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Sample records for chromatin remodeling complexes

  1. Chromatin Remodelers: From Function to Dysfunction

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    Gernot Längst

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin remodelers are key players in the regulation of chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning on the eukaryotic DNA, thereby essential for all DNA dependent biological processes. Thus, it is not surprising that upon of deregulation of those molecular machines healthy cells can turn into cancerous cells. Even though the remodeling enzymes are very abundant and a multitude of different enzymes and chromatin remodeling complexes exist in the cell, the particular remodeling complex with its specific nucleosome positioning features must be at the right place at the right time in order to ensure the proper regulation of the DNA dependent processes. To achieve this, chromatin remodeling complexes harbor protein domains that specifically read chromatin targeting signals, such as histone modifications, DNA sequence/structure, non-coding RNAs, histone variants or DNA bound interacting proteins. Recent studies reveal the interaction between non-coding RNAs and chromatin remodeling complexes showing importance of RNA in remodeling enzyme targeting, scaffolding and regulation. In this review, we summarize current understanding of chromatin remodeling enzyme targeting to chromatin and their role in cancer development.

  2. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) promoter targeting through a novel chromatin remodeling complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Shigeaki; Fujiki, Ryoji; Kitagawa, Hirochika

    2004-05-01

    We have purified nuclear complexes for Vitamin D receptor (VDR), and identified one of them as a novel ATP-dependent chromatine remodeling containing Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF), that is supposed to be responsible for Williams syndrome. This complex (WSTF including nucleosome assembly complex (WINAC)) exhibited an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity in vitro. Transient expression assays revealed that WINAC potentiates ligand-induced function of VDR in gene activation and repression. Thus, this study describes a molecular basis of the VDR function on chromosomal DNA through chromatine remodeling.

  3. Chromatin Remodeling and Plant Immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, W; Zhu, Q; Liu, Y; Zhang, Q

    Chromatin remodeling, an important facet of the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes, is performed by two major types of multisubunit complexes, covalent histone- or DNA-modifying complexes, and ATP-dependent chromosome remodeling complexes. Snf2 family DNA-dependent ATPases constitute the catalytic subunits of ATP-dependent chromosome remodeling complexes, which accounts for energy supply during chromatin remodeling. Increasing evidence indicates a critical role of chromatin remodeling in the establishment of long-lasting, even transgenerational immune memory in plants, which is supported by the findings that DNA methylation, histone deacetylation, and histone methylation can prime the promoters of immune-related genes required for disease defense. So what are the links between Snf2-mediated ATP-dependent chromosome remodeling and plant immunity, and what mechanisms might support its involvement in disease resistance? © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Chromatin remodeling, development and disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ko, Myunggon; Sohn, Dong H.; Chung, Heekyoung; Seong, Rho H.

    2008-01-01

    Development is a stepwise process in which multi-potent progenitor cells undergo lineage commitment, differentiation, proliferation and maturation to produce mature cells with restricted developmental potentials. This process is directed by spatiotemporally distinct gene expression programs that allow cells to stringently orchestrate intricate transcriptional activation or silencing events. In eukaryotes, chromatin structure contributes to developmental progression as a blueprint for coordinated gene expression by actively participating in the regulation of gene expression. Changes in higher order chromatin structure or covalent modification of its components are considered to be critical events in dictating lineage-specific gene expression during development. Mammalian cells utilize multi-subunit nuclear complexes to alter chromatin structure. Histone-modifying complex catalyzes covalent modifications of histone tails including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex, which disrupts histone-DNA contacts and induces nucleosome mobilization, requires energy from ATP hydrolysis for its catalytic activity. Here, we discuss the diverse functions of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes during mammalian development. In particular, the roles of these complexes during embryonic and hematopoietic development are reviewed in depth. In addition, pathological conditions such as tumor development that are induced by mutation of several key subunits of the chromatin remodeling complex are discussed, together with possible mechanisms that underlie tumor suppression by the complex

  5. A Functional Switch of NuRD Chromatin Remodeling Complex Subunits Regulates Mouse Cortical Development

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    Justyna Nitarska

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Histone modifications and chromatin remodeling represent universal mechanisms by which cells adapt their transcriptional response to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Extensive chromatin remodeling takes place during neuronal development, allowing the transition of pluripotent cells into differentiated neurons. Here, we report that the NuRD complex, which couples ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling with histone deacetylase activity, regulates mouse brain development. Subunit exchange of CHDs, the core ATPase subunits of the NuRD complex, is required for distinct aspects of cortical development. Whereas CHD4 promotes the early proliferation of progenitors, CHD5 facilitates neuronal migration and CHD3 ensures proper layer specification. Inhibition of each CHD leads to defects of neuronal differentiation and migration, which cannot be rescued by expressing heterologous CHDs. Finally, we demonstrate that NuRD complexes containing specific CHDs are recruited to regulatory elements and modulate the expression of genes essential for brain development.

  6. The Latest Twists in Chromatin Remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blossey, Ralf; Schiessel, Helmut

    2018-01-05

    In its most restrictive interpretation, the notion of chromatin remodeling refers to the action of chromatin-remodeling enzymes on nucleosomes with the aim of displacing and removing them from the chromatin fiber (the effective polymer formed by a DNA molecule and proteins). This local modification of the fiber structure can have consequences for the initiation and repression of the transcription process, and when the remodeling process spreads along the fiber, it also results in long-range effects essential for fiber condensation. There are three regulatory levels of relevance that can be distinguished for this process: the intrinsic sequence preference of the histone octamer, which rules the positioning of the nucleosome along the DNA, notably in relation to the genetic information coded in DNA; the recognition or selection of nucleosomal substrates by remodeling complexes; and, finally, the motor action on the nucleosome exerted by the chromatin remodeler. Recent work has been able to provide crucial insights at each of these three levels that add new twists to this exciting and unfinished story, which we highlight in this perspective. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. The ATRX syndrome protein forms a chromatin-remodeling complex with Daxx and localizes in promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Yutong; Gibbons, Richard; Yan, Zhijiang; Yang, Dafeng; McDowell, Tarra L; Sechi, Salvatore; Qin, Jun; Zhou, Sharleen; Higgs, Doug; Wang, Weidong

    2003-09-16

    ATRX syndrome is characterized by X-linked mental retardation associated with alpha-thalassemia. The gene mutated in this disease, ATRX, encodes a plant homeodomain-like finger and a SWI2/SNF2-like ATPase motif, both of which are often found in chromatin-remodeling enzymes, but ATRX has not been characterized biochemically. By immunoprecipitation from HeLa extract, we found that ATRX is in a complex with transcription cofactor Daxx. The following evidence supports that ATRX and Daxx are components of an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex: (i) Daxx and ATRX can be coimmunoisolated by antibodies specific for each protein; (ii) a proportion of Daxx cofractionates with ATRX as a complex of 1 MDa by gel-filtration analysis; (iii) in extract from cells of a patient with ATRX syndrome, the level of the Daxx-ATRX complex is correspondingly reduced; (iv) a proportion of ATRX and Daxx colocalize in promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies, with which Daxx had previously been located; and (v) the ATRX complex displays ATP-dependent activities that resemble those of other chromatin-remodeling complexes, including triple-helix DNA displacement and alteration of mononucleosome disruption patterns. But unlike the previously described SWI/SNF or NURD complexes, the ATRX complex does not randomize DNA phasing of the mononucleosomes, suggesting that it may remodel chromatin differently. Taken together, the results suggest that ATRX functions in conjunction with Daxx in a novel chromatin-remodeling complex. The defects in ATRX syndrome may result from inappropriate expression of genes controlled by this complex.

  8. The chromatin remodeler SPLAYED regulates specific stress signaling pathways.

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    Justin W Walley

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Organisms are continuously exposed to a myriad of environmental stresses. Central to an organism's survival is the ability to mount a robust transcriptional response to the imposed stress. An emerging mechanism of transcriptional control involves dynamic changes in chromatin structure. Alterations in chromatin structure are brought about by a number of different mechanisms, including chromatin modifications, which covalently modify histone proteins; incorporation of histone variants; and chromatin remodeling, which utilizes ATP hydrolysis to alter histone-DNA contacts. While considerable insight into the mechanisms of chromatin remodeling has been gained, the biological role of chromatin remodeling complexes beyond their function as regulators of cellular differentiation and development has remained poorly understood. Here, we provide genetic, biochemical, and biological evidence for the critical role of chromatin remodeling in mediating plant defense against specific biotic stresses. We found that the Arabidopsis SWI/SNF class chromatin remodeling ATPase SPLAYED (SYD is required for the expression of selected genes downstream of the jasmonate (JA and ethylene (ET signaling pathways. SYD is also directly recruited to the promoters of several of these genes. Furthermore, we show that SYD is required for resistance against the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea but not the biotrophic pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. These findings demonstrate not only that chromatin remodeling is required for selective pathogen resistance, but also that chromatin remodelers such as SYD can regulate specific pathways within biotic stress signaling networks.

  9. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in the DNA-damage response

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    Lans Hannes

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The integrity of DNA is continuously challenged by metabolism-derived and environmental genotoxic agents that cause a variety of DNA lesions, including base alterations and breaks. DNA damage interferes with vital processes such as transcription and replication, and if not repaired properly, can ultimately lead to premature aging and cancer. Multiple DNA pathways signaling for DNA repair and DNA damage collectively safeguard the integrity of DNA. Chromatin plays a pivotal role in regulating DNA-associated processes, and is itself subject to regulation by the DNA-damage response. Chromatin influences access to DNA, and often serves as a docking or signaling site for repair and signaling proteins. Its structure can be adapted by post-translational histone modifications and nucleosome remodeling, catalyzed by the activity of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. In recent years, accumulating evidence has suggested that ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes play important, although poorly characterized, roles in facilitating the effectiveness of the DNA-damage response. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the involvement of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in three major DNA repair pathways: nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination, and non-homologous end-joining. This shows that a surprisingly large number of different remodeling complexes display pleiotropic functions during different stages of the DNA-damage response. Moreover, several complexes seem to have multiple functions, and are implicated in various mechanistically distinct repair pathways.

  10. Chromatin Remodeling BAF (SWI/SNF Complexes in Neural Development and Disorders

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    Godwin Sokpor

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The ATP-dependent BRG1/BRM associated factor (BAF chromatin remodeling complexes are crucial in regulating gene expression by controlling chromatin dynamics. Over the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that during neural development in mammals, distinct ontogenetic stage-specific BAF complexes derived from combinatorial assembly of their subunits are formed in neural progenitors and post-mitotic neural cells. Proper functioning of the BAF complexes plays critical roles in neural development, including the establishment and maintenance of neural fates and functionality. Indeed, recent human exome sequencing and genome-wide association studies have revealed that mutations in BAF complex subunits are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Coffin-Siris syndrome, Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, Kleefstra's syndrome spectrum, Hirschsprung's disease, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. In this review, we focus on the latest insights into the functions of BAF complexes during neural development and the plausible mechanistic basis of how mutations in known BAF subunits are associated with certain neurodevelopmental disorders.

  11. Chromatin Remodeling BAF (SWI/SNF) Complexes in Neural Development and Disorders

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    Sokpor, Godwin; Xie, Yuanbin; Rosenbusch, Joachim; Tuoc, Tran

    2017-01-01

    The ATP-dependent BRG1/BRM associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complexes are crucial in regulating gene expression by controlling chromatin dynamics. Over the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that during neural development in mammals, distinct ontogenetic stage-specific BAF complexes derived from combinatorial assembly of their subunits are formed in neural progenitors and post-mitotic neural cells. Proper functioning of the BAF complexes plays critical roles in neural development, including the establishment and maintenance of neural fates and functionality. Indeed, recent human exome sequencing and genome-wide association studies have revealed that mutations in BAF complex subunits are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Coffin-Siris syndrome, Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, Kleefstra's syndrome spectrum, Hirschsprung's disease, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. In this review, we focus on the latest insights into the functions of BAF complexes during neural development and the plausible mechanistic basis of how mutations in known BAF subunits are associated with certain neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:28824374

  12. Chromatin Remodeling BAF (SWI/SNF) Complexes in Neural Development and Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokpor, Godwin; Xie, Yuanbin; Rosenbusch, Joachim; Tuoc, Tran

    2017-01-01

    The ATP-dependent BRG1/BRM associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complexes are crucial in regulating gene expression by controlling chromatin dynamics. Over the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that during neural development in mammals, distinct ontogenetic stage-specific BAF complexes derived from combinatorial assembly of their subunits are formed in neural progenitors and post-mitotic neural cells. Proper functioning of the BAF complexes plays critical roles in neural development, including the establishment and maintenance of neural fates and functionality. Indeed, recent human exome sequencing and genome-wide association studies have revealed that mutations in BAF complex subunits are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Coffin-Siris syndrome, Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, Kleefstra's syndrome spectrum, Hirschsprung's disease, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. In this review, we focus on the latest insights into the functions of BAF complexes during neural development and the plausible mechanistic basis of how mutations in known BAF subunits are associated with certain neurodevelopmental disorders.

  13. Functional delineation of three groups of the ATP-dependent family of chromatin remodeling enzymes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boyer, L.A.; Logie, C.; Bonte, E; Becker, P.B.; Wade, P.A.; Wolff, A.P.; Wu, C.; Imbalzano, A.N.; Peterson, C.L.

