption, resulting in excessive chromosome missegregation during M I. Chromocenter persistence in the mutants is not mediated by the special system, which conjoins homologs in compensation for the absence of crossovers in Drosophila spermatocytes. However, overexpression of Cap-H2 precluded conjunction between autosomal homologs, resulting in random segregation of univalents. Interestingly, Cap-D3 and Cap-H2 mutant spermatocytes displayed conspicuous stretching of the chromocenter, as well as occasional chromocenter disruption, suggesting that territory formation might involve forces unrelated to condensin II. While the molecular basis of these forces remains to be clarified, they are not destroyed by inhibitors of F actin and microtubules. Our results indicate that condensin II activity promotes chromosome territory formation in co-operation with additional force generators and that careful co-ordination with alternative homolog conjunction is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Vernizzi
- Department of Molecular Life Science (DMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian F. Lehner
- Department of Molecular Life Science (DMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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12
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Child MB, Bateman JR, Jahangiri A, Reimer A, Lammers NC, Sabouni N, Villamarin D, McKenzie-Smith GC, Johnson JE, Jost D, Garcia HG. Live imaging and biophysical modeling support a button-based mechanism of somatic homolog pairing in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:64412. [PMID: 34100718 PMCID: PMC8294847 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional eukaryotic genome organization provides the structural basis for gene regulation. In Drosophila melanogaster, genome folding is characterized by somatic homolog pairing, where homologous chromosomes are intimately paired from end to end; however, how homologs identify one another and pair has remained mysterious. Recently, this process has been proposed to be driven by specifically interacting 'buttons' encoded along chromosomes. Here, we turned this hypothesis into a quantitative biophysical model to demonstrate that a button-based mechanism can lead to chromosome-wide pairing. We tested our model using live-imaging measurements of chromosomal loci tagged with the MS2 and PP7 nascent RNA labeling systems. We show solid agreement between model predictions and experiments in the pairing dynamics of individual homologous loci. Our results strongly support a button-based mechanism of somatic homolog pairing in Drosophila and provide a theoretical framework for revealing the molecular identity and regulation of buttons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myron Barber Child
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Jack R Bateman
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, United States
| | - Amir Jahangiri
- Univ Grenoble Alpes CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France
| | - Armando Reimer
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Nicholas C Lammers
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Nica Sabouni
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | | | | | | | - Daniel Jost
- Univ Grenoble Alpes CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France.,Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, CNRS, Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, Lyon, France
| | - Hernan G Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States.,Institute for Quantitative Biosciences-QB3, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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13
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Peterson SC, Samuelson KB, Hanlon SL. Multi-Scale Organization of the Drosophila melanogaster Genome. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:817. [PMID: 34071789 PMCID: PMC8228293 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Interphase chromatin, despite its appearance, is a highly organized framework of loops and bends. Chromosomes are folded into topologically associating domains, or TADs, and each chromosome and its homolog occupy a distinct territory within the nucleus. In Drosophila, genome organization is exceptional because homologous chromosome pairing is in both germline and somatic tissues, which promote interhomolog interactions such as transvection that can affect gene expression in trans. In this review, we focus on what is known about genome organization in Drosophila and discuss it from TADs to territory. We start by examining intrachromosomal organization at the sub-chromosome level into TADs, followed by a comprehensive analysis of the known proteins that play a key role in TAD formation and boundary establishment. We then zoom out to examine interhomolog interactions such as pairing and transvection that are abundant in Drosophila but rare in other model systems. Finally, we discuss chromosome territories that form within the nucleus, resulting in a complete picture of the multi-scale organization of the Drosophila genome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stacey L. Hanlon
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (S.C.P.); (K.B.S.)
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14
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Abstract
Meiosis is the basis of the generative reproduction of eukaryotes. The crucial first step is homologous chromosome pairing. In higher eukaryotes, micrometer-scale chromosomes, micrometer distances apart, are brought together by nanometer DNA sequences, at least a factor of 1000 size difference. Models of homology search, homologue movement, and pairing at the DNA level in higher eukaryotes are primarily based on studies with yeast where the emphasis is on the induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). For such a model, the very large nuclei of most plants and animals present serious problems. Homology search without DSBs cannot be explained by models based on DSB repair. The movement of homologues to meet each other and make contact at the molecular level is not understood. These problems are discussed and the conclusion is that at present practically nothing is known of meiotic homologue pairing in higher eukaryotes up to the formation of the synaptonemal complex, and that new, necessarily speculative models must be developed. Arguments are given that RNA plays a central role in homology search and a tentative model involving RNA in homology search is presented. A role of actin in homologue movement is proposed. The primary role of DSBs in higher eukaryotes is concluded to not be in paring but in the preparation of Holliday junctions, ultimately leading to chromatid exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Sybenga
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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15
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Hur W, Kemp JP, Tarzia M, Deneke VE, Marzluff WF, Duronio RJ, Di Talia S. CDK-Regulated Phase Separation Seeded by Histone Genes Ensures Precise Growth and Function of Histone Locus Bodies. Dev Cell 2020; 54:379-394.e6. [PMID: 32579968 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Many membraneless organelles form through liquid-liquid phase separation, but how their size is controlled and whether size is linked to function remain poorly understood. The histone locus body (HLB) is an evolutionarily conserved nuclear body that regulates the transcription and processing of histone mRNAs. Here, we show that Drosophila HLBs form through phase separation. During embryogenesis, the size of HLBs is controlled in a precise and dynamic manner that is dependent on the cell cycle and zygotic histone gene activation. Control of HLB growth is achieved by a mechanism integrating nascent mRNAs at the histone locus, which facilitates phase separation, and the nuclear concentration of the scaffold protein multi-sex combs (Mxc), which is controlled by the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases. Reduced Cdk2 activity results in smaller HLBs and the appearance of nascent, misprocessed histone mRNAs. Thus, our experiments identify a mechanism linking nuclear body growth and size with gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woonyung Hur
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - James P Kemp
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marco Tarzia
- LPTMC, CNRS-UMR 7600, Sorbonne Université, 4 Pl. Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Victoria E Deneke
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - William F Marzluff
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Robert J Duronio
- Department of Biology, Department of Genetics, Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
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16
