scholarly journals CTCF Mediates Dosage and Sequence-context-dependent Transcriptional Insulation through Formation of Local Chromatin Domains

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Huang ◽  
Quan Zhu ◽  
Adam Jussila ◽  
Yuanyuan Han ◽  
Bogdan Bintu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Chromatin Domain ◽  
Chromatin Domains ◽  
Binding Motifs ◽  
Binding Factor

AbstractInsulators play a critical role in spatiotemporal gene expression in metazoans by separating active and repressive chromatin domains and preventing inappropriate enhancer-promoter contacts. The evolutionarily conserved CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is required for insulator function in mammals, but not all of its binding sites act as insulators. Here, we explore the sequence requirements of CTCF-mediated transcriptional insulation with the use of a sensitive insulator reporter assay in mouse embryonic stem cells. We find that insulation potency depends on the number of CTCF binding sites in tandem. Furthermore, CTCF-mediated insulation is dependent on DNA sequences flanking its core binding motifs, and CTCF binding sites at topologically associating domain(TAD) boundaries are more likely to function as insulators than those outside TAD boundaries, independent of binding strength. Using chromosomal conformation capture assays and high-resolution chromatin imaging techniques, we demonstrate that insulators form local chromatin domain boundaries and reduce enhancer-promoter contacts. Taken together, our results provide strong genetic, molecular, and structural evidence connecting chromatin topology to the action of insulators in the mammalian genome.

scholarly journals The formation of chromatin domains: a new model

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Bernardi
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Second Step ◽  
Essential Factor ◽  
Chromatin Domains ◽  
Topologically Associating Domains ◽  
Wavy Structure ◽  
Architectural Proteins ◽  
Nucleosome Density

In spite of the recent advances in the field of chromatin architecture1,2, the formation mechanism of chromatin domains, TADs, the topologically associating domains, and LADs, the lamina associated domains, is still an open problem. While previous models only dealt with TADs and essentially relied on the architectural proteins CTCF and cohesin, the model presented here concerns both TADs and LADs and is primarily based on the corresponding DNA sequences, the GC-rich and GC-poor isochores, more specifically on their newly discovered 3-D structures. Indeed, the compositionally homogeneous GC-poor isochores were shown to be locally stiff because of the presence of interspersed oligo- Adenines4,5, whereas the compositionally heterogeneous GC-rich isochores were found to be peak-shaped and characterized by increasing gradients of GC and of interspersed oligo- Guanines. In LADs, oligo-Adenines induce local nucleosome depletions4,5 that are responsible for a wavy structure well adapted for interaction with the lamina. In TADs, the increasing GC levels and increasing oligo-Guanines of the isochore peaks are responsible for a decreasing nucleosome density5,6, a decreasing supercoiling7 and an increasing accessibility8. These factors mould the loops of “primary TADs”, that lack self-interactions since they are CTCF/cohesin-free, yet transcriptionally functional structures9-11. This “moulding step” is followed by a second step, in which the cohesin rings bind to the tips of the “primary TADs” and slide down the loops. This process is very likely due to Scc2/Nipbl, an essential factor not only for loading cohesin, but also for stimulating its translocation12 and its ATPase activity13. This “sliding step” creates self-interactions in the loops and stops at the CTCF binding sites located at the base of the loops that are thus closed and insulated.

scholarly journals CTCF-dependent chromatin boundaries formed by asymmetric nucleosome arrays with decreased linker length

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (21) ◽  
pp. 11181-11196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher T Clarkson ◽  
Emma A Deeks ◽  
Ralph Samarista ◽  
Hulkar Mamayusupova ◽  
Victor B Zhurkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Symmetry Breaking ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Chromatin Domains ◽  
Chromatin States ◽  
Linker Length ◽  
Binding Factor ◽  
Nucleosome Array

Abstract The CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) organises the genome in 3D through DNA loops and in 1D by setting boundaries isolating different chromatin states, but these processes are not well understood. Here we investigate chromatin boundaries in mouse embryonic stem cells, defined by the regions with decreased Nucleosome Repeat Length (NRL) for ∼20 nucleosomes near CTCF sites, affecting up to 10% of the genome. We found that the nucleosome-depleted region (NDR) near CTCF is asymmetrically located >40 nucleotides 5′-upstream from the centre of CTCF motif. The strength of CTCF binding to DNA and the presence of cohesin is correlated with the decrease of NRL near CTCF, and anti-correlated with the level of asymmetry of the nucleosome array. Individual chromatin remodellers have different contributions, with Snf2h having the strongest effect on the NRL decrease near CTCF and Chd4 playing a major role in the symmetry breaking. Upon differentiation, a subset of preserved, common CTCF sites maintains asymmetric nucleosome pattern and small NRL. The sites which lost CTCF upon differentiation are characterized by nucleosome rearrangement 3′-downstream, with unchanged NDR 5′-upstream of CTCF motifs. Boundaries of topologically associated chromatin domains frequently contain several inward-oriented CTCF motifs whose effects, described above, add up synergistically.