    2000-01-01

    ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes antagonize the inhibitory effects of chromatin. We compare six different remodeling complexes: ySWI/SNF, yRSC, hSWI/SNF, xMi-2, dCHRAC, and dNURF. We find that each complex uses similar amounts of ATP to remodel nucleosomal arrays at nearly identical rates.

  14. Structural Modeling of GR Interactions with the SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex and C/EBP

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muratcioglu, Serena; Presman, Diego M; Pooley, John R

    2015-01-01

    The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a steroid-hormone-activated transcription factor that modulates gene expression. Transcriptional regulation by the GR requires dynamic receptor binding to specific target sites located across the genome. This binding remodels the chromatin structure to allow...... interaction with other transcription factors. Thus, chromatin remodeling is an essential component of GR-mediated transcriptional regulation, and understanding the interactions between these molecules at the structural level provides insights into the mechanisms of how GR and chromatin remodeling cooperate...

  15. Dysregulation of chromatin remodelling complexes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

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    Tibshirani, Michael; Zhao, Beibei; Gentil, Benoit J; Minotti, Sandra; Marques, Christine; Keith, Julia; Rogaeva, Ekaterina; Zinman, Lorne; Rouaux, Caroline; Robertson, Janice; Durham, Heather D

    2017-11-01

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with paralysis resulting from dysfunction and loss of motor neurons. A common neuropathological finding is attrition of motor neuron dendrites, which make central connections vital to motor control. The chromatin remodelling complex, neuronal Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1)-associated factor complex (nBAF), is critical for neuronal differentiation, dendritic extension and synaptic function. We have identified loss of the crucial nBAF subunits Brg1, Brg1-associated factor 53b and calcium responsive transactivator in cultured motor neurons expressing FUS or TAR-DNA Binding Protein 43 (TDP-43) mutants linked to familial ALS. When plasmids encoding wild-type or mutant human FUS or TDP-43 were expressed in motor neurons of dissociated spinal cord cultures prepared from E13 mice, mutant proteins in particular accumulated in the cytoplasm. Immunolabelling of nBAF subunits was reduced in proportion to loss of nuclear FUS or TDP-43 and depletion of Brg1 was associated with nuclear retention of Brg1 mRNA. Dendritic attrition (loss of intermediate and terminal dendritic branches) occurred in motor neurons expressing mutant, but not wild-type, FUS or TDP-43. This attrition was delayed by ectopic over-expression of Brg1 and was reproduced by inhibiting Brg1 activity either through genetic manipulation or treatment with the chemical inhibitor, (E)-1-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-3-((1R, 4R)-5-(pyridin-2-yl)-2, 5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one, demonstrating the importance of Brg1 to maintenance of dendritic architecture. Loss of nBAF subunits was also documented in spinal motor neurons in autopsy tissue from familial amyotrophic sclerosis (chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 with G4C2 nucleotide expansion) and from sporadic cases with no identified mutation, pointing to dysfunction of nBAF chromatin remodelling in multiple forms of ALS. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

  16. A SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodelling Protein Controls Cytokinin Production through the Regulation of Chromatin Architecture

    KAUST Repository

    Jégu, Teddy

    2015-10-12

    Chromatin architecture determines transcriptional accessibility to DNA and consequently gene expression levels in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. Recently, chromatin remodelers such as SWI/SNF complexes have been recognized as key regulators of chromatin architecture. To gain insight into the function of these complexes during root development, we have analyzed Arabidopsis knock-down lines for one sub-unit of SWI/SNF complexes: BAF60. Here, we show that BAF60 is a positive regulator of root development and cell cycle progression in the root meristem via its ability to down-regulate cytokinin production. By opposing both the deposition of active histone marks and the formation of a chromatin regulatory loop, BAF60 negatively regulates two crucial target genes for cytokinin biosynthesis (IPT3 and IPT7) and one cell cycle inhibitor (KRP7). Our results demonstrate that SWI/SNF complexes containing BAF60 are key factors governing the equilibrium between formation and dissociation of a chromatin loop controlling phytohormone production and cell cycle progression.

  17. A SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodelling Protein Controls Cytokinin Production through the Regulation of Chromatin Architecture

    KAUST Repository

    Jé gu, Teddy; Domenichini, Sé verine; Blein, Thomas; Ariel, Federico; Christ, Auré lie; Kim, SoonKap; Crespi, Martin; Boutet-Mercey, Sté phanie; Mouille, Gré gory; Bourge, Mickaë l; Hirt, Heribert; Bergounioux, Catherine; Raynaud, Cé cile; Benhamed, Moussa

    2015-01-01

    Chromatin architecture determines transcriptional accessibility to DNA and consequently gene expression levels in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. Recently, chromatin remodelers such as SWI/SNF complexes have been recognized as key regulators of chromatin architecture. To gain insight into the function of these complexes during root development, we have analyzed Arabidopsis knock-down lines for one sub-unit of SWI/SNF complexes: BAF60. Here, we show that BAF60 is a positive regulator of root development and cell cycle progression in the root meristem via its ability to down-regulate cytokinin production. By opposing both the deposition of active histone marks and the formation of a chromatin regulatory loop, BAF60 negatively regulates two crucial target genes for cytokinin biosynthesis (IPT3 and IPT7) and one cell cycle inhibitor (KRP7). Our results demonstrate that SWI/SNF complexes containing BAF60 are key factors governing the equilibrium between formation and dissociation of a chromatin loop controlling phytohormone production and cell cycle progression.

  18. Phosphorylation of linker histones regulates ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Horn, P.J.; Carruthers, L.M.; Logie, C.; Hill, D.A.; Solomon, M.J.; Wade, P.A.; Imbalzano, A.N.; Hansen, J.; Peterson, C.L.

    2002-01-01

    Members of the ATP-dependent family of chromatin remodeling enzymes play key roles in the regulation of transcription, development, DNA repair and cell cycle control. We find that the remodeling activities of the ySWI/SNF, hSWI/SNF, xMi-2 and xACF complexes are nearly abolished by incorporation of

  19. Wongabel Rhabdovirus Accessory Protein U3 Targets the SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex

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    Joubert, D. Albert; Rodriguez-Andres, Julio; Monaghan, Paul; Cummins, Michelle; McKinstry, William J.; Paradkar, Prasad N.; Moseley, Gregory W.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Wongabel virus (WONV) is an arthropod-borne rhabdovirus that infects birds. It is one of the growing array of rhabdoviruses with complex genomes that encode multiple accessory proteins of unknown function. In addition to the five canonical rhabdovirus structural protein genes (N, P, M, G, and L), the 13.2-kb negative-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) WONV genome contains five uncharacterized accessory genes, one overlapping the N gene (Nx or U4), three located between the P and M genes (U1 to U3), and a fifth one overlapping the G gene (Gx or U5). Here we show that WONV U3 is expressed during infection in insect and mammalian cells and is required for efficient viral replication. A yeast two-hybrid screen against a mosquito cell cDNA library identified that WONV U3 interacts with the 83-amino-acid (aa) C-terminal domain of SNF5, a component of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. The interaction was confirmed by affinity chromatography, and nuclear colocalization was established by confocal microscopy. Gene expression studies showed that SNF5 transcripts are upregulated during infection of mosquito cells with WONV, as well as West Nile virus (Flaviviridae) and bovine ephemeral fever virus (Rhabdoviridae), and that SNF5 knockdown results in increased WONV replication. WONV U3 also inhibits SNF5-regulated expression of the cytokine gene CSF1. The data suggest that WONV U3 targets the SWI/SNF complex to block the host response to infection. IMPORTANCE The rhabdoviruses comprise a large family of RNA viruses infecting plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates. In addition to the major structural proteins (N, P, M, G, and L), many rhabdoviruses encode a diverse array of accessory proteins of largely unknown function. Understanding the role of these proteins may reveal much about host-pathogen interactions in infected cells. Here we examine accessory protein U3 of Wongabel virus, an arthropod-borne rhabdovirus that infects birds. We show that U3 enters the

  20. ATM-dependent pathways of chromatin remodelling and oxidative DNA damage responses.

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    Berger, N Daniel; Stanley, Fintan K T; Moore, Shaun; Goodarzi, Aaron A

    2017-10-05

    Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a serine/threonine protein kinase with a master regulatory function in the DNA damage response. In this role, ATM commands a complex biochemical network that signals the presence of oxidative DNA damage, including the dangerous DNA double-strand break, and facilitates subsequent repair. Here, we review the current state of knowledge regarding ATM-dependent chromatin remodelling and epigenomic alterations that are required to maintain genomic integrity in the presence of DNA double-strand breaks and/or oxidative stress. We will focus particularly on the roles of ATM in adjusting nucleosome spacing at sites of unresolved DNA double-strand breaks within complex chromatin environments, and the impact of ATM on preserving the health of cells within the mammalian central nervous system.This article is part of the themed issue 'Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  1. MRN1 implicates chromatin remodeling complexes and architectural factors in mRNA maturation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Düring, Louis; Thorsen, Michael; Petersen, Darima

    2012-01-01

    A functional relationship between chromatin structure and mRNA processing events has been suggested, however, so far only a few involved factors have been characterized. Here we show that rsc nhp6¿¿ mutants, deficient for the function of the chromatin remodeling factor RSC and the chromatin....... Genetic interactions are observed between 2 µm-MRN1 and the splicing deficient mutants snt309¿, prp3, prp4, and prp22, and additional genetic analyses link MRN1, SNT309, NHP6A/B, SWI/SNF, and RSC supporting the notion of a role of chromatin structure in mRNA processing....

  2. Mutation of neuron-specific chromatin remodeling subunit BAF53b : rescue of plasticity and memory by manipulating actin remodeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vogel Ciernia, Annie; Kramár, Enikö A; Matheos, Dina P; Havekes, Robbert; Hemstedt, Thekla J; Magnan, Christophe N; Sakata, Keith; Tran, Ashley; Azzawi, Soraya; Lopez, Alberto; Dang, Richard; Wang, Weisheng; Trieu, Brian; Tong, Joyce; Barrett, Ruth M; Post, Rebecca J; Baldi, Pierre; Abel, Ted; Lynch, Gary; Wood, Marcelo A

    Recent human exome-sequencing studies have implicated polymorphic Brg1-associated factor (BAF) complexes (mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes) in several intellectual disabilities and cognitive disorders, including autism. However, it remains unclear how mutations in BAF complexes

  3. The Chromatin Remodeler BPTF Activates a Stemness Gene-Expression Program Essential for the Maintenance of Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cells

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    Bowen Xu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Self-renewal and differentiation of adult stem cells are tightly regulated partly through configuration of chromatin structure by chromatin remodelers. Using knockout mice, we here demonstrate that bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor (BPTF, a component of the nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF chromatin-remodeling complex, is essential for maintaining the population size of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs, including long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs. Bptf-deficient HSCs are defective in reconstituted hematopoiesis, and hematopoietic-specific knockout of Bptf caused profound defects including bone marrow failure and anemia. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling revealed that BPTF loss caused downregulation of HSC-specific gene-expression programs, which contain several master transcription factors (Meis1, Pbx1, Mn1, and Lmo2 required for HSC maintenance and self-renewal. Furthermore, we show that BPTF potentiates the chromatin accessibility of key HSC “stemness” genes. These results demonstrate an essential requirement of the chromatin remodeler BPTF and NURF for activation of “stemness” gene-expression programs and proper function of adult HSCs. : Wang and colleagues show that a chromatin remodeler, BPTF, sustains appropriate functions of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs. BPTF loss causes bone marrow failure and anemia. The authors further define a BPTF-dependent gene-expression program in HSPCs, which contains key HSC stemness factors. These results demonstrate an essential requirement of the BPTF-associated chromatin remodelers for HSC functionality and adult hematopoiesis. Keywords: Bptf, hematopoietic stem cells, chromatin remodeler, Meis1, Pbx1, Mn1, DNA accessibility, NURF, AP1 complex

  4. Mutation of Neuron-Specific Chromatin Remodeling Subunit BAF53b: Rescue of Plasticity and Memory by Manipulating Actin Remodeling

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    Ciernia, Annie Vogel; Kramár, Enikö A.; Matheos, Dina P.; Havekes, Robbert; Hemstedt, Thekla J.; Magnan, Christophe N.; Sakata, Keith; Tran, Ashley; Azzawi, Soraya; Lopez, Alberto; Dang, Richard; Wang, Weisheng; Trieu, Brian; Tong, Joyce; Barrett, Ruth M.; Post, Rebecca J.; Baldi, Pierre; Abel, Ted; Lynch, Gary; Wood, Marcelo A.

    2017-01-01

    Recent human exome-sequencing studies have implicated polymorphic Brg1-associated factor (BAF) complexes (mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes) in several intellectual disabilities and cognitive disorders, including autism. However, it remains unclear how mutations in BAF complexes result in impaired cognitive function. Post-mitotic…

  5. Chromatin remodelling: the industrial revolution of DNA around histones.

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    Saha, Anjanabha; Wittmeyer, Jacqueline; Cairns, Bradley R

    2006-06-01

    Chromatin remodellers are specialized multi-protein machines that enable access to nucleosomal DNA by altering the structure, composition and positioning of nucleosomes. All remodellers have a catalytic ATPase subunit that is similar to known DNA-translocating motor proteins, suggesting DNA translocation as a unifying aspect of their mechanism. Here, we explore the diversity and specialization of chromatin remodellers, discuss how nucleosome modifications regulate remodeller activity and consider a model for the exposure of nucleosomal DNA that involves the use of directional DNA translocation to pump 'DNA waves' around the nucleosome.

