scholarly journals Mechanism of HS5-1 eRNA Regulation of Protocadherin α Cluster via R-loop Formation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxiao Zhou ◽  
Siyuan Xu ◽  
Qiang Wu

Enhancers generate bidirectional noncoding enhancer RNAs that may regulate gene expression. At present, mechanisms of eRNA functions are not fully understood. Here, we report an antisense eRNA PEARL that is transcribed from the protocadherin α HS5-1 enhancer region. Through loss- and gain-of-function experiments with CRISPR/Cas9 DNA-fragment editing, CRISPRi, and CRISPRa strategies, in conjunction with ChIRP, MeDIP, and DRIP experiments, we find that PEARL regulates Pcdhα expression by forming local R-loop in situ within the HS5-1 enhancer region to promote long-distance chromatin interactions between distal enhancer and target promoters. These findings have important implications regarding mechanisms by which the HS5-1 enhancer regulates stochastic Pcdhα promoter choice in single cells in the brain.

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (19-20) ◽  
pp. 1383-1394
Author(s):  
Yuxiao Zhou ◽  
Siyuan Xu ◽  
Mo Zhang ◽  
Qiang Wu

Enhancers generate bidirectional noncoding enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) that may regulate gene expression. At present, the eRNA function remains enigmatic. Here, we report a 5′ capped antisense eRNA PEARL (Pcdh eRNA associated with R-loop formation) that is transcribed from the protocadherin (Pcdh) α HS5-1 enhancer region. Through loss- and gain-of-function experiments with CRISPR/Cas9 DNA fragment editing, CRISPRi, and CRISPRa, as well as locked nucleic acid strategies, in conjunction with ChIRP, MeDIP, DRIP, QHR-4C, and HiChIP experiments, we found that PEARL regulates Pcdhα gene expression by forming local RNA–DNA duplexes (R-loops) in situ within the HS5-1 enhancer region to promote long-distance chromatin interactions between distal enhancers and target promoters. In particular, increased levels of eRNA PEARL via perturbing transcription elongation factor SPT6 lead to strengthened local three-dimensional chromatin organization within the Pcdh superTAD. These findings have important implications regarding molecular mechanisms by which the HS5-1 enhancer regulates stochastic Pcdhα promoter choice in single cells in the brain.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
KS Beckwith ◽  
Ø Ødegård-Fougner ◽  
NR Morero ◽  
C Barton ◽  
F Schueder ◽  
...  

SummaryThe spatial organization of the genome is essential for its functions, including gene expression, DNA replication and repair, as well as chromosome segregation1. Biomolecular condensates and loop extrusion have been proposed as the principal driving forces that underlie the formation of non-random structures such as chromatin compartments and topologically associating domains2,3. However, if the actual 3D-folding of DNA in single cells is consistent with these mechanisms has been difficult to address in situ. Here, we present LoopTrace, a FISH workflow for high-resolution reconstruction of 3D genome architecture without DNA denaturation. Classical fluorescence in situ hybridization approaches can link chromatin architecture to DNA sequence but disrupt chromatin structure at the critical nanoscale of individual loops. Our method conserves chromatin structure and can resolve the 3D-fold of chromosomal DNA with better than 5-kb-resolution in single human cells. Our results show that the chromatin fiber behaves as a random coil that can be further structured in a manner consistent with loop formation, explaining the emergence of topologically associated domain-like features in cell population averages. Mining a large amount of single-cell data computationally, we reveal chromatin folding intermediates consistent with progressive loop extrusion and stabilized loops, highlighting the power of our method to visualize the nanoscale features of genome organization in situ.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feifei Jia ◽  
Jie Wang ◽  
Yanyan Zhang ◽  
Qun Luo ◽  
Luyu Qi ◽  
...  

<p></p><p><i>In situ</i> visualization of proteins of interest at single cell level is attractive in cell biology, molecular biology and biomedicine, which usually involves photon, electron or X-ray based imaging methods. Herein, we report an optics-free strategy that images a specific protein in single cells by time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) following genetic incorporation of fluorine-containing unnatural amino acids as a chemical tag into the protein via genetic code expansion technique. The method was developed and validated by imaging GFP in E. coli and human HeLa cancer cells, and then utilized to visualize the distribution of chemotaxis protein CheA in E. coli cells and the interaction between high mobility group box 1 protein and cisplatin damaged DNA in HeLa cells. The present work highlights the power of ToF-SIMS imaging combined with genetically encoded chemical tags for <i>in situ </i>visualization of proteins of interest as well as the interactions between proteins and drugs or drug damaged DNA in single cells.</p><p></p>


