scholarly journals HP1 drives de novo 3D genome reorganization in early Drosophila embryos

Nature ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fides Zenk ◽  
Yinxiu Zhan ◽  
Pavel Kos ◽  
Eva Löser ◽  
Nazerke Atinbayeva ◽  
...  

AbstractFundamental features of 3D genome organization are established de novo in the early embryo, including clustering of pericentromeric regions, the folding of chromosome arms and the segregation of chromosomes into active (A-) and inactive (B-) compartments. However, the molecular mechanisms that drive de novo organization remain unknown1,2. Here, by combining chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), chromatin immunoprecipitation with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP–seq), 3D DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (3D DNA FISH) and polymer simulations, we show that heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a) is essential for de novo 3D genome organization during Drosophila early development. The binding of HP1a at pericentromeric heterochromatin is required to establish clustering of pericentromeric regions. Moreover, HP1a binding within chromosome arms is responsible for overall chromosome folding and has an important role in the formation of B-compartment regions. However, depletion of HP1a does not affect the A-compartment, which suggests that a different molecular mechanism segregates active chromosome regions. Our work identifies HP1a as an epigenetic regulator that is involved in establishing the global structure of the genome in the early embryo.

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1359
Author(s):  
Esther Camacho ◽  
Sandra González-de la Fuente ◽  
Jose C. Solana ◽  
Alberto Rastrojo ◽  
Fernando Carrasco-Ramiro ◽  
...  

Leishmania major is the main causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans. The Friedlin strain of this species (LmjF) was chosen when a multi-laboratory consortium undertook the objective of deciphering the first genome sequence for a parasite of the genus Leishmania. The objective was successfully attained in 2005, and this represented a milestone for Leishmania molecular biology studies around the world. Although the LmjF genome sequence was done following a shotgun strategy and using classical Sanger sequencing, the results were excellent, and this genome assembly served as the reference for subsequent genome assemblies in other Leishmania species. Here, we present a new assembly for the genome of this strain (named LMJFC for clarity), generated by the combination of two high throughput sequencing platforms, Illumina short-read sequencing and PacBio Single Molecular Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing, which provides long-read sequences. Apart from resolving uncertain nucleotide positions, several genomic regions were reorganized and a more precise composition of tandemly repeated gene loci was attained. Additionally, the genome annotation was improved by adding 542 genes and more accurate coding-sequences defined for around two hundred genes, based on the transcriptome delimitation also carried out in this work. As a result, we are providing gene models (including untranslated regions and introns) for 11,238 genes. Genomic information ultimately determines the biology of every organism; therefore, our understanding of molecular mechanisms will depend on the availability of precise genome sequences and accurate gene annotations. In this regard, this work is providing an improved genome sequence and updated transcriptome annotations for the reference L. major Friedlin strain.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuzhen Kuang ◽  
Liangjiang Wang

Abstract CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a key regulator of 3D genome organization and gene expression. Recent studies suggest that RNA transcripts, mostly long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), can serve as locus-specific factors to bind and recruit CTCF to the chromatin. However, it remains unclear whether specific sequence patterns are shared by the CTCF-binding RNA sites, and no RNA motif has been reported so far for CTCF binding. In this study, we have developed DeepLncCTCF, a new deep learning model based on a convolutional neural network and a bidirectional long short-term memory network, to discover the RNA recognition patterns of CTCF and identify candidate lncRNAs binding to CTCF. When evaluated on two different datasets, human U2OS dataset and mouse ESC dataset, DeepLncCTCF was shown to be able to accurately predict CTCF-binding RNA sites from nucleotide sequence. By examining the sequence features learned by DeepLncCTCF, we discovered a novel RNA motif with the consensus sequence, AGAUNGGA, for potential CTCF binding in humans. Furthermore, the applicability of DeepLncCTCF was demonstrated by identifying nearly 5000 candidate lncRNAs that might bind to CTCF in the nucleus. Our results provide useful information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of CTCF function in 3D genome organization.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne van Schoonhoven ◽  
Danny Huylebroeck ◽  
Rudi W Hendriks ◽  
Ralph Stadhouders