  6. The chromatin remodeling BAP complex limits tumor-promoting activity of the Hippo pathway effector Yki to prevent neoplastic transformation in Drosophila epithelia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Shilin; Herranz, Héctor; Cohen, Stephen M.

    2017-01-01

    Switch/sucrose non-fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes are mutated in many human cancers. In this article, we make use of a Drosophila genetic model for epithelial tumor formation to explore the tumor suppressive role of SWI/SNF complex proteins. Members of the BAP complex exhibit...

  7. ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling Factors and Their Roles in Affecting Nucleosome Fiber Composition

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    Alexandra Lusser

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors of the SNF2 family are key components of the cellular machineries that shape and regulate chromatin structure and function. Members of this group of proteins have broad and heterogeneous functions ranging from controlling gene activity, facilitating DNA damage repair, promoting homologous recombination to maintaining genomic stability. Several chromatin remodeling factors are critical components of nucleosome assembly processes, and recent reports have identified specific functions of distinct chromatin remodeling factors in the assembly of variant histones into chromatin. In this review we will discuss the specific roles of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors in determining nucleosome composition and, thus, chromatin fiber properties.

  8. Dynamic Recruitment of Functionally Distinct Swi/Snf Chromatin Remodeling Complexes Modulates Pdx1 Activity in Islet β Cells

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    Brian McKenna

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Pdx1 is a transcription factor of fundamental importance to pancreas formation and adult islet β cell function. However, little is known about the positive- and negative-acting coregulators recruited to mediate transcriptional control. Here, we isolated numerous Pdx1-interacting factors possessing a wide range of cellular functions linked with this protein, including, but not limited to, coregulators associated with transcriptional activation and repression, DNA damage response, and DNA replication. Because chromatin remodeling activities are essential to developmental lineage decisions and adult cell function, our analysis focused on investigating the influence of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeler on Pdx1 action. The two mutually exclusive and indispensable Swi/Snf core ATPase subunits, Brg1 and Brm, distinctly affected target gene expression in β cells. Furthermore, physiological and pathophysiological conditions dynamically regulated Pdx1 binding to these Swi/Snf complexes in vivo. We discuss how context-dependent recruitment of coregulatory complexes by Pdx1 could impact pancreas cell development and adult islet β cell activity.

  9. Epigenetic regulation and chromatin remodeling in learning and memory.

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    Kim, Somi; Kaang, Bong-Kiun

    2017-01-13

    Understanding the underlying mechanisms of memory formation and maintenance has been a major goal in the field of neuroscience. Memory formation and maintenance are tightly controlled complex processes. Among the various processes occurring at different levels, gene expression regulation is especially crucial for proper memory processing, as some genes need to be activated while some genes must be suppressed. Epigenetic regulation of the genome involves processes such as DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications. These processes edit genomic properties or the interactions between the genome and histone cores. They then induce structural changes in the chromatin and lead to transcriptional changes of different genes. Recent studies have focused on the concept of chromatin remodeling, which consists of 3D structural changes in chromatin in relation to gene regulation, and is an important process in learning and memory. In this review, we will introduce three major epigenetic processes involved in memory regulation: DNA methylation, histone methylation and histone acetylation. We will also discuss general mechanisms of long-term memory storage and relate the epigenetic control of learning and memory to chromatin remodeling. Finally, we will discuss how epigenetic mechanisms can contribute to the pathologies of neurological disorders and cause memory-related symptoms.

  10. The ISWI chromatin remodeler organizes the hsrω ncRNA-containing omega speckle nuclear compartments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria C Onorati

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The complexity in composition and function of the eukaryotic nucleus is achieved through its organization in specialized nuclear compartments. The Drosophila chromatin remodeling ATPase ISWI plays evolutionarily conserved roles in chromatin organization. Interestingly, ISWI genetically interacts with the hsrω gene, encoding multiple non-coding RNAs (ncRNA essential, among other functions, for the assembly and organization of the omega speckles. The nucleoplasmic omega speckles play important functions in RNA metabolism, in normal and stressed cells, by regulating availability of hnRNPs and some other RNA processing proteins. Chromatin remodelers, as well as nuclear speckles and their associated ncRNAs, are emerging as important components of gene regulatory networks, although their functional connections have remained poorly defined. Here we provide multiple lines of evidence showing that the hsrω ncRNA interacts in vivo and in vitro with ISWI, regulating its ATPase activity. Remarkably, we found that the organization of nucleoplasmic omega speckles depends on ISWI function. Our findings highlight a novel role for chromatin remodelers in organization of nucleoplasmic compartments, providing the first example of interaction between an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler and a large ncRNA.

  11. Haploinsufficiency of the Chromatin Remodeler BPTF Causes Syndromic Developmental and Speech Delay, Postnatal Microcephaly, and Dysmorphic Features

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stankiewicz, P.; Khan, T.N.; Szafranski, P.; Slattery, L.; Streff, H.; Vetrini, F.; Bernstein, J.A.; Brown, C.W.; Rosenfeld, J.A.; Rednam, S.; Scollon, S.; Bergstrom, K.L.; Parsons, D.W.; Plon, S.E.; Vieira, M.W.; Quaio, C.; Baratela, W.A.R.; Guio, J.C.A.; Armstrong, R.; Mehta, S.G.; Rump, P.; Pfundt, R.P.; Lewandowski, R.; Fernandes, E.M.; Shinde, D.N.; Tang, S.; Hoyer, J.; Zweier, C.; Reis, A.; Bacino, C.A.; Xiao, R.; Breman, A.M.; Smith, J.L.; Katsanis, N.; Bostwick, B.; Popp, B.; Davis, E.E.; Yang, Y

    2017-01-01

    Bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor (BPTF) is the largest subunit of nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF), a member of the ISWI chromatin-remodeling complex. However, the clinical consequences of disruption of this complex remain largely uncharacterized. BPTF is required for

  12. Genome-Wide Mapping Targets of the Metazoan Chromatin Remodeling Factor NURF Reveals Nucleosome Remodeling at Enhancers, Core Promoters and Gene Insulators.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    So Yeon Kwon

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available NURF is a conserved higher eukaryotic ISWI-containing chromatin remodeling complex that catalyzes ATP-dependent nucleosome sliding. By sliding nucleosomes, NURF is able to alter chromatin dynamics to control transcription and genome organization. Previous biochemical and genetic analysis of the specificity-subunit of Drosophila NURF (Nurf301/Enhancer of Bithorax (E(bx has defined NURF as a critical regulator of homeotic, heat-shock and steroid-responsive gene transcription. It has been speculated that NURF controls pathway specific transcription by co-operating with sequence-specific transcription factors to remodel chromatin at dedicated enhancers. However, conclusive in vivo demonstration of this is lacking and precise regulatory elements targeted by NURF are poorly defined. To address this, we have generated a comprehensive map of in vivo NURF activity, using MNase-sequencing to determine at base pair resolution NURF target nucleosomes, and ChIP-sequencing to define sites of NURF recruitment. Our data show that, besides anticipated roles at enhancers, NURF interacts physically and functionally with the TRF2/DREF basal transcription factor to organize nucleosomes downstream of active promoters. Moreover, we detect NURF remodeling and recruitment at distal insulator sites, where NURF functionally interacts with and co-localizes with DREF and insulator proteins including CP190 to establish nucleosome-depleted domains. This insulator function of NURF is most apparent at subclasses of insulators that mark the boundaries of chromatin domains, where multiple insulator proteins co-associate. By visualizing the complete repertoire of in vivo NURF chromatin targets, our data provide new insights into how chromatin remodeling can control genome organization and regulatory interactions.

  13. Transcriptional networks and chromatin remodeling controlling adipogenesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siersbæk, Rasmus; Nielsen, Ronni; Mandrup, Susanne

    2012-01-01

    Adipocyte differentiation is tightly controlled by a transcriptional cascade, which directs the extensive reprogramming of gene expression required to convert fibroblast-like precursor cells into mature lipid-laden adipocytes. Recent global analyses of transcription factor binding and chromatin...... remodeling have revealed 'snapshots' of this cascade and the chromatin landscape at specific time-points of differentiation. These studies demonstrate that multiple adipogenic transcription factors co-occupy hotspots characterized by an open chromatin structure and specific epigenetic modifications....... Such transcription factor hotspots are likely to represent key signaling nodes which integrate multiple adipogenic signals at specific chromatin sites, thereby facilitating coordinated action on gene expression....

  14. INO80 Chromatin Remodeling Coordinates Metabolic Homeostasis with Cell Division

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graeme J. Gowans

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Adaptive survival requires the coordination of nutrient availability with expenditure of cellular resources. For example, in nutrient-limited environments, 50% of all S. cerevisiae genes synchronize and exhibit periodic bursts of expression in coordination with respiration and cell division in the yeast metabolic cycle (YMC. Despite the importance of metabolic and proliferative synchrony, the majority of YMC regulators are currently unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the INO80 chromatin-remodeling complex is required to coordinate respiration and cell division with periodic gene expression. Specifically, INO80 mutants have severe defects in oxygen consumption and promiscuous cell division that is no longer coupled with metabolic status. In mutant cells, chromatin accessibility of periodic genes, including TORC1-responsive genes, is relatively static, concomitant with severely attenuated gene expression. Collectively, these results reveal that the INO80 complex mediates metabolic signaling to chromatin to restrict proliferation to metabolically optimal states.

  15. A Poly-ADP-Ribose Trigger Releases the Auto-Inhibition of a Chromatin Remodeling Oncogene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, Hari R; Nardozza, Aurelio P; Möller, Ingvar R

    2017-01-01

    DNA damage triggers chromatin remodeling by mechanisms that are poorly understood. The oncogene and chromatin remodeler ALC1/CHD1L massively decompacts chromatin in vivo yet is inactive prior to DNA-damage-mediated PARP1 induction. We show that the interaction of the ALC1 macrodomain......-macrodomain interactions, promotes an ungated conformation, and activates the remodeler's ATPase. ALC1 fragments lacking the regulatory macrodomain relax chromatin in vivo without requiring PARP1 activation. Further, the ATPase restricts the macrodomain's interaction with PARP1 under non-DNA damage conditions. Somatic...... cancer mutants disrupt ALC1's auto-inhibition and activate chromatin remodeling. Our data show that the NAD+-metabolite and nucleic acid PAR triggers ALC1 to drive chromatin relaxation. Modular allostery in this oncogene tightly controls its robust, DNA-damage-dependent activation....

  16. The Chromatin Remodeler BPTF Activates a Stemness Gene-Expression Program Essential for the Maintenance of Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Bowen; Cai, Ling; Butler, Jason M; Chen, Dongliang; Lu, Xiongdong; Allison, David F; Lu, Rui; Rafii, Shahin; Parker, Joel S; Zheng, Deyou; Wang, Gang Greg

    2018-03-13

    Self-renewal and differentiation of adult stem cells are tightly regulated partly through configuration of chromatin structure by chromatin remodelers. Using knockout mice, we here demonstrate that bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor (BPTF), a component of the nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF) chromatin-remodeling complex, is essential for maintaining the population size of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), including long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Bptf-deficient HSCs are defective in reconstituted hematopoiesis, and hematopoietic-specific knockout of Bptf caused profound defects including bone marrow failure and anemia. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling revealed that BPTF loss caused downregulation of HSC-specific gene-expression programs, which contain several master transcription factors (Meis1, Pbx1, Mn1, and Lmo2) required for HSC maintenance and self-renewal. Furthermore, we show that BPTF potentiates the chromatin accessibility of key HSC "stemness" genes. These results demonstrate an essential requirement of the chromatin remodeler BPTF and NURF for activation of "stemness" gene-expression programs and proper function of adult HSCs. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Downregulation of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling factor subunits modulates cisplatin cytotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kothandapani, Anbarasi; Gopalakrishnan, Kathirvel; Kahali, Bhaskar; Reisman, David; Patrick, Steve M.

    2012-01-01

    Chromatin remodeling complex SWI/SNF plays important roles in many cellular processes including transcription, proliferation, differentiation and DNA repair. In this report, we investigated the role of SWI/SNF catalytic subunits Brg1 and Brm in the cellular response to cisplatin in lung cancer and head/neck cancer cells. Stable knockdown of Brg1 and Brm enhanced cellular sensitivity to cisplatin. Repair kinetics of cisplatin DNA adducts revealed that downregulation of Brg1 and Brm impeded the repair of both intrastrand adducts and interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). Cisplatin ICL-induced DNA double strand break repair was also decreased in Brg1 and Brm depleted cells. Altered checkpoint activation with enhanced apoptosis as well as impaired chromatin relaxation was observed in Brg1 and Brm deficient cells. Downregulation of Brg1 and Brm did not affect the recruitment of DNA damage recognition factor XPC to cisplatin DNA lesions, but affected ERCC1 recruitment, which is involved in the later stages of DNA repair. Based on these results, we propose that SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex modulates cisplatin cytotoxicity by facilitating efficient repair of the cisplatin DNA lesions. -- Highlights: ► Stable knockdown of Brg1 and Brm enhances cellular sensitivity to cisplatin. ► Downregulation of Brg1 and Brm impedes the repair of cisplatin intrastrand adducts and interstrand crosslinks. ► Brg1 and Brm deficiency results in impaired chromatin relaxation, altered checkpoint activation as well as enhanced apoptosis. ► Downregulation of Brg1 and Brm affects recruitment of ERCC1, but not XPC to cisplatin DNA lesions.