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Hiraoka Y. Phase separation drives pairing of homologous chromosomes. Curr Genet 2020; 66:881-887. [PMID: 32285141 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-020-01077-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Pairing of homologous chromosomes is crucial for ensuring accurate segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. Molecular mechanisms of homologous chromosome pairing in meiosis have been extensively studied in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this organism, meiosis-specific noncoding RNA transcribed from specific genes accumulates at the respective gene loci, and chromosome-associated RNA-protein complexes mediate meiotic pairing of homologous loci through phase separation. Pairing of homologous chromosomes also occurs in somatic diploid cells in certain situations. For example, somatic pairing of homologous chromosomes occurs during the early embryogenesis in diptera, and relies on the transcription-associated chromatin architecture. Earlier models also suggest that transcription factories along the chromosome mediate pairing of homologous chromosomes in plants. These studies suggest that RNA bodies formed on chromosomes mediate the pairing of homologous chromosomes. This review summarizes lessons from S. pombe to provide general insights into mechanisms of homologous chromosome pairing mediated by phase separation of chromosome-associated RNA-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Hiraoka
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
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17
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Viets K, Sauria MEG, Chernoff C, Rodriguez Viales R, Echterling M, Anderson C, Tran S, Dove A, Goyal R, Voortman L, Gordus A, Furlong EEM, Taylor J, Johnston RJ. Characterization of Button Loci that Promote Homologous Chromosome Pairing and Cell-Type-Specific Interchromosomal Gene Regulation. Dev Cell 2019; 51:341-356.e7. [PMID: 31607649 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Homologous chromosomes colocalize to regulate gene expression in processes including genomic imprinting, X-inactivation, and transvection. In Drosophila, homologous chromosomes pair throughout development, promoting transvection. The "button" model of pairing proposes that specific regions along chromosomes pair with high affinity. Here, we identify buttons interspersed across the fly genome that pair with their homologous sequences, even when relocated to multiple positions in the genome. A majority of transgenes that span a full topologically associating domain (TAD) function as buttons, but not all buttons contain TADs. Additionally, buttons are enriched for insulator protein clusters. Fragments of buttons do not pair, suggesting that combinations of elements within a button are required for pairing. Pairing is necessary but not sufficient for transvection. Additionally, pairing and transvection are stronger in some cell types than in others, suggesting that pairing strength regulates transvection efficiency between cell types. Thus, buttons pair homologous chromosomes to facilitate cell-type-specific interchromosomal gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Viets
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Michael E G Sauria
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Chaim Chernoff
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | | | - Max Echterling
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Caitlin Anderson
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sang Tran
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Abigail Dove
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Raghav Goyal
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Lukas Voortman
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Andrew Gordus
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Eileen E M Furlong
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Genome Biology, Heidelberg 69117, Germany
| | - James Taylor
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Robert J Johnston
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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18
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Erceg J, AlHaj Abed J, Goloborodko A, Lajoie BR, Fudenberg G, Abdennur N, Imakaev M, McCole RB, Nguyen SC, Saylor W, Joyce EF, Senaratne TN, Hannan MA, Nir G, Dekker J, Mirny LA, Wu CT. The genome-wide multi-layered architecture of chromosome pairing in early Drosophila embryos. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4486. [PMID: 31582744 PMCID: PMC6776651 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12211-8] [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: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome organization involves cis and trans chromosomal interactions, both implicated in gene regulation, development, and disease. Here, we focus on trans interactions in Drosophila, where homologous chromosomes are paired in somatic cells from embryogenesis through adulthood. We first address long-standing questions regarding the structure of embryonic homolog pairing and, to this end, develop a haplotype-resolved Hi-C approach to minimize homolog misassignment and thus robustly distinguish trans-homolog from cis contacts. This computational approach, which we call Ohm, reveals pairing to be surprisingly structured genome-wide, with trans-homolog domains, compartments, and interaction peaks, many coinciding with analogous cis features. We also find a significant genome-wide correlation between pairing, transcription during zygotic genome activation, and binding of the pioneer factor Zelda. Our findings reveal a complex, highly structured organization underlying homolog pairing, first discovered a century ago in Drosophila. Finally, we demonstrate the versatility of our haplotype-resolved approach by applying it to mammalian embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Erceg
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jumana AlHaj Abed
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anton Goloborodko
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Bryan R Lajoie
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605-0103, USA
- Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Geoffrey Fudenberg
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Gladstone Institutes of Data Science and Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Nezar Abdennur
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Maxim Imakaev
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ruth B McCole
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Son C Nguyen
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Wren Saylor
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Eric F Joyce
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - T Niroshini Senaratne
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mohammed A Hannan
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Guy Nir
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Job Dekker
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605-0103, USA
| | - Leonid A Mirny
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - C-Ting Wu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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19
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The Role of Insulation in Patterning Gene Expression. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10100767. [PMID: 31569427 PMCID: PMC6827083 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100767] [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: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Development is orchestrated by regulatory elements that turn genes ON or OFF in precise spatial and temporal patterns. Many safety mechanisms prevent inappropriate action of a regulatory element on the wrong gene promoter. In flies and mammals, dedicated DNA elements (insulators) recruit protein factors (insulator binding proteins, or IBPs) to shield promoters from regulatory elements. In mammals, a single IBP called CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is known, whereas genetic and biochemical analyses in Drosophila have identified a larger repertoire of IBPs. How insulators function at the molecular level is not fully understood, but it is currently thought that they fold chromosomes into conformations that affect regulatory element-promoter communication. Here, we review the discovery of insulators and describe their properties. We discuss recent genetic studies in flies and mice to address the question: Is gene insulation important for animal development? Comparing and contrasting observations in these two species reveal that they have different requirements for insulation, but that insulation is a conserved and critical gene regulation strategy.
