Genome Organization and Chromosome Architecture

From Human Cytogenetics to Human Chromosomics

BACKGROUND

The concept of "chromosomics" was introduced by Prof. Uwe Claussen in 2005. Herein, the growing insights into human chromosome structure finally lead to a "chromosomic view" of the three-dimensional constitution and plasticity of genes in interphase nuclei are discussed. This review is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Uwe Claussen (30 April 1945⁻20 July 2008).

RECENT FINDINGS

Chromosomics is the study of chromosomes, their three-dimensional positioning in the interphase nucleus, the consequences from plasticity of chromosomal subregions and gene interactions, the influence of chromatin-modification-mediated events on cells, and even individuals, evolution, and disease. Progress achieved in recent years is summarized, including the detection of chromosome-chromosome-interactions which, if damaged, lead to malfunction and disease. However, chromosomics in the Human Genetics field is not progressing presently, as research interest has shifted from single cell to high throughput, genomic approaches.

CONCLUSION

Chromosomics and its impact were predicted correctly in 2005 by Prof. Claussen. Although some progress was achieved, present reconsiderations of the role of the chromosome and the single cell in Human Genetic research are urgently necessary.

Mitotic Gene Bookmarking: An Epigenetic Program to Maintain Normal and Cancer Phenotypes

Reconfiguration of nuclear structure and function during mitosis presents a significant challenge to resume the next cell cycle in the progeny cells without compromising structural and functional identity of the cells. Equally important is the requirement for cancer cells to retain the transformed phenotype, that is, unrestricted proliferative potential, suppression of cell phenotype, and activation of oncogenic pathways. Mitotic gene bookmarking retention of key regulatory proteins that include sequence-specific transcription factors, chromatin-modifying factors, and components of RNA Pol (RNAP) I and II regulatory machineries at gene loci on mitotic chromosomes plays key roles in coordinate control of cell phenotype, growth, and proliferation postmitotically. There is growing recognition that three distinct protein types, mechanistically, play obligatory roles in mitotic gene bookmarking: (i) Retention of phenotypic transcription factors on mitotic chromosomes is essential to sustain lineage commitment; (ii) Select chromatin modifiers and posttranslational histone modifications/variants retain competency of mitotic chromatin for gene reactivation as cells exit mitosis; and (iii) Functional components of RNAP I and II transcription complexes (e.g., UBF and TBP, respectively) are retained on genes poised for reactivation immediately following mitosis. Importantly, recent findings have identified oncogenes that are associated with target genes on mitotic chromosomes in cancer cells. The current review proposes that mitotic gene bookmarking is an extensively utilized epigenetic mechanism for stringent control of proliferation and identity in normal cells and hypothesizes that bookmarking plays a pivotal role in maintenance of tumor phenotypes, that is, unrestricted proliferation and compromised control of differentiation. Mol Cancer Res; 16(11); 1617-24. ©2018 AACR.

Lifestyle and DNA base composition in polychaetes

A comparative analysis of polychaete species, classified as motile and low-motile forms, highlighted that the former were characterized not only by a higher metabolic rate (MR), but also by a higher genomic GC content. The fluctuation of both variables was not affected by the phylogenetic relationship of the species. Thus, present results further support that a very active lifestyle affects MR and GC at the same time, showing an unexpected similarity between invertebrates and vertebrates. In teleosts, indeed, a similar pattern has been also observed in comparisons of migratory and nonmigratory species. A cause-effect link between MR and GC has not yet been proved, but the fact that the two variables are significantly linked in all the organisms so far analyzed is, most probably, of relevant biological and evolutionary meaning. The present results fit very well within the frame of the metabolic rate hypothesis proposed to explain the DNA base composition variability among organisms. On the contrary, the thermostability hypothesis was not supported. At present, no data about the recombination rate in polychaetes were available to test the biased gene conversion (BGC hypothesis).