  18. Chd1 remodelers maintain open chromatin and regulate the epigenetics of differentiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Persson, Jenna [Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Center for Biosciences, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden); Ekwall, Karl, E-mail: karl.ekwall@ki.se [Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Center for Biosciences, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden); School of Life Sciences, University College Sodertorn, NOVUM, Huddinge (Sweden)

    2010-05-01

    Eukaryotic DNA is packaged around octamers of histone proteins into nucleosomes, the basic unit of chromatin. In addition to enabling meters of DNA to fit within the confines of a nucleus, the structure of chromatin has functional implications for cell identity. Covalent chemical modifications to the DNA and to histones, histone variants, ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, small noncoding RNAs and the level of chromatin compaction all contribute to chromosomal structure and to the activity or silencing of genes. These chromatin-level alterations are defined as epigenetic when they are heritable from mother to daughter cell. The great diversity of epigenomes that can arise from a single genome permits a single, totipotent cell to generate the hundreds of distinct cell types found in humans. Two recent studies in mouse and in fly have highlighted the importance of Chd1 chromatin remodelers for maintaining an open, active chromatin state. Based on evidence from fission yeast as a model system, we speculate that Chd1 remodelers are involved in the disassembly of nucleosomes at promoter regions, thus promoting active transcription and open chromatin. It is likely that these nucleosomes are specifically marked for disassembly by the histone variant H2A.Z.

  19. Chd1 remodelers maintain open chromatin and regulate the epigenetics of differentiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, Jenna; Ekwall, Karl

    2010-01-01

    Eukaryotic DNA is packaged around octamers of histone proteins into nucleosomes, the basic unit of chromatin. In addition to enabling meters of DNA to fit within the confines of a nucleus, the structure of chromatin has functional implications for cell identity. Covalent chemical modifications to the DNA and to histones, histone variants, ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, small noncoding RNAs and the level of chromatin compaction all contribute to chromosomal structure and to the activity or silencing of genes. These chromatin-level alterations are defined as epigenetic when they are heritable from mother to daughter cell. The great diversity of epigenomes that can arise from a single genome permits a single, totipotent cell to generate the hundreds of distinct cell types found in humans. Two recent studies in mouse and in fly have highlighted the importance of Chd1 chromatin remodelers for maintaining an open, active chromatin state. Based on evidence from fission yeast as a model system, we speculate that Chd1 remodelers are involved in the disassembly of nucleosomes at promoter regions, thus promoting active transcription and open chromatin. It is likely that these nucleosomes are specifically marked for disassembly by the histone variant H2A.Z.

  20. DNA repair goes hip-hop: SMARCA and CHD chromatin remodellers join the break dance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rother, Magdalena B; van Attikum, Haico

    2017-10-05

    Proper signalling and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) is critical to prevent genome instability and diseases such as cancer. The packaging of DNA into chromatin, however, has evolved as a mere obstacle to these DSB responses. Posttranslational modifications and ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling help to overcome this barrier by modulating nucleosome structures and allow signalling and repair machineries access to DSBs in chromatin. Here we recap our current knowledge on how ATP-dependent SMARCA- and CHD-type chromatin remodellers alter chromatin structure during the signalling and repair of DSBs and discuss how their dysfunction impacts genome stability and human disease.This article is part of the themed issue 'Chromatin modifiers and remodellers in DNA repair and signalling'. © 2017 The Authors.

  1. DAF-16/FOXO employs the chromatin remodeller SWI/SNF to promote stress resistance and longevity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riedel, Christian G.; Dowen, Robert H.; Lourenco, Guinevere F.; Kirienko, Natalia V.; Heimbucher, Thomas; West, Jason A.; Bowman, Sarah K.; Kingston, Robert E.; Dillin, Andrew; Asara, John M.; Ruvkun, Gary

    2013-01-01

    Organisms are constantly challenged by stresses and privations and require adaptive responses for their survival. The transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO is central nexus in these responses, but despite its importance little is known about how it regulates its target genes. Proteomic identification of DAF-16/FOXO binding partners in Caenorhabditis elegans and their subsequent functional evaluation by RNA interference (RNAi) revealed several candidate DAF-16/FOXO cofactors, most notably the chromatin remodeller SWI/SNF. DAF-16/FOXO and SWI/SNF form a complex and globally colocalize at DAF-16/FOXO target promoters. We show that specifically for gene-activation, DAF-16/FOXO depends on SWI/SNF, facilitating SWI/SNF recruitment to target promoters, in order to activate transcription by presumed remodelling of local chromatin. For the animal, this translates into an essential role of SWI/SNF for DAF-16/FOXO-mediated processes, i.e. dauer formation, stress resistance, and the promotion of longevity. Thus we give insight into the mechanisms of DAF-16/FOXO-mediated transcriptional regulation and establish a critical link between ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling and lifespan regulation. PMID:23604319

  2. Concerted action of the PHD, chromo and motor domains regulates the human chromatin remodelling ATPase CHD4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morra, Rosa; Lee, Benjamin M; Shaw, Heather; Tuma, Roman; Mancini, Erika J

    2012-07-30

    CHD4, the core subunit of the Nucleosome Remodelling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex, is a chromatin remodelling ATPase that, in addition to a helicase domain, harbors tandem plant homeo finger and chromo domains. By using a panel of domain constructs we dissect their roles and demonstrate that DNA binding, histone binding and ATPase activities are allosterically regulated. Molecular shape reconstruction from small-angle X-ray scattering reveals extensive domain-domain interactions, which provide a structural explanation for the regulation of CHD4 activities by intramolecular domain communication. Our results demonstrate functional interdependency between domains within a chromatin remodeller. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. DAF-16 employs the chromatin remodeller SWI/SNF to promote stress resistance and longevity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riedel, Christian G; Dowen, Robert H; Lourenco, Guinevere F; Kirienko, Natalia V; Heimbucher, Thomas; West, Jason A; Bowman, Sarah K; Kingston, Robert E; Dillin, Andrew; Asara, John M; Ruvkun, Gary

    2013-05-01

    Organisms are constantly challenged by stresses and privations and require adaptive responses for their survival. The forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factor DAF-16 (hereafter referred to as DAF-16/FOXO) is a central nexus in these responses, but despite its importance little is known about how it regulates its target genes. Proteomic identification of DAF-16/FOXO-binding partners in Caenorhabditis elegans and their subsequent functional evaluation by RNA interference revealed several candidate DAF-16/FOXO cofactors, most notably the chromatin remodeller SWI/SNF. DAF-16/FOXO and SWI/SNF form a complex and globally co-localize at DAF-16/FOXO target promoters. We show that specifically for gene activation, DAF-16/FOXO depends on SWI/SNF, facilitating SWI/SNF recruitment to target promoters, to activate transcription by presumed remodelling of local chromatin. For the animal, this translates into an essential role for SWI/SNF in DAF-16/FOXO-mediated processes, in particular dauer formation, stress resistance and the promotion of longevity. Thus, we give insight into the mechanisms of DAF-16/FOXO-mediated transcriptional regulation and establish a critical link between ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling and lifespan regulation.

  4. Transcriptional activation by the thyroid hormone receptor through ligand-dependent receptor recruitment and chromatin remodelling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grøntved, Lars; Waterfall, Joshua J; Kim, Dong Wook; Baek, Songjoon; Sung, Myong-Hee; Zhao, Li; Park, Jeong Won; Nielsen, Ronni; Walker, Robert L; Zhu, Yuelin J; Meltzer, Paul S; Hager, Gordon L; Cheng, Sheue-yann

    2015-04-28

    A bimodal switch model is widely used to describe transcriptional regulation by the thyroid hormone receptor (TR). In this model, the unliganded TR forms stable, chromatin-bound complexes with transcriptional co-repressors to repress transcription. Binding of hormone dissociates co-repressors and facilitates recruitment of co-activators to activate transcription. Here we show that in addition to hormone-independent TR occupancy, ChIP-seq against endogenous TR in mouse liver tissue demonstrates considerable hormone-induced TR recruitment to chromatin associated with chromatin remodelling and activated gene transcription. Genome-wide footprinting analysis using DNase-seq provides little evidence for TR footprints both in the absence and presence of hormone, suggesting that unliganded TR engagement with repressive complexes on chromatin is, similar to activating receptor complexes, a highly dynamic process. This dynamic and ligand-dependent interaction with chromatin is likely shared by all steroid hormone receptors regardless of their capacity to repress transcription in the absence of ligand.

  5. Extensive chromatin remodelling and establishment of transcription factor 'hotspots' during early adipogenesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siersbæk, Rasmus; Nielsen, Ronni; John, Sam

    2011-01-01

    hypersensitive site analysis to investigate the genome-wide changes in chromatin structure that accompany the binding of adipogenic transcription factors. These analyses revealed a dramatic and dynamic modulation of the chromatin landscape during the first hours of adipocyte differentiation that coincides...... and chromatin remodelling and is required for their establishment. Furthermore, a subset of early remodelled C/EBP-binding sites persists throughout differentiation and is later occupied by PPARγ, indicating that early C/EBP family members, in addition to their well-established role in activation of PPARγ...

  6. Circadian expression profiles of chromatin remodeling factor genes in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hong Gil; Lee, Kyounghee; Jang, Kiyoung; Seo, Pil Joon

    2015-01-01

    The circadian clock is a biological time keeper mechanism that regulates biological rhythms to a period of approximately 24 h. The circadian clock enables organisms to anticipate environmental cycles and coordinates internal cellular physiology with external environmental cues. In plants, correct matching of the clock with the environment confers fitness advantages to plant survival and reproduction. Therefore, circadian clock components are regulated at multiple layers to fine-tune the circadian oscillation. Epigenetic regulation provides an additional layer of circadian control. However, little is known about which chromatin remodeling factors are responsible for circadian control. In this work, we analyzed circadian expression of 109 chromatin remodeling factor genes and identified 17 genes that display circadian oscillation. In addition, we also found that a candidate interacts with a core clock component, supporting that clock activity is regulated in part by chromatin modification. As an initial attempt to elucidate the relationship between chromatin modification and circadian oscillation, we identified novel regulatory candidates that provide a platform for future investigations of chromatin regulation of the circadian clock.

  7. A Poly-ADP-Ribose Trigger Releases the Auto-Inhibition of a Chromatin Remodeling Oncogene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Hari R; Nardozza, Aurelio P; Möller, Ingvar R; Knobloch, Gunnar; Kistemaker, Hans A V; Hassler, Markus; Harrer, Nadine; Blessing, Charlotte; Eustermann, Sebastian; Kotthoff, Christiane; Huet, Sébastien; Mueller-Planitz, Felix; Filippov, Dmitri V; Timinszky, Gyula; Rand, Kasper D; Ladurner, Andreas G

    2017-12-07

    DNA damage triggers chromatin remodeling by mechanisms that are poorly understood. The oncogene and chromatin remodeler ALC1/CHD1L massively decompacts chromatin in vivo yet is inactive prior to DNA-damage-mediated PARP1 induction. We show that the interaction of the ALC1 macrodomain with the ATPase module mediates auto-inhibition. PARP1 activation suppresses this inhibitory interaction. Crucially, release from auto-inhibition requires a poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) binding macrodomain. We identify tri-ADP-ribose as a potent PAR-mimic and synthetic allosteric effector that abrogates ATPase-macrodomain interactions, promotes an ungated conformation, and activates the remodeler's ATPase. ALC1 fragments lacking the regulatory macrodomain relax chromatin in vivo without requiring PARP1 activation. Further, the ATPase restricts the macrodomain's interaction with PARP1 under non-DNA damage conditions. Somatic cancer mutants disrupt ALC1's auto-inhibition and activate chromatin remodeling. Our data show that the NAD + -metabolite and nucleic acid PAR triggers ALC1 to drive chromatin relaxation. Modular allostery in this oncogene tightly controls its robust, DNA-damage-dependent activation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. CHD chromatin remodelers and the transcription cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murawska, Magdalena

    2011-01-01

    It is well established that ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers modulate DNA access of transcription factors and RNA polymerases by “opening” or “closing” chromatin structure. However, this view is far too simplistic. Recent findings have demonstrated that these enzymes not only set the stage for the transcription machinery to act but also are actively involved at every step of the transcription process. As a consequence, they affect initiation, elongation, termination and RNA processing. In this review we will use the CHD family as a paradigm to illustrate the progress that has been made in revealing these new concepts. PMID:22223048