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20
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Koláčková V, Perničková K, Vrána J, Duchoslav M, Jenkins G, Phillips D, Turkosi E, Šamajová O, Sedlářová M, Šamaj J, Doležel J, Kopecký D. Nuclear Disposition of Alien Chromosome Introgressions into Wheat and Rye Using 3D-FISH. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20174143. [PMID: 31450653 PMCID: PMC6747102 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During interphase, the chromosomes of eukaryotes decondense and they occupy distinct regions of the nucleus, called chromosome domains or chromosome territories (CTs). In plants, the Rabl’s configuration, with telomeres at one pole of nucleus and centromeres at the other, appears to be common, at least in plants with large genomes. It is unclear whether individual chromosomes of plants adopt defined, genetically determined addresses within the nucleus, as is the case in mammals. In this study, the nuclear disposition of alien rye and barley chromosomes and chromosome arm introgressions into wheat while using 3D-FISH in various somatic tissues was analyzed. All of the introgressed chromosomes showed Rabl’s orientation, but their relative positions in the nuclei were less clear. While in most cases pairs of introgressed chromosomes occupied discrete positions, their association (proximity) along their entire lengths was rare, and partial association only marginally more frequent. This arrangement is relatively stable in various tissues and during various stages of the cell cycle. On the other hand, the length of a chromosome arm appears to play a role in its positioning in a nucleus: shorter chromosomes or chromosome arms tend to be located closer to the centre of the nucleus, while longer arms are more often positioned at the nuclear periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Koláčková
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Šlechtitelů 31, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Perničková
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Šlechtitelů 31, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Vrána
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Šlechtitelů 31, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Duchoslav
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Glyn Jenkins
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Dylan Phillips
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Edina Turkosi
- Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-2462 Martonvásár, P.O. Box 19, Hungary
| | - Olga Šamajová
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Sedlářová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Šamaj
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Doležel
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Šlechtitelů 31, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - David Kopecký
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Šlechtitelů 31, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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21
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Bolcun-Filas E, Handel MA. Meiosis: the chromosomal foundation of reproduction. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:112-126. [PMID: 29385397 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is the chromosomal foundation of reproduction, with errors in this important process leading to aneuploidy and/or infertility. In this review celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, the important chromosomal structures and dynamics contributing to genomic integrity across generations are highlighted. Critical unsolved biological problems are identified, and the advances that will lead to their ultimate resolution are predicted.
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22
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Piwko P, Vitsaki I, Livadaras I, Delidakis C. The Role of Insulators in Transgene Transvection in Drosophila. Genetics 2019; 212:489-508. [PMID: 30948430 PMCID: PMC6553826 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transvection is the phenomenon where a transcriptional enhancer activates a promoter located on the homologous chromosome. It has been amply documented in Drosophila where homologs are closely paired in most, if not all, somatic nuclei, but it has been known to rarely occur in mammals as well. We have taken advantage of site-directed transgenesis to insert reporter constructs into the same genetic locus in Drosophila and have evaluated their ability to engage in transvection by testing many heterozygous combinations. We find that transvection requires the presence of an insulator element on both homologs. Homotypic trans-interactions between four different insulators can support transvection: the gypsy insulator (GI), Wari, Fab-8 and 1A2; GI and Fab-8 are more effective than Wari or 1A2 We show that, in the presence of insulators, transvection displays the characteristics that have been previously described: it requires homolog pairing, but can happen at any of several loci in the genome; a solitary enhancer confronted with an enhancerless reporter is sufficient to drive transcription; it is weaker than the action of the same enhancer-promoter pair in cis, and it is further suppressed by cis-promoter competition. Though necessary, the presence of homotypic insulators is not sufficient for transvection; their position, number and orientation matters. A single GI adjacent to both enhancer and promoter is the optimal configuration. The identity of enhancers and promoters in the vicinity of a trans-interacting insulator pair is also important, indicative of complex insulator-enhancer-promoter interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Piwko
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
| | - Ilektra Vitsaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
| | - Ioannis Livadaras
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
| | - Christos Delidakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Crete, Greece
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23
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Sun MS, Weber J, Blattner AC, Chaurasia S, Lehner CF. MNM and SNM maintain but do not establish achiasmate homolog conjunction during Drosophila male meiosis. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008162. [PMID: 31136586 PMCID: PMC6538143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The first meiotic division reduces genome ploidy. This requires pairing of homologous chromosomes into bivalents that can be bi-oriented within the spindle during prometaphase I. Thereafter, pairing is abolished during late metaphase I, and univalents are segregated apart onto opposite spindle poles during anaphase I. In contrast to canonical meiosis, homologous chromosome pairing does not include the formation of a synaptonemal complex and of cross-overs in spermatocytes of Drosophila melanogaster. The alternative pairing mode in these cells depends on mnm and snm. These genes are required exclusively in spermatocytes specifically for successful conjunction of chromosomes into bivalents. Available evidence suggests that MNM and SNM might be part of a physical linkage that directly conjoins chromosomes. Here this notion was analyzed further. Temporal variation in delivery of mnm and snm function was realized by combining various transgenes with null mutant backgrounds. The observed phenotypic consequences provide strong evidence that MNM and SNM contribute directly to chromosome linkage. Premature elimination of these proteins results in precocious bivalent splitting. Delayed provision results in partial conjunction defects that are more pronounced in autosomal bivalents compared to the sex chromosome bivalent. Overall, our findings suggest that MNM and SNM cannot re-establish pairing of chromosomes into bivalents if provided after a chromosome-specific time point of no return. When delivered before this time point, they fortify preformed linkages in order to preclude premature bivalent splitting by the disruptive forces that drive chromosome territory formation during spermatocyte maturation and chromosome condensation during entry into meiosis I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Shoujie Sun
- Institute of Molecular Life Science (IMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joe Weber
- Institute of Molecular Life Science (IMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ariane C. Blattner
- Institute of Molecular Life Science (IMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Soumya Chaurasia
- Institute of Molecular Life Science (IMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian F. Lehner
- Institute of Molecular Life Science (IMLS), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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24