scholarly journals CHD4 conceals aberrant CTCF-binding sites at TAD interiors by regulating chromatin accessibility in mESCs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungwook Han ◽  
Hosuk Lee ◽  
Andrew J. Lee ◽  
Seung-Kyoon Kim ◽  
Inkyung Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem Cells ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Chromatin Accessibility ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Detailed Mechanism ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered

CTCF plays a critical role in the 3D chromatin organization by determining the TAD borders. Although CTCF primarily binds at the TAD borders, there also exist putative CTCF-binding sites within TADs, which are spread throughout the genome by retrotransposition. However, the detailed mechanism responsible for masking these putative CTCF-binding sites remains elusive. Here, we show that the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler, CHD4, regulates chromatin accessibility to conceal aberrant CTCF-binding sites embedded in H3K9me3-enriched heterochromatic B2 SINEs in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Upon CHD4 depletion, these aberrant CTCF-binding sites become accessible, and aberrant CTCF recruitment occurs at the TAD interiors, resulting in disorganization of the local TADs. Furthermore, RNA-binding intrinsically disordered domains of CHD4 is required to prevent the aberrant CTCF bindings. Lastly, CHD4 is required for the repression of B2 SINE transcripts. These results highlight the CHD4-mediated mechanism that safeguards the appropriate CTCF bindings and associated TAD organizations in mESCs.

scholarly journals Chromatin extrusion explains key features of loop and domain formation in wild-type and engineered genomes

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (47) ◽  
pp. E6456-E6465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian L. Sanborn ◽  
Suhas S. P. Rao ◽  
Su-Chen Huang ◽  
Neva C. Durand ◽  
Miriam H. Huntley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Binding Motifs ◽  
Physical Simulations ◽  
Chromatin Folding ◽  
Mammalian Genomes ◽  
Single Base Pair ◽  
Fractal Globule

We recently used in situ Hi-C to create kilobase-resolution 3D maps of mammalian genomes. Here, we combine these maps with new Hi-C, microscopy, and genome-editing experiments to study the physical structure of chromatin fibers, domains, and loops. We find that the observed contact domains are inconsistent with the equilibrium state for an ordinary condensed polymer. Combining Hi-C data and novel mathematical theorems, we show that contact domains are also not consistent with a fractal globule. Instead, we use physical simulations to study two models of genome folding. In one, intermonomer attraction during polymer condensation leads to formation of an anisotropic “tension globule.” In the other, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and cohesin act together to extrude unknotted loops during interphase. Both models are consistent with the observed contact domains and with the observation that contact domains tend to form inside loops. However, the extrusion model explains a far wider array of observations, such as why loops tend not to overlap and why the CTCF-binding motifs at pairs of loop anchors lie in the convergent orientation. Finally, we perform 13 genome-editing experiments examining the effect of altering CTCF-binding sites on chromatin folding. The convergent rule correctly predicts the affected loops in every case. Moreover, the extrusion model accurately predicts in silico the 3D maps resulting from each experiment using only the location of CTCF-binding sites in the WT. Thus, we show that it is possible to disrupt, restore, and move loops and domains using targeted mutations as small as a single base pair.

scholarly journals CTCF and cohesin promote focal detachment of DNA from the nuclear lamina

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom van Schaik ◽  
Ning Qing Liu ◽  
Stefano G. Manzo ◽  
Daan Peric-Hupkes ◽  
Elzo de Wit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Histone Modifications ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Nuclear Lamina ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Sharp Transition ◽  
Genomic Regions