  9. A comprehensive molecular study on Coffin-Siris and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndromes identifies a broad molecular and clinical spectrum converging on altered chromatin remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieczorek, Dagmar; Bögershausen, Nina; Beleggia, Filippo; Steiner-Haldenstätt, Sabine; Pohl, Esther; Li, Yun; Milz, Esther; Martin, Marcel; Thiele, Holger; Altmüller, Janine; Alanay, Yasemin; Kayserili, Hülya; Klein-Hitpass, Ludger; Böhringer, Stefan; Wollstein, Andreas; Albrecht, Beate; Boduroglu, Koray; Caliebe, Almuth; Chrzanowska, Krystyna; Cogulu, Ozgur; Cristofoli, Francesca; Czeschik, Johanna Christina; Devriendt, Koenraad; Dotti, Maria Teresa; Elcioglu, Nursel; Gener, Blanca; Goecke, Timm O; Krajewska-Walasek, Malgorzata; Guillén-Navarro, Encarnación; Hayek, Joussef; Houge, Gunnar; Kilic, Esra; Simsek-Kiper, Pelin Özlem; López-González, Vanesa; Kuechler, Alma; Lyonnet, Stanislas; Mari, Francesca; Marozza, Annabella; Mathieu Dramard, Michèle; Mikat, Barbara; Morin, Gilles; Morice-Picard, Fanny; Ozkinay, Ferda; Rauch, Anita; Renieri, Alessandra; Tinschert, Sigrid; Utine, G Eda; Vilain, Catheline; Vivarelli, Rossella; Zweier, Christiane; Nürnberg, Peter; Rahmann, Sven; Vermeesch, Joris; Lüdecke, Hermann-Josef; Zeschnigk, Michael; Wollnik, Bernd

    2013-12-20

    Chromatin remodeling complexes are known to modify chemical marks on histones or to induce conformational changes in the chromatin in order to regulate transcription. De novo dominant mutations in different members of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex have recently been described in individuals with Coffin-Siris (CSS) and Nicolaides-Baraitser (NCBRS) syndromes. Using a combination of whole-exome sequencing, NGS-based sequencing of 23 SWI/SNF complex genes, and molecular karyotyping in 46 previously undescribed individuals with CSS and NCBRS, we identified a de novo 1-bp deletion (c.677delG, p.Gly226Glufs*53) and a de novo missense mutation (c.914G>T, p.Cys305Phe) in PHF6 in two individuals diagnosed with CSS. PHF6 interacts with the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation (NuRD) complex implicating dysfunction of a second chromatin remodeling complex in the pathogenesis of CSS-like phenotypes. Altogether, we identified mutations in 60% of the studied individuals (28/46), located in the genes ARID1A, ARID1B, SMARCB1, SMARCE1, SMARCA2, and PHF6. We show that mutations in ARID1B are the main cause of CSS, accounting for 76% of identified mutations. ARID1B and SMARCB1 mutations were also found in individuals with the initial diagnosis of NCBRS. These individuals apparently belong to a small subset who display an intermediate CSS/NCBRS phenotype. Our proposed genotype-phenotype correlations are important for molecular screening strategies.

  10. The Chd1 Chromatin Remodeler Shifts Nucleosomal DNA Bidirectionally as a Monomer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Yupeng; Levendosky, Robert F.; Chakravarthy, Srinivas; Patel, Ashok; Bowman, Gregory D.; Myong, Sua

    2017-10-01

    Chromatin remodelers catalyze dynamic packaging of the genome by carrying out nucleosome assembly/disassembly, histone exchange, and nucleosome repositioning. Remodeling results in evenly spaced nucleosomes, which requires probing both sides of the nucleosome, yet the way remodelers organize sliding activity to achieve this task is not understood. Here, we show that the monomeric Chd1 remodeler shifts DNA back and forth by dynamically alternating between different segments of the nucleosome. During sliding, Chd1 generates unstable remodeling intermediates that spontaneously relax to a pre-remodeled position. We demonstrate that nucleosome sliding is tightly controlled by two regulatory domains: the DNA-binding domain, which interferes with sliding when its range is limited by a truncated linking segment, and the chromodomains, which play a key role in substrate discrimination. We propose that active interplay of the ATPase motor with the regulatory domains may promote dynamic nucleosome structures uniquely suited for histone exchange and chromatin reorganization during transcription.

  11. The two different isoforms of the RSC chromatin remodeling complex play distinct roles in DNA damage responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna L Chambers

    Full Text Available The RSC chromatin remodeling complex has been implicated in contributing to DNA double-strand break (DSB repair in a number of studies. Both survival and levels of H2A phosphorylation in response to damage are reduced in the absence of RSC. Importantly, there is evidence for two isoforms of this complex, defined by the presence of either Rsc1 or Rsc2. Here, we investigated whether the two isoforms of RSC provide distinct contributions to DNA damage responses. First, we established that the two isoforms of RSC differ in the presence of Rsc1 or Rsc2 but otherwise have the same subunit composition. We found that both rsc1 and rsc2 mutant strains have intact DNA damage-induced checkpoint activity and transcriptional induction. In addition, both strains show reduced non-homologous end joining activity and have a similar spectrum of DSB repair junctions, suggesting perhaps that the two complexes provide the same functions. However, the hypersensitivity of a rsc1 strain cannot be complemented with an extra copy of RSC2, and likewise, the hypersensitivity of the rsc2 strain remains unchanged when an additional copy of RSC1 is present, indicating that the two proteins are unable to functionally compensate for one another in DNA damage responses. Rsc1, but not Rsc2, is required for nucleosome sliding flanking a DNA DSB. Interestingly, while swapping the domains from Rsc1 into the Rsc2 protein does not compromise hypersensitivity to DNA damage suggesting they are functionally interchangeable, the BAH domain from Rsc1 confers upon Rsc2 the ability to remodel chromatin at a DNA break. These data demonstrate that, despite the similarity between Rsc1 and Rsc2, the two different isoforms of RSC provide distinct functions in DNA damage responses, and that at least part of the functional specificity is dictated by the BAH domains.

  12. Assembly of the Arp5 (Actin-related Protein) Subunit Involved in Distinct INO80 Chromatin Remodeling Activities*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Wei; Beckwith, Sean L.; Zheng, Tina; Young, Thomas; Dinh, Van T.; Ranjan, Anand; Morrison, Ashby J.

    2015-01-01

    ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, which repositions and restructures nucleosomes, is essential to all DNA-templated processes. The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex is an evolutionarily conserved complex involved in diverse cellular processes, including transcription, DNA repair, and replication. The functional diversity of the INO80 complex can, in part, be attributed to specialized activities of distinct subunits that compose the complex. Furthermore, structural analyses have identified biochemically discrete subunit modules that assemble along the Ino80 ATPase scaffold. Of particular interest is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Arp5-Ies6 module located proximal to the Ino80 ATPase and the Rvb1-Rvb2 helicase module needed for INO80-mediated in vitro activity. In this study we demonstrate that the previously uncharacterized Ies2 subunit is required for Arp5-Ies6 association with the catalytic components of the INO80 complex. In addition, Arp5-Ies6 module assembly with the INO80 complex is dependent on distinct conserved domains within Arp5, Ies6, and Ino80, including the spacer region within the Ino80 ATPase domain. Arp5-Ies6 interacts with chromatin via assembly with the INO80 complex, as IES2 and INO80 deletion results in loss of Arp5-Ies6 chromatin association. Interestingly, ectopic addition of the wild-type Arp5-Ies6 module stimulates INO80-mediated ATP hydrolysis and nucleosome sliding in vitro. However, the addition of mutant Arp5 lacking unique insertion domains facilitates ATP hydrolysis in the absence of nucleosome sliding. Collectively, these results define the requirements of Arp5-Ies6 assembly, which are needed to couple ATP hydrolysis to productive nucleosome movement. PMID:26306040

  13. Modulation of chromatin structure by the FACT histone chaperone complex regulates HIV-1 integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matysiak, Julien; Lesbats, Paul; Mauro, Eric; Lapaillerie, Delphine; Dupuy, Jean-William; Lopez, Angelica P; Benleulmi, Mohamed Salah; Calmels, Christina; Andreola, Marie-Line; Ruff, Marc; Llano, Manuel; Delelis, Olivier; Lavigne, Marc; Parissi, Vincent

    2017-07-28

    Insertion of retroviral genome DNA occurs in the chromatin of the host cell. This step is modulated by chromatin structure as nucleosomes compaction was shown to prevent HIV-1 integration and chromatin remodeling has been reported to affect integration efficiency. LEDGF/p75-mediated targeting of the integration complex toward RNA polymerase II (polII) transcribed regions ensures optimal access to dynamic regions that are suitable for integration. Consequently, we have investigated the involvement of polII-associated factors in the regulation of HIV-1 integration. Using a pull down approach coupled with mass spectrometry, we have selected the FACT (FAcilitates Chromatin Transcription) complex as a new potential cofactor of HIV-1 integration. FACT is a histone chaperone complex associated with the polII transcription machinery and recently shown to bind LEDGF/p75. We report here that a tripartite complex can be formed between HIV-1 integrase, LEDGF/p75 and FACT in vitro and in cells. Biochemical analyzes show that FACT-dependent nucleosome disassembly promotes HIV-1 integration into chromatinized templates, and generates highly favored nucleosomal structures in vitro. This effect was found to be amplified by LEDGF/p75. Promotion of this FACT-mediated chromatin remodeling in cells both increases chromatin accessibility and stimulates HIV-1 infectivity and integration. Altogether, our data indicate that FACT regulates HIV-1 integration by inducing local nucleosomes dissociation that modulates the functional association between the incoming intasome and the targeted nucleosome.

  14. Concerted action of the PHD, chromo and motor domains regulates the human chromatin remodelling ATPase CHD4

    OpenAIRE

    Morra, Rosa; Lee, Benjamin M; Shaw, Heather; Tuma, Roman; Mancini, Erika J

    2012-01-01

    CHD4, the core subunit of the Nucleosome Remodelling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex, is a chromatin remodelling ATPase that, in addition to a helicase domain, harbors tandem plant homeo finger and chromo domains. By using a panel of domain constructs we dissect their roles and demonstrate that DNA binding, histone binding and ATPase activities are allosterically regulated. Molecular shape reconstruction from small-angle X-ray scattering reveals extensive domain-domain interactions, which prov...

  15. Cardiac-enriched BAF chromatin-remodeling complex subunit Baf60c regulates gene expression programs essential for heart development and function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Sun

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available How chromatin-remodeling complexes modulate gene networks to control organ-specific properties is not well understood. For example, Baf60c (Smarcd3 encodes a cardiac-enriched subunit of the SWI/SNF-like BAF chromatin complex, but its role in heart development is not fully understood. We found that constitutive loss of Baf60c leads to embryonic cardiac hypoplasia and pronounced cardiac dysfunction. Conditional deletion of Baf60c in cardiomyocytes resulted in postnatal dilated cardiomyopathy with impaired contractile function. Baf60c regulates a gene expression program that includes genes encoding contractile proteins, modulators of sarcomere function, and cardiac metabolic genes. Many of the genes deregulated in Baf60c null embryos are targets of the MEF2/SRF co-factor Myocardin (MYOCD. In a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified MYOCD as a BAF60c interacting factor; we showed that BAF60c and MYOCD directly and functionally interact. We conclude that Baf60c is essential for coordinating a program of gene expression that regulates the fundamental functional properties of cardiomyocytes.

  16. HAB1–SWI3B Interaction Reveals a Link between Abscisic Acid Signaling and Putative SWI/SNF Chromatin-Remodeling Complexes in Arabidopsis[C][W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saez, Angela; Rodrigues, Americo; Santiago, Julia; Rubio, Silvia; Rodriguez, Pedro L.

    2008-01-01

    Abscisic acid (ABA) has an important role for plant growth, development, and stress adaptation. HYPERSENSITIVE TO ABA1 (HAB1) is a protein phosphatase type 2C that plays a key role as a negative regulator of ABA signaling; however, the molecular details of HAB1 action in this process are not known. A two-hybrid screen revealed that SWI3B, an Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of the yeast SWI3 subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes, is a prevalent interacting partner of HAB1. The interaction mapped to the N-terminal half of SWI3B and required an intact protein phosphatase catalytic domain. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation assays confirmed the interaction of HAB1 and SWI3B in the nucleus of plant cells. swi3b mutants showed a reduced sensitivity to ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination and growth and reduced expression of the ABA-responsive genes RAB18 and RD29B. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed that the presence of HAB1 in the vicinity of RD29B and RAB18 promoters was abolished by ABA, which suggests a direct involvement of HAB1 in the regulation of ABA-induced transcription. Additionally, our results uncover SWI3B as a novel positive regulator of ABA signaling and suggest that HAB1 modulates ABA response through the regulation of a putative SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex. PMID:19033529

  17. The chromatin remodelling factor BRG1 is a novel binding partner of the tumor suppressor p16INK4a

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mann Graham J

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background CDKN2A/p16INK4a is frequently altered in human cancers and it is the most important melanoma susceptibility gene identified to date. p16INK4a inhibits pRb phosphorylation and induces cell cycle arrest, which is considered its main tumour suppressor function. Nevertheless, additional activities may contribute to the tumour suppressor role of p16INK4a and could help explain its specific association with melanoma predisposition. To identify such functions we conducted a yeast-two-hybrid screen for novel p16INK4a binding partners. Results We now report that p16INK4a interacts with the chromatin remodelling factor BRG1. We investigated the cooperative roles of p16INK4a and BRG1 using a panel of cell lines and a melanoma cell model with inducible p16INK4a expression and BRG1 silencing. We found evidence that BRG1 is not required for p16INK4a-induced cell cycle inhibition and propose that the p16INK4a-BRG1 complex regulates BRG1 chromatin remodelling activity. Importantly, we found frequent loss of BRG1 expression in primary and metastatic melanomas, implicating this novel p16INK4a binding partner as an important tumour suppressor in melanoma. Conclusion This data adds to the increasing evidence implicating the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex in tumour development and the association of p16INK4a with chromatin remodelling highlights potentially new functions that may be important in melanoma predisposition and chemoresistance.