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Kim AA, Nekimken AL, Fechner S, O'Brien LE, Pruitt BL. Microfluidics for mechanobiology of model organisms. Methods Cell Biol 2018; 146:217-259. [PMID: 30037463 PMCID: PMC6418080 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stimuli play a critical role in organ development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. Understanding how mechanical signals are processed in multicellular model systems is critical for connecting cellular processes to tissue- and organism-level responses. However, progress in the field that studies these phenomena, mechanobiology, has been limited by lack of appropriate experimental techniques for applying repeatable mechanical stimuli to intact organs and model organisms. Microfluidic platforms, a subgroup of microsystems that use liquid flow for manipulation of objects, are a promising tool for studying mechanobiology of small model organisms due to their size scale and ease of customization. In this work, we describe design considerations involved in developing a microfluidic device for studying mechanobiology. Then, focusing on worms, fruit flies, and zebrafish, we review current microfluidic platforms for mechanobiology of multicellular model organisms and their tissues and highlight research opportunities in this developing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Kim
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Beth L Pruitt
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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25
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Caridi PC, Delabaere L, Zapotoczny G, Chiolo I. And yet, it moves: nuclear and chromatin dynamics of a heterochromatic double-strand break. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0291. [PMID: 28847828 PMCID: PMC5577469 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is mostly composed of repeated DNA sequences prone to aberrant recombination. How cells maintain the stability of these sequences during double-strand break (DSB) repair has been a long-standing mystery. Studies in Drosophila cells revealed that faithful homologous recombination repair of heterochromatic DSBs relies on the striking relocalization of repair sites to the nuclear periphery before Rad51 recruitment and repair progression. Here, we summarize our current understanding of this response, including the molecular mechanisms involved, and conserved pathways in mammalian cells. We will highlight important similarities with pathways identified in budding yeast for repair of other types of repeated sequences, including rDNA and short telomeres. We will also discuss the emerging role of chromatin composition and regulation in heterochromatin repair progression. Together, these discoveries challenged previous assumptions that repair sites are substantially static in multicellular eukaryotes, that heterochromatin is largely inert in the presence of DSBs, and that silencing and compaction in this domain are obstacles to repair. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling’.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Christopher Caridi
- Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Laetitia Delabaere
- Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Grzegorz Zapotoczny
- Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Irene Chiolo
- Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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26
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Lim B, Heist T, Levine M, Fukaya T. Visualization of Transvection in Living Drosophila Embryos. Mol Cell 2018; 70:287-296.e6. [PMID: 29606591 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
How remote enhancers interact with appropriate target genes persists as a central mystery in gene regulation. Here, we exploit the properties of transvection to explore enhancer-promoter communication between homologous chromosomes in living Drosophila embryos. We successfully visualized the activation of an MS2-tagged reporter gene by a defined developmental enhancer located in trans on the other homolog. This trans-homolog activation depends on insulator DNAs, which increase the stability-but not the frequency-of homolog pairing. A pair of heterotypic insulators failed to mediate transvection, raising the possibility that insulator specificity underlies the formation of chromosomal loop domains. Moreover, we found that a shared enhancer co-activates separate PP7 and MS2 reporter genes incis and intrans. Transvecting alleles weakly compete with one another, raising the possibility that they share a common pool of the transcription machinery. We propose that transvecting alleles form a trans-homolog "hub," which serves as a scaffold for the accumulation of transcription complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bomyi Lim
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Tyler Heist
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Michael Levine
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Takashi Fukaya
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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27
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Three-Dimensional Genome Organization and Function in Drosophila. Genetics 2017; 205:5-24. [PMID: 28049701 PMCID: PMC5223523 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.185132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the metazoan genome is used during development and cell differentiation is one of the major challenges in the postgenomic era. Early studies in Drosophila suggested that three-dimensional (3D) chromosome organization plays important regulatory roles in this process and recent technological advances started to reveal connections at the molecular level. Here we will consider general features of the architectural organization of the Drosophila genome, providing historical perspective and insights from recent work. We will compare the linear and spatial segmentation of the fly genome and focus on the two key regulators of genome architecture: insulator components and Polycomb group proteins. With its unique set of genetic tools and a compact, well annotated genome, Drosophila is poised to remain a model system of choice for rapid progress in understanding principles of genome organization and to serve as a proving ground for development of 3D genome-engineering techniques.
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28
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Transvection in Drosophila: trans-interaction between yellow enhancers and promoter is strongly suppressed by a cis-promoter only in certain genomic regions. Chromosoma 2016; 126:431-441. [DOI: 10.1007/s00412-016-0605-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Fujioka M, Mistry H, Schedl P, Jaynes JB. Determinants of Chromosome Architecture: Insulator Pairing in cis and in trans. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005889. [PMID: 26910731 PMCID: PMC4765946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromosomes of multicellular animals are organized into a series of topologically independent looped domains. This domain organization is critical for the proper utilization and propagation of the genetic information encoded by the chromosome. A special set of architectural elements, called boundaries or insulators, are responsible both for subdividing the chromatin into discrete domains and for determining the topological organization of these domains. Central to the architectural functions of insulators are homologous and heterologous insulator:insulator pairing interactions. The former (pairing between copies of the same insulator) dictates the process of homolog alignment and pairing in trans, while the latter (pairing between different insulators) defines the topology of looped domains in cis. To elucidate the principles governing these architectural functions, we use two insulators, Homie and Nhomie, that flank the Drosophila even skipped locus. We show that homologous insulator interactions in trans, between Homie on one homolog and Homie on the other, or between Nhomie on one homolog and Nhomie on the other, mediate transvection. Critically, these homologous insulator:insulator interactions are orientation-dependent. Consistent with a role in the alignment and pairing of homologs, self-pairing in trans is head-to-head. Head-to-head self-interactions in cis have been reported for other fly insulators, suggesting that this is a general principle of self-pairing. Homie and Nhomie not only pair with themselves, but with each other. Heterologous Homie-Nhomie interactions occur in cis, and we show that they serve to delimit a looped chromosomal domain that contains the even skipped transcription unit and its associated enhancers. The topology of this loop is defined by the heterologous pairing properties of Homie and Nhomie. Instead of being head-to-head, which would generate a circular loop, Homie-Nhomie pairing is head-to-tail. Head-to-tail pairing in cis generates a stem-loop, a configuration much like that observed in classical lampbrush chromosomes. These pairing principles provide a mechanistic underpinning for the observed topologies within and between chromosomes. The chromosomes of multicellular animals are organized into a series of topologically independent looped domains. This domain organization is critical for the proper utilization and propagation of the genetic information encoded by the chromosome. A special set of architectural elements, called boundaries or insulators, are responsible for both subdividing the chromatin fiber into discrete domains, and determining the topological organization of these domains. Central to the architectural functions of insulators are heterologous and homologous insulator:insulator pairing interactions. In Drosophila, the former defines the topology of individual looped domains in cis, while the latter dictates the process of homolog alignment and pairing in trans. Here we use two insulators from the even skipped locus to elucidate the principles governing these two architectural functions. These principles align with several longstanding observations, and resolve a number of conundrums regarding chromosome topology and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Fujioka
- Deptartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Hemlata Mistry
- Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Paul Schedl
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Laboratory of Gene Expression Regulation in Development, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail: (PS); (JBJ)
| | - James B. Jaynes
- Deptartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PS); (JBJ)
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Ferraro T, Lucas T, Clémot M, De Las Heras Chanes J, Desponds J, Coppey M, Walczak AM, Dostatni N. New methods to image transcription in living fly embryos: the insights so far, and the prospects. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 5:296-310. [PMID: 26894441 PMCID: PMC5021148 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The regulation of transcription is a fundamental process underlying the determination of cell identity and its maintenance during development. In the last decades, most of the transcription factors, which have to be expressed at the right place and at the right time for the proper development of the fly embryo, have been identified. However, mostly because of the lack of methods to visualize transcription as the embryo develops, their coordinated spatiotemporal dynamics remains largely unexplored. Efforts have been made to decipher the transcription process with single molecule resolution at the single cell level. Recently, the fluorescent labeling of nascent RNA in developing fly embryos allowed the direct visualization of ongoing transcription at single loci within each nucleus. Together with powerful imaging and quantitative data analysis, these new methods provide unprecedented insights into the temporal dynamics of the transcription process and its intrinsic noise. Focusing on the Drosophila embryo, we discuss how the detection of single RNA molecules enhanced our comprehension of the transcription process and we outline the potential next steps made possible by these new imaging tools. In combination with genetics and theoretical analysis, these new imaging methods will aid the search for the mechanisms responsible for the robustness of development. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ferraro
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France.,Ecole Normale Superieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Tanguy Lucas
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marie Clémot
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jose De Las Heras Chanes
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jonathan Desponds
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France.,Ecole Normale Superieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coppey
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Aleksandra M Walczak
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France.,Ecole Normale Superieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Dostatni
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France.,UMR3664/UMR168/UMR8549, CNRS, Paris, France
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31
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Strickfaden H, Zunhammer A, van Koningsbruggen S, Köhler D, Cremer T. 4D Chromatin dynamics in cycling cells. Nucleus 2014. [DOI: 10.4161/nucl.11969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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32
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Abstract
Meiosis entails sorting and separating both homologous and sister chromatids. The mechanisms for connecting sister chromatids and homologs during meiosis are highly conserved and include specialized forms of the cohesin complex and a tightly regulated homolog synapsis/recombination pathway designed to yield regular crossovers between homologous chromatids. Drosophila male meiosis is of special interest because it dispenses with large segments of the standard meiotic script, particularly recombination, synapsis and the associated structures. Instead, Drosophila relies on a unique protein complex composed of at least two novel proteins, SNM and MNM, to provide stable connections between homologs during meiosis I. Sister chromatid cohesion in Drosophila is mediated by cohesins, ring-shaped complexes that entrap sister chromatids. However, unlike other eukaryotes Drosophila does not rely on the highly conserved Rec8 cohesin in meiosis, but instead utilizes two novel cohesion proteins, ORD and SOLO, which interact with the SMC1/3 cohesin components in providing meiotic cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce D McKee
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology; University of Tennessee; Knoxville TN USA ; Genome Science and Technology Program; University of Tennessee; Knoxville TN USA
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33
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Zhang J, Zhang B, Su H, Birchler JA, Han F. Molecular mechanisms of homologous chromosome pairing and segregation in plants. J Genet Genomics 2014; 41:117-23. [PMID: 24656232 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In most eukaryotic species, three basic steps of pairing, recombination and synapsis occur during prophase of meiosis I. Homologous chromosomal pairing and recombination are essential for accurate segregation of chromosomes. In contrast to the well-studied processes such as recombination and synapsis, many aspects of chromosome pairing are still obscure. Recent progress in several species indicates that the telomere bouquet formation can facilitate homologous chromosome pairing by bringing chromosome ends into close proximity, but the sole presence of telomere clustering is not sufficient for recognizing homologous pairs. On the other hand, accurate segregation of the genetic material from parent to offspring during meiosis is dependent on the segregation of homologs in the reductional meiotic division (MI) with sister kinetochores exhibiting mono-orientation from the same pole, and the segregation of sister chromatids during the equational meiotic division (MII) with kinetochores showing bi-orientation from the two poles. The underlying mechanism of orientation and segregation is still unclear. Here we focus on recent studies in plants and other species that provide insight into how chromosomes find their partners and mechanisms mediating chromosomal segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Handong Su
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - James A Birchler
- Division of Biological Sciences, 311 Tucker Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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34
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Joyce EF, Apostolopoulos N, Beliveau BJ, Wu CT. Germline progenitors escape the widespread phenomenon of homolog pairing during Drosophila development. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1004013. [PMID: 24385920 PMCID: PMC3868550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Homolog pairing, which plays a critical role in meiosis, poses a potential risk if it occurs in inappropriate tissues or between nonallelic sites, as it can lead to changes in gene expression, chromosome entanglements, and loss-of-heterozygosity due to mitotic recombination. This is particularly true in Drosophila, which supports organismal-wide pairing throughout development. Discovered over a century ago, such extensive pairing has led to the perception that germline pairing in the adult gonad is an extension of the pairing established during embryogenesis and, therefore, differs from the mechanism utilized in most species to initiate pairing specifically in the germline. Here, we show that, contrary to long-standing assumptions, Drosophila meiotic pairing in the gonad is not an extension of pairing established during embryogenesis. Instead, we find that homologous chromosomes are unpaired in primordial germ cells from the moment the germline can be distinguished from the soma in the embryo and remain unpaired even in the germline stem cells of the adult gonad. We further establish that pairing originates immediately after the stem cell stage. This pairing occurs well before the initiation of meiosis and, strikingly, continues through the several mitotic divisions preceding meiosis. These discoveries indicate that the spatial organization of the Drosophila genome differs between the germline and the soma from the earliest moments of development and thus argue that homolog pairing in the germline is an active process as versus a passive continuation of pairing established during embryogenesis. Meiosis is a specialized cell division that permits the transmission of genetic material to following generations. A pivotal step for this process is the pairing and recombination between homologous chromosomes. In the case of Drosophila, which supports organismal-wide homolog pairing throughout development, it has been widely assumed that the homolog alignment occurring during meiosis in the adult gonad is an extension of the pairing established during embryogenesis. Here, we show that, contrary to this model, homologous chromosomes are unpaired in germline progenitors from embryogenesis to adulthood. This discovery refutes the presumption that homologous chromosomes are paired in Drosophila in all cell types and demonstrates that a specific form of chromosome organization, namely, homolog pairing, is a signature feature that distinguishes cells destined to be the soma from cells destined to be the germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric F Joyce