Lamina associated domains (LADs) are large genomic regions that are positioned at the nuclear lamina (NL). It has remained largely unclear what drives the positioning and demarcation of LADs. Because the insulator protein CTCF is enriched at LAD borders, it was postulated that CTCF binding could position a subset of LAD boundaries, possibly through its function in stalling cohesin and hence preventing cohesin to invade into the LAD. To test this, we mapped genome - NL interactions in mouse embryonic stem cells after rapid depletion of CTCF and other perturbations of cohesin dynamics. CTCF and cohesin contribute to a sharp transition in NL interactions at LAD borders, whilst LADs are maintained after depletion of these proteins, also at borders marked by CTCF. CTCF and cohesin may thus reinforce LAD borders, but do not position these. CTCF binding sites within LADs are locally detached from the NL and enriched for accessible DNA and active histone modifications. Remarkably, even though NL positioning is strongly correlated with genome inactivity, this DNA remains accessible after the local detachment is lost following CTCF depletion. At a chromosomal scale, cohesin depletion and cohesin stabilization (depletion of the unloading factor WAPL) quantitatively affect NL interactions, indicative of perturbed chromosomal positioning in the nucleus. Finally, while H3K27me3 is locally enriched at CTCF-marked LAD borders, we find no evidence for an interplay between CTCF and H3K27me3 on NL interactions. Combined, these findings illustrate that CTCF and cohesin do not shape LAD patterns. Rather, these proteins mediate fine-tuning of NL interactions.

scholarly journals Effects of DNA Methylation on TFs in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ximei Luo ◽  
Tianjiao Zhang ◽  
Yixiao Zhai ◽  
Fang Wang ◽  
Shumei Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanism ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Sequence Specificity ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Methylated Dna

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism for gene regulation. The conventional view of DNA methylation is that DNA methylation could disrupt protein-DNA interactions and repress gene expression. Several recent studies reported that DNA methylation could alter transcription factors (TFs) binding sequence specificity in vitro. Here, we took advantage of the large sets of ChIP-seq data for TFs and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data in many cell types to perform a systematic analysis of the protein-DNA methylation in vivo. We observed that many TFs could bind methylated DNA regions, especially in H1-hESC cells. By locating binding sites, we confirmed that some TFs could bind to methylated CpGs directly. The different proportion of CpGs at TF binding specificity motifs in different methylation statuses shows that some TFs are sensitive to methylation and some could bind to the methylated DNA with different motifs, such as CEBPB and CTCF. At the same time, TF binding could interactively alter local DNA methylation. The TF hypermethylation binding sites extensively overlap with enhancers. And we also found that some DNase I hypersensitive sites were specifically hypermethylated in H1-hESC cells. At last, compared with TFs’ binding regions in multiple cell types, we observed that CTCF binding to high methylated regions in H1-hESC were not conservative. These pieces of evidence indicate that TFs that bind to hypermethylation DNA in H1-hESC cells may associate with enhancers to regulate special biological functions.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Regulation in the G1-S Cell Cycle Stage in Fungi: Insights through Computational Analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
Viktor Martyanov ◽  
Robert H. Gross
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcriptional Regulation ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Positional Distribution ◽  
Upstream Sequence ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Binding Factor

The transcription factor complexes Mlu1-box binding factor (MBF) and Swi4/6 cell cycle box binding factor (SBF) regulate the cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They activate hundreds of genes and are responsible for nor-mal cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase. We investigated the conservation of MBF and SBF binding sites during fungal evolution. Orthologs of S. cerevisiae targets of these transcription factors were identified in 37 fungal species and their upstream regions were analyzed for putative transcription factor binding sites. Both groups displayed enrichment in specific putative regulatory DNA sequences in their upstream regions and showed different preferred upstream motif loca-tions, variable patterns of evolutionary conservation of the motifs and enrichment in unique biological functions for the regulated genes. The results indicate that despite high sequence similarity of upstream DNA motifs putatively associated with G1-S transcriptional regulation by MBF and SBF transcription factors, there are important upstream sequence feature differences that may help differentiate the two seemingly similar regulatory modes. The incorporation of upstream motif sequence comparison, positional distribution and evolutionary variability of the motif can complement functional infor-mation about roles of the respective gene products and help elucidate transcriptional regulatory pathways and functions.

scholarly journals CTCF Binding Sites in the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Genome Display Site-Specific CTCF Occupation, Protein Recruitment, and Insulator Function