Abstract Chromosomes have a complex three-dimensional (3D) architecture comprising A/B compartments, topologically associating domains and promoter–enhancer interactions. At all these levels, the 3D genome has functional consequences for gene transcription and therefore for cellular identity. The development and activation of lymphocytes involves strict control of gene expression by transcription factors (TFs) operating in a three-dimensionally organized chromatin landscape. As lymphocytes are indispensable for tissue homeostasis and pathogen defense, and aberrant lymphocyte activity is involved in a wide range of human morbidities, acquiring an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control lymphocyte identity is highly relevant. Here we review current knowledge of the interplay between 3D genome organization and transcriptional control during B and T lymphocyte development and antigen-dependent activation, placing special emphasis on the role of TFs.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bilinski ◽  
Yonghua Han ◽  
Matthew B Hufford ◽  
Anne Lorant ◽  
Pingdong Zhang ◽  
...  

In studying genomic architecture, highly repetitive regions have historically posed a challenge when investigating sequence variation and content. High-throughput sequencing has enabled researchers to use whole-genome shotgun sequencing to estimate the abundance of repetitive sequence, and these methodologies have been recently applied to centromeres. Here, we utilize sequence assembly and read mapping to identify and quantify the genomic abundance of different tandem repeat sequences. Previous research has posited that the highest abundance tandem repeat in eukaryotic genomes is often the centromeric repeat, and we pair our bioinformatic pipeline with fluorescent in-situ hybridization data to test this hypothesis. We find that de novo assembly and bioinformatic filters can successfully identify repeats with homology to known tandem repeats. Fluorescent in-situ hybridization, however, shows that de novo assembly fails to identify novel centromeric repeats, instead identifying other potentially important repetitive sequences. Together, our results test the applicability and limitations of using de novo repeat assembly of tandem repeats to identify novel centromeric repeats. Building on our findings of genomic composition, we also set forth a method for exploring the repetitive regions of non-model genomes whose diversity limits the applicability of established genetic resources.


Author(s):  
Esther Camacho ◽  
Sandra González-de la Fuente ◽  
Jose C. Solana ◽  
Alberto Rastrojo ◽  
Fernando Carrasco-Ramiro ◽  
...  

Leishmania major is the main causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans. The Friedlin strain of this species (LmjF) was chosen when a multi-laboratory consortium undertook the objective of deciphering the first genome sequence for a parasite of the genus Leishmania. The objective was successfully attained in 2005, and this represented a milestone for Leishmania molecular biology studies around the world. Although the LmjF genome sequence was done following a shotgun strategy and using classical Sanger sequencing, the results were excellent and this genome assembly served as the reference for subsequent genome assemblies in other Leishmania species. Here, we present a new assembly for the genome of this strain (named LMJFC for clarity), generated by the combination of two high throughput sequencing platforms, Illumina short-read sequencing and PacBio Single Molecular Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing, which provides long-read sequences. Apart from resolving uncertain nucleotide positions, several genomic regions have been reorganized and a more precise composition of tandemly repeated gene loci was attained. Additionally, the genome annotation has been improved by adding 542 genes and more accurate coding-sequences defined for around two hundred genes, based on the transcriptome delimitation also carried out in this work. As a result, we are providing gene models (including untranslated regions and introns) for 11,238 genes. Genomic information ultimately determines the biology of every organism; therefore, our understanding of molecular mechanisms will depend on the availability of precise genome sequences and accurate gene annotations. In this regards, this work is providing an improved genome sequence and updated transcriptome annotations for the reference L. major Friedlin strain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyelim Jo ◽  
Taemook Kim ◽  
Yujin Chun ◽  
Inkyung Jung ◽  
Daeyoup Lee