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Apostolopoulos
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brian J Beliveau
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - C-ting Wu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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35
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Affiliation(s)
- Cori K. Cahoon
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - R. Scott Hawley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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36
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Mirkin EV, Chang FS, Kleckner N. Dynamic trans interactions in yeast chromosomes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75895. [PMID: 24098740 PMCID: PMC3786970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional organization of the genome is important for regulation of gene expression and maintenance of genomic stability. It also defines, and is defined by, contacts between different chromosomal loci. Interactions between loci positioned on different chromosomes, i.e. "trans" interactions are one type of such contacts. Here, we describe a case of inducible trans interaction in chromosomes of the budding yeast S. cerevisiae. Special DNA sequences, inserted in two ectopic chromosomal loci positioned in trans, pair with one another in an inducible manner. The spatial proximity diagnostic of pairing is observable by both chromosome capture analysis (3C) and epifluorescence microscopy in whole cells. Protein synthesis de novo appears to be required for this process. The three-dimensional organization of the yeast nucleus imposes a constraint on such pairing, presumably by dictating the probability with which the two sequences collide with one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina V. Mirkin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Frederick S. Chang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nancy Kleckner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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37
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Wallace HA, Bosco G. Condensins and 3D Organization of the Interphase Nucleus. CURRENT GENETIC MEDICINE REPORTS 2013; 1:219-229. [PMID: 24563825 DOI: 10.1007/s40142-013-0024-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Condensins are conserved multi-subunit protein complexes that participate in eukaryotic genome organization. Well known for their role in mitotic chromosome condensation, condensins have recently emerged as integral components of diverse interphase processes. Recent evidence shows that condensins are involved in chromatin organization, gene expression, and DNA repair and indicates similarities between the interphase and mitotic functions of condensin. Recent work has enhanced our knowledge of how chromatin architecture is dynamically regulated by condensin to impact essential cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Wallace
- Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 609 Vail, HB 7400, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 609 Vail, HB 7400, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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38
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Abstract
Pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes are essential for ensuring correct segregation of chromosomes in meiosis. In S. pombe, chromosomes are first bundled at the telomeres (forming a telomere bouquet) and then aligned by oscillatory movement of the elongated “horsetail” nucleus (Fig. 1).1,2 Telomere clustering and subsequent chromosome alignment promote pairing of homologous chromosomes.3-5 However, this telomere-bundled alignment of chromosomes cannot be responsible for the specificity of chromosome pairing. Thus, there must be some mechanism to facilitate recognition of homologous partners after telomere clustering. Recent studies in S. pombe have shown that RNA transcripts retained on the chromosome, or RNA bodies, may play a role in recognition of homologous chromosomes for pairing (Fig. 1).6 Acting as fiducial markers of homologous loci they would abrogate the need for direct DNA sequence homology searching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Qiao Ding
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Kobe, Japan
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39
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Bauer CR, Hartl TA, Bosco G. Condensin II promotes the formation of chromosome territories by inducing axial compaction of polyploid interphase chromosomes. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002873. [PMID: 22956908 PMCID: PMC3431300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic nucleus is both spatially and functionally partitioned. This organization contributes to the maintenance, expression, and transmission of genetic information. Though our ability to probe the physical structure of the genome within the nucleus has improved substantially in recent years, relatively little is known about the factors that regulate its organization or the mechanisms through which specific organizational states are achieved. Here, we show that Drosophila melanogaster Condensin II induces axial compaction of interphase chromosomes, globally disrupts interchromosomal interactions, and promotes the dispersal of peri-centric heterochromatin. These Condensin II activities compartmentalize the nucleus into discrete chromosome territories and indicate commonalities in the mechanisms that regulate the spatial structure of the genome during mitosis and interphase. A number of recent studies have debunked the idea that chromosomes exist as a tangled mass of chromatin fibers within the nucleus. In many organisms, including mammals, each chromosome occupies a specific region of the nucleus known as a chromosome territory. This organization has implications for many biological processes such as chromosomal rearrangements that are common in cancer and the interactions between sub-nuclear structures that control how genes are expressed. Despite this, little is known about the genes or mechanisms that are responsible for creating or maintaining chromosome territories. Here, we show that the Condensin II complex can induce the formation of chromosome territories in fruit flies. We propose that this activity stems from the ability of Condensin II to reduce the length of chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. Bauer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Tom A. Hartl
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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40
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby F Dernburg
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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41
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Interphase chromatin organisation in Arabidopsis nuclei: constraints versus randomness. Chromosoma 2012; 121:369-87. [PMID: 22476443 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-012-0367-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2011] [Revised: 02/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The spatial chromatin organisation and molecular interactions within and between chromatin domains and chromosome territories (CTs) are essential for fundamental processes such as replication, transcription and DNA repair via homologous recombination. To analyse the distribution and interaction of whole CTs, centromeres, (sub)telomeres and ~100-kb interstitial chromatin segments in endopolyploid nuclei, specific FISH probes from Arabidopsis thaliana were applied to 2-64C differentiated leaf nuclei. Whereas CTs occupy a distinct and defined volume of the nucleus and do not obviously intermingle with each other in 2-64C nuclei, ~100-kb sister chromatin segments within these CTs become more non-cohesive with increasing endopolyploidy. Centromeres, preferentially located at the nuclear periphery, may show ring- or half-moon like shapes in 2C and 4C nuclei. Sister centromeres tend to associate up to the 8C level. From 16C nuclei on, they become progressively separated. The higher the polyploidy level gets, the more separate chromatids are present. Due to sister chromatid separation in highly endopolyploid nuclei, the centromeric histone variant CENH3, the 180-bp centromeric repeats and pericentromeric heterochromatin form distinct subdomains at adjacent but not intermingling positions. The (sub)telomeres are frequently associated with each other and with the nucleolus and less often with centromeres. The extent of chromatid separation and of chromatin decondensation at subtelomeric chromatin segments varies between chromosome arms. A mainly random distribution and similar shapes of CTs even at higher ploidy levels indicate that in general no substantial CT reorganisation occurs during endopolyploidisation. Non-cohesive sister chromatid regions at chromosome arms and at the (peri)centromere are accompanied by a less dense chromatin conformation in highly endopolyploid nuclei. We discuss the possible function of this conformation in comparison to transcriptionally active regions at insect polytene chromosomes.