  18. Neuron-specific chromatin remodeling: a missing link in epigenetic mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity, memory, and intellectual disability disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel-Ciernia, Annie; Wood, Marcelo A

    2014-05-01

    Long-term memory formation requires the coordinated regulation of gene expression. Until recently nucleosome remodeling, one of the major epigenetic mechanisms for controlling gene expression, had been largely unexplored in the field of neuroscience. Nucleosome remodeling is carried out by chromatin remodeling complexes (CRCs) that interact with DNA and histones to physically alter chromatin structure and ultimately regulate gene expression. Human exome sequencing and gene wide association studies have linked mutations in CRC subunits to intellectual disability disorders, autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. However, how mutations in CRC subunits were related to human cognitive disorders was unknown. There appears to be both developmental and adult specific roles for the neuron specific CRC nBAF (neuronal Brg1/hBrm Associated Factor). nBAF regulates gene expression required for dendritic arborization during development, and in the adult, contributes to long-term potentiation, a form of synaptic plasticity, and long-term memory. We propose that the nBAF complex is a novel epigenetic mechanism for regulating transcription required for long-lasting forms of synaptic plasticity and memory processes and that impaired nBAF function may result in human cognitive disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation links the chromatin remodeler SMARCA5/SNF2H to RNF168-dependent DNA damage signaling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Smeenk, G.; Wiegant, W.W.; Luijsterburg, M.S.

    2013-01-01

    Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) arising in native chromatin elicit an RNF8/RNF168-dependent ubiquitylation response, which triggers the recruitment of various repair factors. Precisely how this response is regulated in the context of chromatin remains largely...... unexplored. Here, we show that SMARCA5/SNF2H, the catalytic subunit of ISWI chromatin remodeling complexes, is recruited to DSBs in a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-dependent manner. Remarkably, PARP activity, although dispensable for the efficient spreading of νH2AX into damaged chromatin......, selectively promotes spreading of SMARCA5, the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF168, ubiquitin conjugates and the ubiquitin-binding factors RAD18 and the RAP80-BRCA1 complex throughout DSB-flanking chromatin. This suggests that PARP regulates the spatial organization of the RNF168-driven ubiquitin response to DNA...

  20. The SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling factors BAF60a, b, and c in nutrient signaling and metabolic control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruo-Ran Wang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Metabolic syndrome has become a global epidemic that adversely affects human health. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders; however, the mechanisms that integrate these cues to regulate metabolic physiology and the development of metabolic disorders remain incompletely defined. Emerging evidence suggests that SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes are critical for directing metabolic reprogramming and adaptation in response to nutritional and other physiological signals. The ATP-dependent SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes comprise up to 11 subunits, among which the BAF60 subunit serves as a key link between the core complexes and specific transcriptional factors. The BAF60 subunit has three members, BAF60a, b, and c. The distinct tissue distribution patterns and regulatory mechanisms of BAF60 proteins confer each isoform with specialized functions in different metabolic cell types. In this review, we summarize the emerging roles and mechanisms of BAF60 proteins in the regulation of nutrient sensing and energy metabolism under physiological and disease conditions.

  1. Chromatin associated mechanisms in base excision repair - nucleosome remodeling and DNA transcription, two key players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menoni, Hervé; Di Mascio, Paolo; Cadet, Jean; Dimitrov, Stefan; Angelov, Dimitar

    2017-06-01

    Genomic DNA is prone to a large number of insults by a myriad of endogenous and exogenous agents. The base excision repair (BER) is the major mechanism used by cells for the removal of various DNA lesions spontaneously or environmentally induced and the maintenance of genome integrity. The presence of persistent DNA damage is not compatible with life, since abrogation of BER leads to early embryonic lethality in mice. There are several lines of evidences showing existence of a link between deficient BER, cancer proneness and ageing, thus illustrating the importance of this DNA repair pathway in human health. Although the enzymology of BER mechanisms has been largely elucidated using chemically defined DNA damage substrates and purified proteins, the complex interplay of BER with another vital process like transcription or when DNA is in its natural state (i.e. wrapped in nucleosome and assembled in chromatin fiber is largely unexplored. Cells use chromatin remodeling factors to overcome the general repression associated with the nucleosomal organization. It is broadly accepted that energy-dependent nucleosome remodeling factors disrupt histones-DNA interactions at the expense of ATP hydrolysis to favor transcription as well as DNA repair. Importantly, unlike transcription, BER is not part of a regulated developmental process but represents a maintenance system that should be efficient anytime and anywhere in the genome. In this review we will discuss how BER can deal with chromatin organization to maintain genetic information. Emphasis will be placed on the following challenging question: how BER is initiated within chromatin? Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. HTLV-1 Tax mediated downregulation of miRNAs associated with chromatin remodeling factors in T cells with stably integrated viral promoter.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saifur Rahman

    Full Text Available RNA interference (RNAi is a natural cellular mechanism to silence gene expression and is predominantly mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs that target messenger RNA. Viruses can manipulate the cellular processes necessary for their replication by targeting the host RNAi machinery. This study explores the effect of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1 transactivating protein Tax on the RNAi pathway in the context of a chromosomally integrated viral long terminal repeat (LTR using a CD4(+ T-cell line, Jurkat. Transcription factor profiling of the HTLV-1 LTR stably integrated T-cell clone transfected with Tax demonstrates increased activation of substrates and factors associated with chromatin remodeling complexes. Using a miRNA microarray and bioinformatics experimental approach, Tax was also shown to downregulate the expression of miRNAs associated with the translational regulation of factors required for chromatin remodeling. These observations were validated with selected miRNAs and an HTLV-1 infected T cells line, MT-2. miR-149 and miR-873 were found to be capable of directly targeting p300 and p/CAF, chromatin remodeling factors known to play critical role in HTLV-1 pathogenesis. Overall, these results are first in line establishing HTLV-1/Tax-miRNA-chromatin concept and open new avenues toward understanding retroviral latency and/or replication in a given cell type.

  3. De Novo Mutations in CHD4, an ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeler Gene, Cause an Intellectual Disability Syndrome with Distinctive Dysmorphisms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weiss, Karin; Terhal, Paulien A; Cohen, Lior; Bruccoleri, Michael; Irving, Melita; Martinez, Ariel F; Rosenfeld, Jill A; Machol, Keren; Yang, Yaping; Liu, Pengfei; Walkiewicz, Magdalena; Beuten, Joke; Gomez-Ospina, Natalia; Haude, Katrina; Fong, Chin-To; Enns, Gregory M; Bernstein, Jonathan A; Fan, Judith; Gotway, Garrett; Ghorbani, Mohammad; van Gassen, Koen; Monroe, Glen R; van Haaften, Gijs; Basel-Vanagaite, Lina; Yang, Xiang-Jiao; Campeau, Philippe M; Muenke, Maximilian

    2016-01-01

    Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler involved in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression. Also known as Mi2β, CHD4 is an integral subunit of a well-characterized histone deacetylase complex. Here we

  4. NoRC - a novel member of mammalian ISWI-containing chromatin remodeling machines

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Strohner, R.; Nemeth, A.; Jansa, Petr; Hofmann-Rohrer, U.; Santoro, R.; Langst, G.; Grummt, I.

    2001-01-01

    Roč. 20, č. 17 (2001), s. 4892-4900 ISSN 0261-4189 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5052915 Keywords : Acf1 * chromatin remodeling Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 12.450, year: 2001

  5. Chromatin Remodeling Proteins in Epilepsy: Lessons From CHD2-Associated Epilepsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kay-Marie J. Lamar

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD family of proteins are ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers that contribute to the reorganization of chromatin structure and deposition of histone variants necessary to regulate gene expression. CHD proteins play an important role in neurodevelopment, as pathogenic variants in CHD1, CHD2, CHD4, CHD7 and CHD8 have been associated with a range of neurological phenotypes, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD, intellectual disability (ID and epilepsy. Pathogenic variants in CHD2 are associated with developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE in humans, however little is known about how these variants contribute to this disorder. Of the nine CHD family members, CHD2 is the only one that leads to a brain-restricted phenotype when disrupted in humans. This suggests that despite being expressed ubiquitously, CHD2 has a unique role in human brain development and function. In this review, we will discuss the phenotypic spectrum of patients with pathogenic variants in CHD2, current animal models of CHD2 deficiency, and the role of CHD2 in proliferation, neurogenesis, neuronal differentiation, chromatin remodeling and DNA-repair. We also consider how CHD2 depletion can affect each of these biological mechanisms and how these defects may underpin neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy.

  6. Evf2 lncRNA/BRG1/DLX1 interactions reveal RNA-dependent inhibition of chromatin remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cajigas, Ivelisse; Leib, David E; Cochrane, Jesse; Luo, Hao; Swyter, Kelsey R; Chen, Sean; Clark, Brian S; Thompson, James; Yates, John R; Kingston, Robert E; Kohtz, Jhumku D

    2015-08-01

    Transcription-regulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have the potential to control the site-specific expression of thousands of target genes. Previously, we showed that Evf2, the first described ultraconserved lncRNA, increases the association of transcriptional activators (DLX homeodomain proteins) with key DNA enhancers but represses gene expression. In this report, mass spectrometry shows that the Evf2-DLX1 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) contains the SWI/SNF-related chromatin remodelers Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1, SMARCA4) and Brahma-associated factor (BAF170, SMARCC2) in the developing mouse forebrain. Evf2 RNA colocalizes with BRG1 in nuclear clouds and increases BRG1 association with key DNA regulatory enhancers in the developing forebrain. While BRG1 directly interacts with DLX1 and Evf2 through distinct binding sites, Evf2 directly inhibits BRG1 ATPase and chromatin remodeling activities. In vitro studies show that both RNA-BRG1 binding and RNA inhibition of BRG1 ATPase/remodeling activity are promiscuous, suggesting that context is a crucial factor in RNA-dependent chromatin remodeling inhibition. Together, these experiments support a model in which RNAs convert an active enhancer to a repressed enhancer by directly inhibiting chromatin remodeling activity, and address the apparent paradox of RNA-mediated stabilization of transcriptional activators at enhancers with a repressive outcome. The importance of BRG1/RNA and BRG1/homeodomain interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders is underscored by the finding that mutations in Coffin-Siris syndrome, a human intellectual disability disorder, localize to the BRG1 RNA-binding and DLX1-binding domains. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  7. In vivo transcriptional profile analysis reveals RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling as prominent processes for adult neurogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Daniel A; Suárez-Fariñas, Mayte; Naef, Felix; Hacker, Coleen R; Menn, Benedicte; Takebayashi, Hirohide; Magnasco, Marcelo; Patil, Nila; Alvarez-Buylla, Arturo

    2006-01-01

    Neural stem cells and neurogenesis persist in the adult mammalian brain subventricular zone (SVZ). Cells born in the rodent SVZ migrate to the olfactory bulb (Ob) where they differentiate into interneurons. To determine the gene expression and functional profile of SVZ neurogenesis, we performed three complementary sets of transcriptional analysis experiments using Affymetrix GeneChips: (1) comparison of adult mouse SVZ and Ob gene expression profiles with those of the striatum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus; (2) profiling of SVZ stem cells and ependyma isolated by fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS); and (3) analysis of gene expression changes during in vivo SVZ regeneration after anti-mitotic treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of data from these three separate approaches showed that in adult SVZ neurogenesis, RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling are biological processes as statistically significant as cell proliferation, transcription, and neurogenesis. In non-neurogenic brain regions, RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling were not prominent processes. Fourteen mRNA splicing factors including Sf3b1, Sfrs2, Lsm4, and Khdrbs1/Sam68 were detected along with 9 chromatin remodeling genes including Mll, Bmi1, Smarcad1, Baf53a, and Hat1. We validated the transcriptional profile data with Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. The data greatly expand the catalogue of cell cycle components, transcription factors, and migration genes for adult SVZ neurogenesis and reveal RNA splicing and chromatin remodeling as prominent biological processes for these germinal cells.

  8. Mediator binds to boundaries of chromosomal interaction domains and to proteins involved in DNA looping, RNA metabolism, chromatin remodeling, and actin assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chereji, Razvan V; Bharatula, Vasudha; Elfving, Nils; Blomberg, Jeanette; Larsson, Miriam; Morozov, Alexandre V; Broach, James R; Björklund, Stefan

    2017-09-06

    Mediator is a multi-unit molecular complex that plays a key role in transferring signals from transcriptional regulators to RNA polymerase II in eukaryotes. We have combined biochemical purification of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mediator from chromatin with chromatin immunoprecipitation in order to reveal Mediator occupancy on DNA genome-wide, and to identify proteins interacting specifically with Mediator on the chromatin template. Tandem mass spectrometry of proteins in immunoprecipitates of mediator complexes revealed specific interactions between Mediator and the RSC, Arp2/Arp3, CPF, CF 1A and Lsm complexes in chromatin. These factors are primarily involved in chromatin remodeling, actin assembly, mRNA 3'-end processing, gene looping and mRNA decay, but they have also been shown to enter the nucleus and participate in Pol II transcription. Moreover, we have found that Mediator, in addition to binding Pol II promoters, occupies chromosomal interacting domain (CID) boundaries and that Mediator in chromatin associates with proteins that have been shown to interact with CID boundaries, such as Sth1, Ssu72 and histone H4. This suggests that Mediator plays a significant role in higher-order genome organization. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  9. Analysis of DNA replication associated chromatin decondensation: in vivo assay for understanding chromatin remodeling mechanisms of selected proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borysov, Sergiy; Bryant, Victoria L; Alexandrow, Mark G

    2015-01-01

    mechanisms underlying DNA replication associated chromatin accessibility, this unique and powerful experimental system has the propensity to be a valuable tool for understanding chromatin remodeling mechanisms orchestrated by other cellular processes such as DNA repair, recombination, mitotic chromosome condensation, or other chromosome dynamics involving chromatin alterations and accessibility.

