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Presman DM, Benítez B, Lafuente AL, Vázquez Lareu A. Chromatin structure and dynamics: one nucleosome at a time. Histochem Cell Biol 2024:10.1007/s00418-024-02281-1. [PMID: 38607419 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-024-02281-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes store information on many levels, including their linear DNA sequence, the posttranslational modifications of its constituents (epigenetic modifications), and its three-dimensional folding. Understanding how this information is stored and read requires multidisciplinary collaborations from many branches of science beyond biology, including physics, chemistry, and computer science. Concurrent recent developments in all these areas have enabled researchers to image the genome with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. In this review, we focus on what single-molecule imaging and tracking of individual proteins in live cells have taught us about chromatin structure and dynamics. Starting with the basics of single-molecule tracking (SMT), we describe some advantages over in situ imaging techniques and its current limitations. Next, we focus on single-nucleosome studies and what they have added to our current understanding of the relationship between chromatin dynamics and transcription. In celebration of Robert Feulgen's ground-breaking discovery that allowed us to start seeing the genome, we discuss current models of chromatin structure and future challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego M Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Belén Benítez
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina L Lafuente
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejo Vázquez Lareu
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Oses C, De Rossi MC, Bruno L, Verneri P, Diaz MC, Benítez B, Guberman A, Levi V. From the membrane to the nucleus: mechanical signals and transcription regulation. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:671-683. [PMID: 37681098 PMCID: PMC10480138 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01103-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical forces drive and modulate a wide variety of processes in eukaryotic cells including those occurring in the nucleus. Relevantly, forces are fundamental during development since they guide lineage specifications of embryonic stem cells. A sophisticated macromolecular machinery transduces mechanical stimuli received at the cell surface into a biochemical output; a key component in this mechanical communication is the cytoskeleton, a complex network of biofilaments in constant remodeling that links the cell membrane to the nuclear envelope. Recent evidence highlights that forces transmitted through the cytoskeleton directly affect the organization of chromatin and the accessibility of transcription-related molecules to their targets in the DNA. Consequently, mechanical forces can directly modulate transcription and change gene expression programs. Here, we will revise the biophysical toolbox involved in the mechanical communication with the cell nucleus and discuss how mechanical forces impact on the organization of this organelle and more specifically, on transcription. We will also discuss how live-cell fluorescence imaging is producing exquisite information to understand the mechanical response of cells and to quantify the landscape of interactions of transcription factors with chromatin in embryonic stem cells. These studies are building new biophysical insights that could be fundamental to achieve the goal of manipulating forces to guide cell differentiation in culture systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Oses
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia De Rossi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciana Bruno
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, Instituto de Cálculo (IC), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Verneri
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Candelaria Diaz
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Belén Benítez
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular Y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandra Guberman
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Biología Molecular Y Celular, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Valeria Levi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
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