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Homologue pairing in flies and mammals: gene regulation when two are involved. GENETICS RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2011; 2012:430587. [PMID: 22567388 PMCID: PMC3335585 DOI: 10.1155/2012/430587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2011] [Revised: 09/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Chromosome pairing is usually discussed in the context of meiosis. Association of homologues in germ cells enables chromosome segregation and is necessary for fertility. A few organisms, such as flies, also pair their entire genomes in somatic cells. Most others, including mammals, display little homologue pairing outside of the germline. Experimental evidence from both flies and mammals suggests that communication between homologues contributes to normal genome regulation. This paper will contrast the role of pairing in transmitting information between homologues in flies and mammals. In mammals, somatic homologue pairing is tightly regulated, occurring at specific loci and in a developmentally regulated fashion. Inappropriate pairing, or loss of normal pairing, is associated with gene misregulation in some disease states. While homologue pairing in flies is capable of influencing gene expression, the significance of this for normal expression remains unknown. The sex chromosomes pose a particularly interesting situation, as females are able to pair X chromosomes, but males cannot. The contribution of homologue pairing to the biology of the X chromosome will also be discussed.
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Dernburg AF. In situ hybridization to somatic chromosomes in Drosophila. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2011; 2011:2011/9/pdb.top065540. [PMID: 21880819 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top065540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In situ hybridization was originally developed as a technique for visualizing and physically mapping specific sequences on Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes. Hybridization techniques can also be used to localize sequences on smaller, diploid chromosomes, such as condensed mitotic chromosomes. Variations of the method also allow the hybridization of probes to chromosomes within intact cells and tissues, rather than to chromosomes isolated from their cellular context and flattened on slides. This article presents methods for hybridizing fluorescent probes to chromosomes in whole-mount Drosophila tissues. These methods allow the investigation of nuclear organization even at stages where chromosomes are decondensed (as in interphase) or, for other reasons, cannot be discriminated in the light microscope. Consequently, they are useful for addressing a variety of cell biological questions. In addition to enhancing our understanding of somatic chromosome organization, this experimental approach has also revealed interactions among meiotic chromosomes in Drosophila females, which spend much of meiosis in a compact ball called the karyosome. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) methods can also be used to karyotype individual nuclei using chromosome-specific markers. With appropriate fixation conditions, hybridization to chromosomal DNA can be performed in conjunction with immunostaining, allowing the colocalization of cellular or chromosomal proteins.
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Elizondo LI, Jafar-Nejad P, Clewing JM, Boerkoel CF. Gene clusters, molecular evolution and disease: a speculation. Curr Genomics 2011; 10:64-75. [PMID: 19721813 PMCID: PMC2699835 DOI: 10.2174/138920209787581271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2008] [Revised: 12/20/2008] [Accepted: 12/21/2008] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditionally eukaryotic genes are considered independently expressed under the control of their promoters and cis-regulatory domains. However, recent studies in worms, flies, mice and humans have shown that genes co-habiting a chromatin domain or “genomic neighborhood” are frequently co-expressed. Often these co-expressed genes neither constitute part of an operon nor function within the same biological pathway. The mechanisms underlying the partitioning of the genome into transcriptional genomic neighborhoods are poorly defined. However, cross-species analyses find that the linkage among the co-expressed genes of these clusters is significantly conserved and that the expression patterns of genes within clusters have coevolved with the clusters. Such selection could be mediated by chromatin interactions with the nuclear matrix and long-range remodeling of chromatin structure. In the context of human disease, we propose that dysregulation of gene expression across genomic neighborhoods will cause highly pleiotropic diseases. Candidate genomic neighborhood diseases include the nuclear laminopathies, chromosomal translocations and genomic instability disorders, imprinting disorders of errant insulator function, syndromes from impaired cohesin complex assembly, as well as diseases of global covalent histone modifications and DNA methylation. The alteration of transcriptional genomic neighborhoods provides an exciting and novel model for studying epigenetic alterations as quantitative traits in complex common human diseases.
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Similar rye A and B chromosome organization in meristematic and differentiated interphase nuclei. Chromosome Res 2011; 19:645-55. [PMID: 21674259 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-011-9224-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Revised: 05/26/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Supernumerary (B) chromosomes of rye are not required for plant development and exhibit a reduced transcription activity. These special features inspired us to analyse whether there are differences between A and B chromatin organization in interphase nuclei. Applying fluorescence in situ hybridization, we found that both rye A and B chromosomes added to hexaploid wheat showed in meristematic nuclei a string-like shape and a clear Rabl orientation. In 4C differentiated leaf nuclei, a more relaxed chromatin structure, round-shaped chromosome territories and a less pronounced Rabl configuration were found. Also, the observed random association of homologues in 2C and 4C nuclei indicated in general a similar behaviour of A and B chromosomes. Whereas in differentiated 4C nuclei A sister centromeres are separated, B sister centromeres align in nearly all nuclei. In short, despite the different transcription activity of A and B chromosomes, both types of chromosomes exhibit a similar organization in meristematic and differentiated interphase nuclei. But the deletion of a B chromosome segment responsible for non-disjunction during gametogenesis induces released sister centromeres also in some interphase nuclei of somatic tissue. Hence, the control of rye B chromosome non-disjunction is also active in sporophytic cells.