  10. High-Resolution Mapping of Chromatin Conformation in Cardiac Myocytes Reveals Structural Remodeling of the Epigenome in Heart Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa-Garrido, Manuel; Chapski, Douglas J; Schmitt, Anthony D; Kimball, Todd H; Karbassi, Elaheh; Monte, Emma; Balderas, Enrique; Pellegrini, Matteo; Shih, Tsai-Ting; Soehalim, Elizabeth; Liem, David; Ping, Peipei; Galjart, Niels J; Ren, Shuxun; Wang, Yibin; Ren, Bing; Vondriska, Thomas M

    2017-10-24

    Cardiovascular disease is associated with epigenomic changes in the heart; however, the endogenous structure of cardiac myocyte chromatin has never been determined. To investigate the mechanisms of epigenomic function in the heart, genome-wide chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) and DNA sequencing were performed in adult cardiac myocytes following development of pressure overload-induced hypertrophy. Mice with cardiac-specific deletion of CTCF (a ubiquitous chromatin structural protein) were generated to explore the role of this protein in chromatin structure and cardiac phenotype. Transcriptome analyses by RNA-seq were conducted as a functional readout of the epigenomic structural changes. Depletion of CTCF was sufficient to induce heart failure in mice, and human patients with heart failure receiving mechanical unloading via left ventricular assist devices show increased CTCF abundance. Chromatin structural analyses revealed interactions within the cardiac myocyte genome at 5-kb resolution, enabling examination of intra- and interchromosomal events, and providing a resource for future cardiac epigenomic investigations. Pressure overload or CTCF depletion selectively altered boundary strength between topologically associating domains and A/B compartmentalization, measurements of genome accessibility. Heart failure involved decreased stability of chromatin interactions around disease-causing genes. In addition, pressure overload or CTCF depletion remodeled long-range interactions of cardiac enhancers, resulting in a significant decrease in local chromatin interactions around these functional elements. These findings provide a high-resolution chromatin architecture resource for cardiac epigenomic investigations and demonstrate that global structural remodeling of chromatin underpins heart failure. The newly identified principles of endogenous chromatin structure have key implications for epigenetic therapy. © 2017 The Authors.

  11. Analysis of MVP and VPARP promoters indicates a role for chromatin remodeling in the regulation of MVP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emre, Nil; Raval-Fernandes, Sujna; Kickhoefer, Valerie A; Rome, Leonard H

    2004-04-16

    Multi-drug-resistant cancer cells frequently express elevated levels of ribonucleoprotein complexes termed vaults. The increased expression of vault proteins and their mRNAs has led to the suggestion that vaults may play a direct role in preventing drug toxicity. To further understand vault component up-regulation, the three proteins that comprise the vault, the major vault protein (MVP), vault poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (VPARP), and telomerase-associated protein-1 (TEP1), were examined with respect to gene amplification and drug-induced chromatin remodeling. Gene amplification was not responsible for increased vault component levels in multi-drug-resistant cancer cell lines. The TATA-less murine MVP and human VPARP promoters were identified and functionally characterized. There was no significant activation of either the MVP or VPARP promoters in drug-resistant cell lines in comparison to their parental, drug-sensitive counterparts. Treatment of various cell lines with sodium butyrate, an inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC), led to an increase in vault component protein levels. Furthermore, treatment with trichostatin A (TSA), a more specific inhibitor of HDAC, caused an increase in MVP protein, mRNA, and promoter activity. These results suggest that up-regulation of MVP in multi-drug resistance (MDR) may involve chromatin remodeling.

  12. Dancing on damaged chromatin. Functions of ATM and the RAD50/MRE11/NBS1 complex in cellular responses to DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iijima, Kenta; Ohara, Maki; Seki, Ryota; Tauchi, Hiroshi

    2008-01-01

    In order to preserve and protect genetic information, eukaryotic cells have developed a signaling or communications network to help the cell respond to DNA damage, and ATM and NBS1 are key players in this network. ATM is a protein kinase which is activated immediately after a DNA double strand break (DSB) is formed, and the resulting signal cascade generated in response to cellular DSBs is regulated by post-translational protein modifications such as phosphorylation and acetylation. In addition, to ensure the efficient functioning of DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints, the highly ordered structure of eukaryotic chromatin must be appropriately altered to permit access of repair-related factors to DNA. These alterations are termed chromatin remodeling, and are executed by a specific remodeling complex in conjunction with histone modifications. Current advances in the molecular analysis of DNA damage responses have shown that the auto-phosphorylation of ATM and the interaction between ATM and NBS1 are key steps for ATM activation, and that the association of ATM and NBS1 is involved in chromatin remodeling. Identification of novel factors which function in ubiquitination (RNF8, Ubc13, Rap80, etc.) has also enabled us to understand more details of the early stages in DNA repair pathways which respond to DSBs. In this review, the focus is on the role of ATM and the RAD50/MRE11/NBS1 complex in DSB response pathways, and their role in DSB repair and in the regulation of chromatin remodeling. (author)

  13. Radiation response and chromatin dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikura, Tsuyoshi

    2009-01-01

    Described is a recent progress in studies of chromatin structural alterations induced by DNA damage by radiation. DNA in eukaryotes exists in the chromatin structure and different mechanisms of response to damage and repair of DNA from those in prokaryotes have been recognized. Chromatin is composed from its unit structure of mono-nucleosome, which is formed from DNA and an octamer of core histones of H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. When DNA is damaged, histone structural alterations are required for repair factors and checkpoint proteins to access the damaged site. At the actual genome damage, chemical modification of histone to work as a code occurs dependently on the damage where chromatin remodeling factors and histone chaperone participate for structural alteration and remodeling. As well, the exchange of histone variants and fluidization of histones are recently reported. Known chemical modification involves phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination of H2AX (a variant of H2A), and acetylation and methylation of H3. Each complex of TIP60, NuA4 and INO80 is known to be included in the regulation of chromatin with damaged/repaired DNA for remodeling, but little is known about recruitment of the factors concerned at the damage site. Regulatory mechanisms in above chromatin dynamics with consideration of quality and timing of radiation should be further elucidated for understanding the precise response to DNA damage. (K.T.)

  14. Human-Chromatin-Related Protein Interactions Identify a Demethylase Complex Required for Chromosome Segregation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edyta Marcon

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin regulation is driven by multicomponent protein complexes, which form functional modules. Deciphering the components of these modules and their interactions is central to understanding the molecular pathways these proteins are regulating, their functions, and their relation to both normal development and disease. We describe the use of affinity purifications of tagged human proteins coupled with mass spectrometry to generate a protein-protein interaction map encompassing known and predicted chromatin-related proteins. On the basis of 1,394 successful purifications of 293 proteins, we report a high-confidence (85% precision network involving 11,464 protein-protein interactions among 1,738 different human proteins, grouped into 164 often overlapping protein complexes with a particular focus on the family of JmjC-containing lysine demethylases, their partners, and their roles in chromatin remodeling. We show that RCCD1 is a partner of histone H3K36 demethylase KDM8 and demonstrate that both are important for cell-cycle-regulated transcriptional repression in centromeric regions and accurate mitotic division.

  15. CHD8, A Novel Beta-Catenin Associated Chromatin Remodeling Enzyme, Regulates Androgen Receptor Mediated Gene Transcription

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bochar, Daniel A

    2008-01-01

    .... To better understand the function of beta-catenin in AR mediated transcription, we have identified a novel chromatin remodeling enzyme, CHD8, that can associate with beta-catenin and functions in AR...

  16. Control of Genome Integrity by RFC Complexes; Conductors of PCNA Loading onto and Unloading from Chromatin during DNA Replication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasushi Shiomi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available During cell division, genome integrity is maintained by faithful DNA replication during S phase, followed by accurate segregation in mitosis. Many DNA metabolic events linked with DNA replication are also regulated throughout the cell cycle. In eukaryotes, the DNA sliding clamp, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA, acts on chromatin as a processivity factor for DNA polymerases. Since its discovery, many other PCNA binding partners have been identified that function during DNA replication, repair, recombination, chromatin remodeling, cohesion, and proteolysis in cell-cycle progression. PCNA not only recruits the proteins involved in such events, but it also actively controls their function as chromatin assembles. Therefore, control of PCNA-loading onto chromatin is fundamental for various replication-coupled reactions. PCNA is loaded onto chromatin by PCNA-loading replication factor C (RFC complexes. Both RFC1-RFC and Ctf18-RFC fundamentally function as PCNA loaders. On the other hand, after DNA synthesis, PCNA must be removed from chromatin by Elg1-RFC. Functional defects in RFC complexes lead to chromosomal abnormalities. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional relationships among RFC complexes, and describe how the regulation of PCNA loading/unloading by RFC complexes contributes to maintaining genome integrity.

  17. ERECTA signaling controls Arabidopsis inflorescence architecture through chromatin-mediated activation of PRE1 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Hanyang; Zhao, Lihua; Wang, Lulu; Zhang, Man; Su, Zhenxia; Cheng, Yan; Zhao, Heming; Qin, Yuan

    2017-06-01

    Flowering plants display a remarkable diversity in inflorescence architecture, and pedicel length is one of the key contributors to this diversity. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the receptor-like kinase ERECTA (ER) mediated signaling pathway plays important roles in regulating inflorescence architecture by promoting cell proliferation. However, the regulating mechanism remains elusive in the pedicel. Genetic interactions between ERECTA signaling and the chromatin remodeling complex SWR1 in the control of inflorescence architecture were studied. Comparative transcriptome analysis was applied to identify downstream components. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and nucleosome occupancy was further investigated. The results indicated that the chromatin remodeler SWR1 coordinates with ERECTA signaling in regulating inflorescence architecture by activating the expression of PRE1 family genes and promoting pedicel elongation. It was found that SWR1 is required for the incorporation of the H2A.Z histone variant into nucleosomes of the whole PRE1 gene family and the ERECTA controlled expression of PRE1 gene family through regulating nucleosome dynamics. We propose that utilization of a chromatin remodeling complex to regulate gene expression is a common theme in developmental control across kingdoms. These findings shed light on the mechanisms through which chromatin remodelers orchestrate complex transcriptional regulation of gene expression in coordination with a developmental cue. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

  18. Functional genomics indicates yeast requires Golgi/ER transport, chromatin remodeling, and DNA repair for low dose DMSO tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brandon David Gaytán

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO is frequently utilized as a solvent in toxicological and pharmaceutical investigations. It is therefore important to establish the cellular and molecular targets of DMSO in order to differentiate its intrinsic effects from those elicited by a compound of interest. We performed a genome-wide functional screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify deletion mutants exhibiting sensitivity to 1% DMSO, a concentration standard to yeast chemical profiling studies. We report that mutants defective in Golgi/ER transport are sensitive to DMSO, including those lacking components of the conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG complex. Moreover, strains deleted for members of the SWR1 histone exchange complex are hypersensitive to DMSO, with additional chromatin remodeling mutants displaying a range of growth defects. We also identify DNA repair genes important for DMSO tolerance. Finally, we demonstrate that overexpression of histone H2A.Z, which replaces chromatin-associated histone H2A in a SWR1-catalyzed reaction, confers resistance to DMSO. Many yeast genes described in this study have homologs in more complex organisms, and the data provided is applicable to future investigations into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of DMSO toxicity.

  19. Impact of the Chromatin Remodeling Factor CHD1 on Gut Microbiome Composition of Drosophila melanogaster.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Sebald

    Full Text Available The composition of the intestinal microbiota of Drosophila has been studied in some detail in recent years. Environmental, developmental and host-specific genetic factors influence microbiome composition in the fly. Our previous work has indicated that intestinal bacterial load can be affected by chromatin-targeted regulatory mechanisms. Here we studied a potential role of the conserved chromatin assembly and remodeling factor CHD1 in the shaping of the gut microbiome in Drosophila melanogaster. Using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, we found that Chd1 deletion mutant flies exhibit significantly reduced microbial diversity compared to rescued control strains. Specifically, although Acetobacteraceae dominated the microbiota of both Chd1 wild-type and mutant guts, Chd1 mutants were virtually monoassociated with this bacterial family, whereas in control flies other bacterial taxa constituted ~20% of the microbiome. We further show age-linked differences in microbial load and microbiota composition between Chd1 mutant and control flies. Finally, diet supplementation experiments with Lactobacillus plantarum revealed that, in contrast to wild-type flies, Chd1 mutant flies were unable to maintain higher L. plantarum titres over time. Collectively, these data provide evidence that loss of the chromatin remodeler CHD1 has a major impact on the gut microbiome of Drosophila melanogaster.

