1
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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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2
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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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3
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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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4
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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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5
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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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6
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King TD, Leonard CJ, Cooper JC, Nguyen S, Joyce EF, Phadnis N. Recurrent Losses and Rapid Evolution of the Condensin II Complex in Insects. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:2195-2204. [PMID: 31270536 PMCID: PMC6759200 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Condensins play a crucial role in the organization of genetic material by compacting and disentangling chromosomes. Based on studies in a few model organisms, the condensins I and II complexes are considered to have distinct functions, with the condensin II complex playing a role in meiosis and somatic pairing of homologous chromosomes in Drosophila. Intriguingly, the Cap-G2 subunit of condensin II is absent in Drosophila melanogaster, and this loss may be related to the high levels of chromosome pairing seen in flies. Here, we find that all three non-SMC subunits of condensin II (Cap-G2, Cap-D3, and Cap-H2) have been repeatedly and independently lost in taxa representing multiple insect orders, with some taxa lacking all three. We also find that all non-Dipteran insects display near-uniform low-pairing levels regardless of their condensin II complex composition, suggesting that some key aspects of genome organization are robust to condensin II subunit losses. Finally, we observe consistent signatures of positive selection in condensin subunits across flies and mammals. These findings suggest that these ancient complexes are far more evolutionarily labile than previously suspected, and are at the crossroads of several forms of genomic conflicts. Our results raise fundamental questions about the specific functions of the two condensin complexes in taxa that have experienced subunit losses, and open the door to further investigations to elucidate the diversity of molecular mechanisms that underlie genome organization across various life forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | | | - Jacob C Cooper
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Son Nguyen
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Eric F Joyce
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Nitin Phadnis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
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7
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King TD, Johnson JE, Bateman JR. Position Effects Influence Transvection in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2019; 213:1289-1299. [PMID: 31611231 PMCID: PMC6893391 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Transvection is an epigenetic phenomenon wherein regulatory elements communicate between different chromosomes in trans, and is thereby dependent upon the three-dimensional organization of the genome. Transvection is best understood in Drosophila, where homologous chromosomes are closely paired in most somatic nuclei, although similar phenomena have been observed in other species. Previous data have supported that the Drosophila genome is generally permissive to enhancer action in trans, a form of transvection where an enhancer on one homolog activates gene expression from a promoter on a paired homolog. However, the capacity of different genomic positions to influence the quantitative output of transvection has yet to be addressed. To investigate this question, we employed a transgenic system that assesses and compares enhancer action in cis and in trans at defined chromosomal locations. Using the strong synthetic eye-specific enhancer GMR, we show that loci supporting strong cis-expression tend to support robust enhancer action in trans, whereas locations with weaker cis-expression show reduced transvection in a fluorescent reporter assay. Our subsequent analysis is consistent with a model wherein the chromatin state of the transgenic insertion site is a primary determinant of the degree to which enhancer action in trans will be supported, whereas other factors such as locus-specific variation in somatic homolog pairing are of less importance in influencing position effects on transvection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D King
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011
| | | | - Jack R Bateman
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011
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8
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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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9
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Cardozo Gizzi AM, Cattoni DI, Fiche JB, Espinola SM, Gurgo J, Messina O, Houbron C, Ogiyama Y, Papadopoulos GL, Cavalli G, Lagha M, Nollmann M. Microscopy-Based Chromosome Conformation Capture Enables Simultaneous Visualization of Genome Organization and Transcription in Intact Organisms. Mol Cell 2019; 74:212-222.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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10
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Mazur AK. Homologous Pairing between Long DNA Double Helices. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 116:158101. [PMID: 27127987 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.116.158101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Molecular recognition between two double stranded (ds) DNA with homologous sequences may not seem compatible with the B-DNA structure because the sequence information is hidden when it is used for joining the two strands. Nevertheless, it has to be invoked to account for various biological data. Using quantum chemistry, molecular mechanics, and hints from recent genetics experiments, I show here that direct recognition between homologous dsDNA is possible through the formation of short quadruplexes due to direct complementary hydrogen bonding of major-groove surfaces in parallel alignment. The constraints imposed by the predicted structures of the recognition units determine the mechanism of complexation between long dsDNA. This mechanism and concomitant predictions agree with the available experimental data and shed light upon the sequence effects and the possible involvement of topoisomerase II in the recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey K Mazur
- UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 75005, France
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11
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Joyce EF, Erceg J, Wu CT. Pairing and anti-pairing: a balancing act in the diploid genome. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2016; 37:119-128. [PMID: 27065367 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The presence of maternal and paternal homologs appears to be much more than just a doubling of genetic material. We know this because genomes have evolved elaborate mechanisms that permit homologous regions to sense and then respond to each other. One way in which homologs communicate is to come into contact and, in fact, Dipteran insects such as Drosophila excel at this task, aligning all pairs of maternal and paternal chromosomes, end-to-end, in essentially all somatic tissues throughout development. Here, we reexamine the widely held tenet that extensive somatic pairing of homologous sequences cannot occur in mammals and suggest, instead, that pairing may be a widespread and significant potential that has gone unnoticed in mammals because they expend considerable effort to prevent it. We then extend this discussion to interchromosomal interactions, in general, and speculate about the potential of nuclear organization and pairing to impact inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric F Joyce