AbstractWe herein employ in situ Hi-C with an auxin-inducible degron (AID) system to examine the effect of chromatin remodeling on 3D genome organization in yeast. Eight selected ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers representing various subfamilies contribute to 3D genome organization differently. Among the studied remodelers, the temporary depletions of Chd1p, Swr1p, and Sth1p (a catalytic subunit of the Remodeling the Structure of Chromatin [RSC] complex) cause the most significant defects in intra-chromosomal contacts, and the regulatory roles of these three remodelers in 3D genome organization differ depending on the chromosomal context and cell cycle stage. Furthermore, even though Chd1p and Isw1p are known to share functional similarities/redundancies, their depletions lead to distinct effects on 3D structures. The RSC and cohesin complexes also differentially modulate 3D genome organization within chromosome arm regions, whereas RSC appears to support the function of cohesin in centromeric clustering at G2 phase. Our work suggests that the ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers control the 3D genome organization of yeast through their chromatin-remodeling activities.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Ramani ◽  
Xinxian Deng ◽  
Ruolan Qiu ◽  
Choli Lee ◽  
Christine M Disteche ◽  
...  

AbstractThe highly dynamic nature of chromosome conformation and three-dimensional (3D) genome organization leads to cell-to-cell variability in chromatin interactions within a cell population, even if the cells of the population appear to be functionally homogeneous. Hence, although Hi-C is a powerful tool for mapping 3D genome organization, this heterogeneity of chromosome higher order structure among individual cells limits the interpretive power of population based bulk Hi-C assays. Moreover, single-cell studies have the potential to enable the identification and characterization of rare cell populations or cell subtypes in a heterogeneous population. However, it may require surveying relatively large numbers of single cells to achieve statistically meaningful observations in single-cell studies. By applying combinatorial cellular indexing to chromosome conformation capture, we developed single-cell combinatorial indexed Hi-C (sci-Hi-C), a high throughput method that enables mapping chromatin interactomes in large number of single cells. We demonstrated the use of sci-Hi-C data to separate cells by karytoypic and cell-cycle state differences and to identify cellular variability in mammalian chromosomal conformation. Here, we provide a detailed description of method design and step-by-step working protocols for sci-Hi-C.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Okonechnikov ◽  
Aylin Camgoz ◽  
Donglim Esther Park ◽  
Owen Chapman ◽  
Jens-Martin Hübner ◽  
...  

Abstract Ependymoma is a tumor of the brain or spinal cord. The two most common and aggressive molecular groups of ependymoma are the supratentorial RELA-fusion associated group and the posterior fossa ependymoma group A. In both groups, tumors occur mainly in young children and frequently recur after treatment1. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases have recently been uncovered, they remain difficult to target and innovative therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Here, we use genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), complemented with CTCF (insulators) and H3K27ac (active enhancers) ChIP-seq as well as gene expression and whole-genome DNA methylation profiling in primary and relapsed ependymoma tumors and cell lines to identify chromosomal rearrangements and regulatory mechanisms underlying aberrant expression of genes that are essential for ependymoma tumorigenesis. In particular, we observe the formation of new topologically associating domains (‘neo-TADs’) by intra- and inter-chromosomal structural variants, tumor-specific 3D chromatin complexes of regulatory elements, and the replacement of CTCF insulators by DNA hyper-methylation as novel oncogenic mechanisms in ependymoma. Through inhibition experiments we validated that the newly identified genes, including RCOR2, ITGA6, LAMC1, and ARL4C, are highly essential for the survival of patient-derived ependymoma models in a disease subtype-specific manner. Thus, this study identifies potential novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in ependymoma and extends our ability to reveal tumor-dependency genes and pathways by oncogenic 3D genome conformations even in tumors that lack known genetic alterations.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sambhavi Animesh ◽  
Ruchi Choudhary ◽  
Xin Yi Ng ◽  
Joshua Kai Xun Tay ◽  
Wan-Qin Chong ◽  
...  

AbstractA major challenge in understanding the 3D genome organization of cancer samples is the lack of a method adapted to solid cancer needle biopsy samples. Here we developed Biop-C, a modified in situ Hi-C method, and applied it to characterize three nasopharyngeal cancer patient samples. We identified Topologically-Associated Domains (TADs), chromatin interaction loops, and Frequently Interacting regions (FIREs) at key oncogenes in nasopharyngeal cancer from Biop-C heat maps. Our results demonstrate the utility of our Biop-C method in investigating the 3D genome organization in solid cancers, and the importance of 3D genome organization in regulating oncogenes in nasopharyngeal cancer.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document