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Lott SE, Villalta JE, Schroth GP, Luo S, Tonkin LA, Eisen MB. Noncanonical compensation of zygotic X transcription in early Drosophila melanogaster development revealed through single-embryo RNA-seq. PLoS Biol 2011; 9:e1000590. [PMID: 21346796 PMCID: PMC3035605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2010] [Accepted: 12/22/2010] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mmany genes from the X chromosome are expressed at the same level in female and male embryos during early Drosophila development, prior to the establishment of MSL-mediated dosage compensation, suggesting the existence of a novel mechanism. When Drosophila melanogaster embryos initiate zygotic transcription around mitotic cycle 10, the dose-sensitive expression of specialized genes on the X chromosome triggers a sex-determination cascade that, among other things, compensates for differences in sex chromosome dose by hypertranscribing the single X chromosome in males. However, there is an approximately 1 hour delay between the onset of zygotic transcription and the establishment of canonical dosage compensation near the end of mitotic cycle 14. During this time, zygotic transcription drives segmentation, cellularization, and other important developmental events. Since many of the genes involved in these processes are on the X chromosome, we wondered whether they are transcribed at higher levels in females and whether this might lead to sex-specific early embryonic patterning. To investigate this possibility, we developed methods to precisely stage, sex, and characterize the transcriptomes of individual embryos. We measured genome-wide mRNA abundance in male and female embryos at eight timepoints, spanning mitotic cycle 10 through late cycle 14, using polymorphisms between parental lines to distinguish maternal and zygotic transcription. We found limited sex-specific zygotic transcription, with a weak tendency for genes on the X to be expressed at higher levels in females. However, transcripts derived from the single X chromosome in males were more abundant that those derived from either X chromosome in females, demonstrating that there is widespread dosage compensation prior to the activation of the canonical MSL-mediated dosage compensation system. Crucially, this new system of early zygotic dosage compensation results in nearly identical transcript levels for key X-linked developmental regulators, including giant (gt), brinker (brk), buttonhead (btd), and short gastrulation (sog), in male and female embryos. Variation in gene dose can have profound effects on animal development. Yet every generation, animals must cope with differences in sex chromosome numbers. Drosophila compensate for the difference in X chromosome dosage (two in females, one in males) with a mechanism that allows for more transcription of the single X chromosome in males. But this mechanism is not established until over an hour after the embryo begins transcription, during which time a number of important events in development occur such as cellularization and segmentation. Here we use an mRNA sequencing method to characterize gene expression in individual female and male embryos before the onset of the previously characterized dosage compensation system. While we find more transcripts from X chromosomal genes in females, we also find many genes with equal transcript levels in males and females. These results indicate that there is an alternate mechanism to compensate for dosage acting earlier in development, prior to the onset of the previously characterized dosage compensation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Lott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
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Porcher A, Abu-Arish A, Huart S, Roelens B, Fradin C, Dostatni N. The time to measure positional information: maternal hunchback is required for the synchrony of the Bicoid transcriptional response at the onset of zygotic transcription. Development 2010; 137:2795-804. [PMID: 20663819 DOI: 10.1242/dev.051300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that morphogenetic gradients determine cell identity by concentration-dependent activation of target genes. How precise is each step in the gene expression process that acts downstream of morphogens, however, remains unclear. The Bicoid morphogen is a transcription factor directly activating its target genes and provides thus a simple system to address this issue in a quantitative manner. Recent studies indicate that the Bicoid gradient is precisely established in Drosophila embryos after eight nuclear divisions (cycle 9) and that target protein expression is specified five divisions later (cycle 14), with a precision that corresponds to a relative difference of Bicoid concentration of 10%. To understand how such precision was achieved, we directly analyzed nascent transcripts of the hunchback target gene at their site of synthesis. Most anterior nuclei in cycle 11 interphasic embryos exhibit efficient biallelic transcription of hunchback and this synchronous expression is specified within a 10% difference of Bicoid concentration. The fast diffusion of Bcd-EGFP (7.7 mum(2)/s) that we captured by fluorescent correlation spectroscopy in the nucleus is consistent with this robust expression at cycle 11. However, given the interruption of transcription during mitosis, it remains too slow to be consistent with precise de novo reading of Bicoid concentration at each interphase, suggesting the existence of a memorization process that recalls this information from earlier cycles. The two anterior maternal morphogens, Bicoid and Hunchback, contribute differently to this early response: whereas Bicoid provides dose-dependent positional information along the axis, maternal Hunchback is required for the synchrony of the response and is therefore likely to be involved in this memorization process.
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Rouquette J, Cremer C, Cremer T, Fakan S. Functional nuclear architecture studied by microscopy: present and future. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2010; 282:1-90. [PMID: 20630466 DOI: 10.1016/s1937-6448(10)82001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this review we describe major contributions of light and electron microscopic approaches to the present understanding of functional nuclear architecture. The large gap of knowledge, which must still be bridged from the molecular level to the level of higher order structure, is emphasized by differences of currently discussed models of nuclear architecture. Molecular biological tools represent new means for the multicolor visualization of various nuclear components in living cells. New achievements offer the possibility to surpass the resolution limit of conventional light microscopy down to the nanometer scale and require improved bioinformatics tools able to handle the analysis of large amounts of data. In combination with the much higher resolution of electron microscopic methods, including ultrastructural cytochemistry, correlative microscopy of the same cells in their living and fixed state is the approach of choice to combine the advantages of different techniques. This will make possible future analyses of cell type- and species-specific differences of nuclear architecture in more detail and to put different models to critical tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Rouquette
- Biocenter, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Martinsried, Germany
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Strickfaden H, Zunhammer A, van Koningsbruggen S, Köhler D, Cremer T. 4D chromatin dynamics in cycling cells: Theodor Boveri's hypotheses revisited. Nucleus 2010; 1:284-97. [PMID: 21327076 DOI: 10.4161/nucl.1.3.11969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2010] [Revised: 04/02/2010] [Accepted: 04/06/2010] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
This live cell study of chromatin dynamics in four dimensions (space and time) in cycling human cells provides direct evidence for three hypotheses first proposed by Theodor Boveri in seminal studies of fixed blastomeres from Parascaris equorum embryos: (I) Chromosome territory (CT) arrangements are stably maintained during interphase. (II) Chromosome proximity patterns change profoundly during prometaphase. (III) Similar CT proximity patterns in pairs of daughter nuclei reflect symmetrical chromosomal movements during anaphase and telophase, but differ substantially from the arrangement in mother cell nucleus. Hypothesis I could be confirmed for the majority of interphase cells. A minority, however, showed complex, rotational movements of CT assemblies with large-scale changes of CT proximity patterns, while radial nuclear arrangements were maintained. A new model of chromatin dynamics is proposed. It suggests that long-range DNA-DNA interactions in cell nuclei may depend on a combination of rotational CT movements and locally constrained chromatin movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilmar Strickfaden
- Department Biology II (Anthropology and Human Genetics), LMU Biozentrum, Martinsried, Germany
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50
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Grimaud C, Becker PB. The dosage compensation complex shapes the conformation of the X chromosome in Drosophila. Genes Dev 2009; 23:2490-5. [PMID: 19884256 DOI: 10.1101/gad.539509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The dosage compensation complex (DCC) in Drosophila globally increases transcription from the X chromosome in males to compensate for its monosomy. We discovered a male-specific conformation of the X chromosome that depends on the associations of high-affinity binding sites (HAS) of the DCC. The core DCC subunits MSL1-MSL2 are responsible for this male-specific organization. Contrary to emerging concepts, we found that neither DCC assembly nor the conformation of the male X chromosome are influenced by nuclear pore components. We propose that nuclear organization of HAS is central to the faithful distribution of the DCC along the X chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Grimaud
- Adolf-Butenandt-Institute and Centre for Integrated Protein Science (CiPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 Munich, Germany
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