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
| | - Jelena Erceg
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - C-Ting Wu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
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12
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Forsdyke DR. Chargaff’s GC rule. Evol Bioinform Online 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28755-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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13
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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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14
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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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15
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Nishikawa JI, Ohyama T. Selective association between nucleosomes with identical DNA sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 41:1544-54. [PMID: 23254334 PMCID: PMC3561984 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks1269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly is the autonomous organization of constituents into higher order structures or assemblages and is a fundamental mechanism in biological systems. There has been an unfounded idea that self-assembly may be used in the sensing and pairing of homologous chromosomes or chromatin, including meiotic chromosome pairing, polytene chromosome formation in Diptera and transvection. Recent studies proved that double-stranded DNA molecules have a sequence-sensing property and can self-assemble, which may play a role in the above phenomena. However, to explain these processes in terms of self-assembly, it first must be proved that nucleosomes retain a DNA sequence-sensing property and can self-assemble. Here, using atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based analyses and a quantitative interaction assay, we show that nucleosomes with identical DNA sequences preferentially associate with each other in the presence of Mg(2+) ions. Using Xenopus borealis 5S rDNA nucleosome-positioning sequence and 601 and 603 sequences, homomeric or heteromeric octa- or tetranucleosomes were reconstituted in vitro and induced to form weak intracondensates by MgCl(2). AFM clearly showed that DNA sequence-based selective association occurs between nucleosomes with identical DNA sequences. Selective association was also detected between mononucleosomes. We propose that nucleosome self-assembly and DNA self-assembly constitute the mechanism underlying sensing and pairing of homologous chromosomes or chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-ichi Nishikawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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A genome-wide screen identifies genes that affect somatic homolog pairing in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2012; 2:731-40. [PMID: 22870396 PMCID: PMC3385979 DOI: 10.1534/g3.112.002840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila and other Dipterans, homologous chromosomes are in close contact in virtually all nuclei, a phenomenon known as somatic homolog pairing. Although homolog pairing has been recognized for over a century, relatively little is known about its regulation. We performed a genome-wide RNAi-based screen that monitored the X-specific localization of the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex, and we identified 59 candidate genes whose knockdown via RNAi causes a change in the pattern of MSL staining that is consistent with a disruption of X-chromosomal homolog pairing. Using DNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), we confirmed that knockdown of 17 of these genes has a dramatic effect on pairing of the 359 bp repeat at the base of the X. Furthermore, dsRNAs targeting Pr-set7, which encodes an H4K20 methyltransferase, cause a modest disruption in somatic homolog pairing. Consistent with our results in cultured cells, a classical mutation in one of the strongest candidate genes, pebble (pbl), causes a decrease in somatic homolog pairing in developing embryos. Interestingly, many of the genes identified by our screen have known roles in diverse cell-cycle events, suggesting an important link between somatic homolog pairing and the choreography of chromosomes during the cell cycle.
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Lake CM, Hawley RS. The molecular control of meiotic chromosomal behavior: events in early meiotic prophase in Drosophila oocytes. Annu Rev Physiol 2012; 74:425-51. [PMID: 22335798 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-020911-153342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We review the critical events in early meiotic prophase in Drosophila melanogaster oocytes. We focus on four aspects of this process: the formation of the synaptonemal complex (SC) and its role in maintaining homologous chromosome pairings, the critical roles of the meiosis-specific process of centromere clustering in the formation of a full-length SC, the mechanisms by which preprogrammed double-strand breaks initiate meiotic recombination, and the checkpoints that govern the progression and coordination of these processes. Central to this discussion are the roles that somatic pairing events play in establishing the necessary conditions for proper SC formation, the roles of centromere pairing in synapsis initiation, and the mechanisms by which oocytes detect failures in SC formation and/or recombination. Finally, we correlate what is known in Drosophila oocytes with our understanding of these processes in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathleen M Lake
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA.
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Joyce EF, Williams BR, Xie T, Wu CT. Identification of genes that promote or antagonize somatic homolog pairing using a high-throughput FISH-based screen. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002667. [PMID: 22589731 PMCID: PMC3349724 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The pairing of homologous chromosomes is a fundamental feature of the meiotic cell. In addition, a number of species exhibit homolog pairing in nonmeiotic, somatic cells as well, with evidence for its impact on both gene regulation and double-strand break (DSB) repair. An extreme example of somatic pairing can be observed in Drosophila melanogaster, where homologous chromosomes remain aligned throughout most of development. However, our understanding of the mechanism of somatic homolog pairing remains unclear, as only a few genes have been implicated in this process. In this study, we introduce a novel high-throughput fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technology that enabled us to conduct a genome-wide RNAi screen for factors involved in the robust somatic pairing observed in Drosophila. We identified both candidate "pairing promoting genes" and candidate "anti-pairing genes," providing evidence that pairing is a dynamic process that can be both enhanced and antagonized. Many of the genes found to be important for promoting pairing are highly enriched for functions associated with mitotic cell division, suggesting a genetic framework for a long-standing link between chromosome dynamics during mitosis and nuclear organization during interphase. In contrast, several of the candidate anti-pairing genes have known interphase functions associated with S-phase progression, DNA replication, and chromatin compaction, including several components of the condensin II complex. In combination with a variety of secondary assays, these results provide insights into the mechanism and dynamics of somatic pairing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric F. Joyce
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Benjamin R. Williams
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tiao Xie
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Image and Data Analysis Core, 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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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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