Author(s):  
Gunnar Zimmermann ◽  
Richard Chapman

Abstract Dual beam FIBSEM systems invite the use of innovative techniques to localize IC fails both electrically and physically. For electrical localization, we present a quick and reliable in-situ FIBSEM technique to deposit probe pads with very low parasitic leakage (Ipara &lt; 4E-11A at 3V). The probe pads were Pt, deposited with ion beam assistance, on top of highly insulating SiOx, deposited with electron beam assistance. The buried plate (n-Band), p-well, wordline and bitline of a failing and a good 0.2 μm technology DRAM single cell were contacted. Both cells shared the same wordline for direct comparison of cell characteristics. Through this technique we electrically isolated the fail to a single cell by detecting leakage between the polysilicon wordline gate and the cell diffusion. For physical localization, we present a completely in-situ FIBSEM technique that combines ion milling, XeF2 staining and SEM imaging. With this technique, the electrically isolated fail was found to be a hole in the gate oxide at the bad cell.


1992 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Šindelář ◽  
Vojtěch Kmoníček ◽  
Marta Hrubantová ◽  
Zdeněk Polívka

(Arylthio)benzoic acids IIa - IIe and VIb - VId were transformed via the acid chlorides to the N,N-dimethylamides which were reduced either with diborane "in situ" or with lithium aluminium hydride to N,N-dimethyl-(arylthio)benzylamines Ia - Ie and Vb - Vd. Leuckart reaction of the aldehydes IX and X with dimethylformamide and formic acid afforded directly the amines Va and Ve. Demethylation of the methoxy compounds Ia and Ve with hydrobromic acid resulted in the phenolic amines If and Vf. The most interesting N,N-dimethyl-4-(phenylthio)benzylamine (Va) hydrochloride showed affinity to cholinergic and 5-HT2 serotonin receptors in the rat brain and some properties considered indicative of antidepressant activity (inhibition of serotonin re-uptake in the brain and potentiation of yohimbine toxicity in mice).


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1635
Author(s):  
Ya Su ◽  
Rongxin Fu ◽  
Wenli Du ◽  
Han Yang ◽  
Li Ma ◽  
...  

Quantitative measurement of single cells can provide in-depth information about cell morphology and metabolism. However, current live-cell imaging techniques have a lack of quantitative detection ability. Herein, we proposed a label-free and quantitative multichannel wide-field interferometric imaging (MWII) technique with femtogram dry mass sensitivity to monitor single-cell metabolism long-term in situ culture. We demonstrated that MWII could reveal the intrinsic status of cells despite fluctuating culture conditions with 3.48 nm optical path difference sensitivity, 0.97 fg dry mass sensitivity and 2.4% average maximum relative change (maximum change/average) in dry mass. Utilizing the MWII system, different intrinsic cell growth characteristics of dry mass between HeLa cells and Human Cervical Epithelial Cells (HCerEpiC) were studied. The dry mass of HeLa cells consistently increased before the M phase, whereas that of HCerEpiC increased and then decreased. The maximum growth rate of HeLa cells was 11.7% higher than that of HCerEpiC. Furthermore, HeLa cells were treated with Gemcitabine to reveal the relationship between single-cell heterogeneity and chemotherapeutic efficacy. The results show that cells with higher nuclear dry mass and nuclear density standard deviations were more likely to survive the chemotherapy. In conclusion, MWII was presented as a technique for single-cell dry mass quantitative measurement, which had significant potential applications for cell growth dynamics research, cell subtype analysis, cell health characterization, medication guidance and adjuvant drug development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melquizedec Luiz Silva Pinheiro ◽  
Cleusa Yoshiko Nagamachi ◽  
Talita Fernanda Augusto Ribas ◽  
Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz ◽  
Patricia Caroline Mary O´Brien ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Scolopacidae family (Suborder Scolopaci, Charadriiformes) is composed of sandpipers and snipes; these birds are long-distance migrants that show great diversity in their behavior and habitat use. Cytogenetic studies in the Scolopacidae family show the highest diploid numbers for order Charadriiformes. This work analyzes for the first time the karyotype of Actitis macularius by classic cytogenetics and chromosome painting. Results The species has a diploid number of 92, composed mostly of telocentric pairs. This high 2n is greater than the proposed 80 for the avian ancestral putative karyotype (a common feature among Scolopaci), suggesting that fission rearrangements have formed smaller macrochromosomes and microchromosomes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using Burhinus oedicnemus whole chromosome probes confirmed the fissions in pairs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of macrochromosomes. Conclusion Comparative analysis with other species of Charadriiformes studied by chromosome painting together with the molecular phylogenies for the order allowed us to raise hypotheses about the chromosomal evolution in suborder Scolopaci. From this, we can establish a clear idea of how chromosomal evolution occurred in this suborder.


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