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Luo GZ, Hao Z, Luo L, Shen M, Sparvoli D, Zheng Y, Zhang Z, Weng X, Chen K, Cui Q, Turkewitz AP, He C. N 6-methyldeoxyadenosine directs nucleosome positioning in Tetrahymena DNA. Genome Biol 2018; 19:200. [PMID: 30454035 PMCID: PMC6245762 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1573-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND N6-methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA or m6dA) was shown more than 40 years ago in simple eukaryotes. Recent studies revealed the presence of 6mA in more prevalent eukaryotes, even in vertebrates. However, functional characterizations have been limited. RESULTS We use Tetrahymena thermophila as a model organism to examine the effects of 6mA on nucleosome positioning. Independent methods reveal the enrichment of 6mA near and after transcription start sites with a periodic pattern and anti-correlation relationship with the positions of nucleosomes. The distribution pattern can be recapitulated by in vitro nucleosome assembly on native Tetrahymena genomic DNA but not on DNA without 6mA. Model DNA containing artificially installed 6mA resists nucleosome assembling compared to unmodified DNA in vitro. Computational simulation indicates that 6mA increases dsDNA rigidity, which disfavors nucleosome wrapping. Knockout of a potential 6mA methyltransferase leads to a transcriptome-wide change of gene expression. CONCLUSIONS These findings uncover a mechanism by which DNA 6mA assists to shape the nucleosome positioning and potentially affects gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Zheng Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Ziyang Hao
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Liangzhi Luo
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Mingren Shen
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Department of Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1101 Univ. Ave., Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Daniela Sparvoli
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yuqing Zheng
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Department of Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1101 Univ. Ave., Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Zijie Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Xiaocheng Weng
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Qiang Cui
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Department of Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1101 Univ. Ave., Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Aaron P Turkewitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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