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. e00156-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannan D. Washington ◽  
Farhana Musarrat ◽  
Monica K. Ertel ◽  
Gregory L. Backes ◽  
Donna M. Neumann
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽  
Binding Motifs ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Protein Recruitment ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACTThere are seven conserved CTCF binding domains in the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genome. These binding sites individually flank the latency-associated transcript (LAT) and the immediate early (IE) gene regions, suggesting that CTCF insulators differentially control transcriptional domains in HSV-1 latency. In this work, we show that two CTCF binding motifs in HSV-1 display enhancer blocking in a cell-type-specific manner. We found that CTCF binding to the latent HSV-1 genome was LAT dependent and that the quantity of bound CTCF was site specific. Following reactivation, CTCF eviction was dynamic, suggesting that each CTCF site was independently regulated. We explored whether CTCF sites recruit the polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to establish repressive domains through a CTCF-Suz12 interaction and found that Suz12 colocalized to the CTCF insulators flanking the ICP0 and ICP4 regions and, conversely, was removed at early times postreactivation. Collectively, these data support the idea that CTCF sites in HSV-1 are independently regulated and may contribute to lytic-latent HSV-1 control in a site-specific manner.IMPORTANCEThe role of chromatin insulators in DNA viruses is an area of interest. It has been shown in several beta- and gammaherpesviruses that insulators likely control the lytic transcriptional profile through protein recruitment and through the formation of three-dimensional (3D) chromatin loops. The ability of insulators to regulate alphaherpesviruses has been understudied to date. The alphaherpesvirus HSV-1 has seven conserved insulator binding motifs that flank regions of the genome known to contribute to the establishment of latency. Our work presented here contributes to the understanding of how insulators control transcription of HSV-1.

scholarly journals CCCTC-Binding Factor Acts as a Heterochromatin Barrier on Herpes Simplex Viral Latent Chromatin and Contributes to Poised Latent Infection

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Lee ◽  
Priya Raja ◽  
Dongli Pan ◽  
Jean M. Pesola ◽  
Donald M. Coen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Latent Infection ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽  
Binding Factor ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACTHerpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes latent infection in neurons via a variety of epigenetic mechanisms that silence its genome. The cellular CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) functions as a mediator of transcriptional control and chromatin organization and has binding sites in the HSV-1 genome. We constructed an HSV-1 deletion mutant that lacked a pair of CTCF-binding sites (CTRL2) within the latency-associated transcript (LAT) coding sequences and found that loss of these CTCF-binding sites did not alter lytic replication or levels of establishment of latent infection, but their deletion reduced the ability of the virus to reactivate from latent infection. We also observed increased heterochromatin modifications on viral chromatin over theLATpromoter and intron. We therefore propose that CTCF binding at theCTRL2sites acts as a chromatin insulator to keep viral chromatin in a form that is poised for reactivation, a state which we call poised latency.IMPORTANCEHerpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a human pathogen that persists for the lifetime of the host as a result of its ability to establish latent infection within sensory neurons. The mechanism by which HSV-1 transitions from the lytic to latent infection program is largely unknown; however, HSV-1 is able to coopt cellular silencing mechanisms to facilitate the suppression of lytic gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that the cellular CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-binding site within the latency associated transcript (LAT) region is critical for the maintenance of a specific local chromatin structure. Additionally, loss of CTCF binding has detrimental effects on the ability to reactivate from latent infection. These results argue that CTCF plays a critical role in epigenetic regulation of viral gene expression to establish and/or maintain a form of latent infection that can reactivate efficiently.

scholarly journals CTCF: the protein, the binding partners, the binding sites and their chromatin loops

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1620) ◽  
pp. 20120369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjoerd Johannes Bastiaan Holwerda ◽  
Wouter de Laat
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Chromatin Domain ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Chromatin Loops ◽  
Exact Function

CTCF has it all. The transcription factor binds to tens of thousands of genomic sites, some tissue-specific, others ultra-conserved. It can act as a transcriptional activator, repressor and insulator, and it can pause transcription. CTCF binds at chromatin domain boundaries, at enhancers and gene promoters, and inside gene bodies. It can attract many other transcription factors to chromatin, including tissue-specific transcriptional activators, repressors, cohesin and RNA polymerase II, and it forms chromatin loops. Yet, or perhaps therefore, CTCF's exact function at a given genomic site is unpredictable. It appears to be determined by the associated transcription factors, by the location of the binding site relative to the transcriptional start site of a gene, and by the site's engagement in chromatin loops with other CTCF-binding sites, enhancers or gene promoters. Here, we will discuss genome-wide features of CTCF binding events, as well as locus-specific functions of this remarkable transcription factor.

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