  20. Chromatin-remodeling SWI/SNF complex regulates coenzyme Q6 synthesis and a metabolic shift to respiration in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awad, Agape M; Venkataramanan, Srivats; Nag, Anish; Galivanche, Anoop Raj; Bradley, Michelle C; Neves, Lauren T; Douglass, Stephen; Clarke, Catherine F; Johnson, Tracy L

    2017-09-08

    Despite its relatively streamlined genome, there are many important examples of regulated RNA splicing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Here, we report a role for the chromatin remodeler SWI/SNF in respiration, partially via the regulation of splicing. We find that a nutrient-dependent decrease in Snf2 leads to an increase in splicing of the PTC7 transcript. The spliced PTC7 transcript encodes a mitochondrial phosphatase regulator of biosynthesis of coenzyme Q 6 (ubiquinone or CoQ 6 ) and a mitochondrial redox-active lipid essential for electron and proton transport in respiration. Increased splicing of PTC7 increases CoQ 6 levels. The increase in PTC7 splicing occurs at least in part due to down-regulation of ribosomal protein gene expression, leading to the redistribution of spliceosomes from this abundant class of intron-containing RNAs to otherwise poorly spliced transcripts. In contrast, a protein encoded by the nonspliced isoform of PTC7 represses CoQ 6 biosynthesis. Taken together, these findings uncover a link between Snf2 expression and the splicing of PTC7 and establish a previously unknown role for the SWI/SNF complex in the transition of yeast cells from fermentative to respiratory modes of metabolism. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  1. Sigma-1 receptor mediates cocaine-induced transcriptional regulation by recruiting chromatin-remodeling factors at the nuclear envelope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Shang-Yi A; Chuang, Jian-Ying; Tsai, Meng-Shan; Wang, Xiao-Fei; Xi, Zheng-Xiong; Hung, Jan-Jong; Chang, Wen-Chang; Bonci, Antonello; Su, Tsung-Ping

    2015-11-24

    The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays important roles in cellular regulation. Here we found a new function of Sig-1R, in that it translocates from the ER to the nuclear envelope (NE) to recruit chromatin-remodeling molecules and regulate the gene transcription thereof. Sig-1Rs mainly reside at the ER-mitochondrion interface. However, on stimulation by agonists such as cocaine, Sig-1Rs translocate from ER to the NE, where Sig-1Rs bind NE protein emerin and recruit chromatin-remodeling molecules, including lamin A/C, barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF), and histone deacetylase (HDAC), to form a complex with the gene repressor specific protein 3 (Sp3). Knockdown of Sig-1Rs attenuates the complex formation. Cocaine was found to suppress the gene expression of monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) in the brain of wild-type but not Sig-1R knockout mouse. A single dose of cocaine (20 mg/kg) in rats suppresses the level of MAOB at nuclear accumbens without affecting the level of dopamine transporter. Daily injections of cocaine in rats caused behavioral sensitization. Withdrawal from cocaine in cocaine-sensitized rats induced an apparent time-dependent rebound of the MAOB protein level to about 200% over control on day 14 after withdrawal. Treatment of cocaine-withdrawn rats with the MAOB inhibitor deprenyl completely alleviated the behavioral sensitization to cocaine. Our results demonstrate a role of Sig-1R in transcriptional regulation and suggest cocaine may work through this newly discovered genomic action to achieve its addictive action. Results also suggest the MAOB inhibitor deprenyl as a therapeutic agent to block certain actions of cocaine during withdrawal.

  2. Reprogramming chromatin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ehrensberger, Andreas Hasso; Svejstrup, Jesper Qualmann

    2012-01-01

    attributed to high kinetic barriers that affect all cells equally and can only be overcome by rare stochastic events. The barriers to reprogramming are likely to involve transformations of chromatin state because (i) inhibitors of chromatin-modifying enzymes can enhance the efficiency of reprogramming...... and (ii) knockdown or knock-out of chromatin-modifying enzymes can lower the efficiency of reprogramming. Here, we review the relationship between chromatin state transformations (chromatin reprogramming) and cellular reprogramming, with an emphasis on transcription factors, chromatin remodeling factors...

  3. Genome-wide specificity of DNA binding, gene regulation, and chromatin remodeling by TALE- and CRISPR/Cas9-based transcriptional activators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polstein, Lauren R; Perez-Pinera, Pablo; Kocak, D Dewran; Vockley, Christopher M; Bledsoe, Peggy; Song, Lingyun; Safi, Alexias; Crawford, Gregory E; Reddy, Timothy E; Gersbach, Charles A

    2015-08-01

    Genome engineering technologies based on the CRISPR/Cas9 and TALE systems are enabling new approaches in science and biotechnology. However, the specificity of these tools in complex genomes and the role of chromatin structure in determining DNA binding are not well understood. We analyzed the genome-wide effects of TALE- and CRISPR-based transcriptional activators in human cells using ChIP-seq to assess DNA-binding specificity and RNA-seq to measure the specificity of perturbing the transcriptome. Additionally, DNase-seq was used to assess genome-wide chromatin remodeling that occurs as a result of their action. Our results show that these transcription factors are highly specific in both DNA binding and gene regulation and are able to open targeted regions of closed chromatin independent of gene activation. Collectively, these results underscore the potential for these technologies to make precise changes to gene expression for gene and cell therapies or fundamental studies of gene function. © 2015 Polstein et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  4. Essential role of chromatin remodeling protein Bptf in early mouse embryos and embryonic stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Landry

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available We have characterized the biological functions of the chromatin remodeling protein Bptf (Bromodomain PHD-finger Transcription Factor, the largest subunit of NURF (Nucleosome Remodeling Factor in a mammal. Bptf mutants manifest growth defects at the post-implantation stage and are reabsorbed by E8.5. Histological analyses of lineage markers show that Bptf(-/- embryos implant but fail to establish a functional distal visceral endoderm. Microarray analysis at early stages of differentiation has identified Bptf-dependent gene targets including homeobox transcriptions factors and genes essential for the development of ectoderm, mesoderm, and both definitive and visceral endoderm. Differentiation of Bptf(-/- embryonic stem cell lines into embryoid bodies revealed its requirement for development of mesoderm, endoderm, and ectoderm tissue lineages, and uncovered many genes whose activation or repression are Bptf-dependent. We also provide functional and physical links between the Bptf-containing NURF complex and the Smad transcription factors. These results suggest that Bptf may co-regulate some gene targets of this pathway, which is essential for establishment of the visceral endoderm. We conclude that Bptf likely regulates genes and signaling pathways essential for the development of key tissues of the early mouse embryo.

  5. Default assembly of early adenovirus chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spector, David J.

    2007-01-01

    In adenovirus particles, the viral nucleoprotein is organized into a highly compacted core structure. Upon delivery to the nucleus, the viral nucleoprotein is very likely to be remodeled to a form accessible to the transcription and replication machinery. Viral protein VII binds to intra-nuclear viral DNA, as do at least two cellular proteins, SET/TAF-Iβ and pp32, components of a chromatin assembly complex that is implicated in template remodeling. We showed previously that viral DNA-protein complexes released from infecting particles were sensitive to shearing after cross-linking with formaldehyde, presumably after transport of the genome into the nucleus. We report here the application of equilibrium-density gradient centrifugation to the analysis of the fate of these complexes. Most of the incoming protein VII was recovered in a form that was not cross-linked to viral DNA. This release of protein VII, as well as the binding of SET/TAF-Iβ and cellular transcription factors to the viral chromatin, did not require de novo viral gene expression. The distinct density profiles of viral DNA complexes containing protein VII, compared to those containing SET/TAF-Iβ or transcription factors, were consistent with the notion that the assembly of early viral chromatin requires both the association of SET/TAF-1β and the release of protein VII

  6. Remodeling of ribosomal genes in somatic cells by Xenopus egg extract

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østrup, Olga; Hyttel, Poul; Klærke, Dan Arne

    2011-01-01

    Extracts from Xenopus eggs can reprogram gene expression in somatic nuclei, however little is known about the earliest processes associated with the switch in the transcriptional program. We show here that an early reprogramming event is the remodeling of ribosomal chromatin and gene expression....... This occurs within hours of extract treatment and is distinct from a stress response. Egg extract elicits remodeling of the nuclear envelope, chromatin and nucleolus. Nucleolar remodeling involves a rapid and stable decrease in ribosomal gene transcription, and promoter targeting of the nucleolar remodeling...... and elicits a stress-type nuclear response. Thus, an early event of Xenopus egg extract-mediated nuclear reprogramming is the remodeling of ribosomal genes involving nucleolar remodeling complex. Condition-specific and rapid silencing of ribosomal genes may serve as a sensitive marker for evaluation...

  7. Recruitment by the Repressor Freud-1 of Histone Deacetylase-Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Complexes to Strengthen HTR1A Gene Repression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souslova, Tatiana; Mirédin, Kim; Millar, Anne M; Albert, Paul R

    2017-12-01

    Five-prime repressor element under dual repression binding protein-1 (Freud-1)/CC2D1A is genetically linked to intellectual disability and implicated in neuronal development. Freud-1 represses the serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) receptor gene HTR1A by histone deacetylase (HDAC)-dependent or HDAC-independent mechanisms in 5-HT1A-negative (e.g., HEK-293) or 5-HT1A-expressing cells (SK-N-SH), respectively. To identify the underlying mechanisms, Freud-1-associated proteins were affinity-purified from HEK-293 nuclear extracts and members of the Brg1/SMARCCA chromatin remodeling and Sin3A-HDAC corepressor complexes were identified. Pull-down assays using recombinant proteins showed that Freud-1 interacts directly with the Brg1 carboxyl-terminal domain; interaction with Brg1 required the carboxyl-terminal of Freud-1. Freud-1 complexes in HEK-293 and SK-N-SH cells differed, with low levels of BAF170/SMARCC2 and BAF57/SMARCE1 in HEK-293 cells and low-undetectable BAF155/SMARCC1, Sin3A, and HDAC1/2 in SK-N-SH cells. Similarly, by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation, Brg1-BAF170/57 and Sin3A-HDAC complexes were observed at the HTR1A promoter in HEK-293 cells, whereas in SK-N-SH cells, Sin3A-HDAC proteins were not detected. Quantifying 5-HT1A receptor mRNA levels in cells treated with siRNA to Freud-1, Brg1, or both RNAs addressed the functional role of the Freud-1-Brg1 complex. In HEK-293 cells, 5-HT1A receptor mRNA levels were increased only when both Freud-1 and Brg1 were depleted, but in SK-N-SH cells, depletion of either protein upregulated 5-HT1A receptor RNA. Thus, recruitment by Freud-1 of Brg1, BAF155, and Sin3A-HDAC complexes appears to strengthen repression of the HTR1A gene to prevent its expression inappropriate cell types, while recruitment of the Brg1-BAF170/57 complex is permissive to 5-HT1A receptor expression. Alterations in Freud-1-Brg1 interactions in mutants associated with intellectual disability could impair gene repression leading to altered neuronal

  8. The Seed Repair Response during Germination: Disclosing Correlations between DNA Repair, Antioxidant Response, and Chromatin Remodeling in Medicago truncatula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Pagano

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This work provides novel insights into the effects caused by the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA during Medicago truncatula seed germination, with emphasis on the seed repair response. Seeds treated with H2O and TSA (10 and 20 μM were collected during imbibition (8 h and at the radicle protrusion phase. Biometric data showed delayed germination and impaired seedling growth in TSA-treated samples. Comet assay, performed on radicles at the protrusion phase and 4-days old M. truncatula seedlings, revealed accumulation of DNA strand breaks upon exposure to TSA. Activation of DNA repair toward TSA-mediated genotoxic damage was evidenced by the up-regulation of MtOGG1(8-OXOGUANINE GLYCOSYLASE/LYASE gene involved in the removal of oxidative DNA lesions, MtLIGIV(LIGASE IV gene, a key determinant of seed quality, required for the rejoining of DNA double strand breaks and TDP(TYROSYL-DNA PHOSPHODIESTERASE genes encoding the multipurpose DNA repair enzymes tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterases. Since radical scavenging can prevent DNA damage, the specific antioxidant activity (SAA was measured by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and Folin-Ciocalteu reagent assays. Fluctuations of SAA were observed in TSA-treated seeds/seedlings concomitant with the up-regulation of antioxidant genes MtSOD(SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, MtAPX(ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE and MtMT2(TYPE 2 METALLOTHIONEIN. Chromatin remodeling, required to facilitate the access of DNA repair enzymes at the damaged sites, is also part of the multifaceted seed repair response. To address this aspect, still poorly explored in plants, the MtTRRAP(TRANSFORMATION/TRANSACTIVATION DOMAIN-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN gene was analyzed. TRRAP is a transcriptional adaptor, so far characterized only in human cells where it is needed for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase complexes to chromatin during DNA repair. The MtTRRAP gene and the predicted interacting partners MtHAM2 (HISTONE ACETYLTRANSFERASE OF

  9. TIP48/Reptin and H2A.Z requirement for initiating chromatin remodeling in estrogen-activated transcription.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathieu Dalvai

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Histone variants, including histone H2A.Z, are incorporated into specific genomic sites and participate in transcription regulation. The role of H2A.Z at these sites remains poorly characterized. Our study investigates changes in the chromatin environment at the Cyclin D1 gene (CCND1 during transcriptional initiation in response to estradiol in estrogen receptor positive mammary tumour cells. We show that H2A.Z is present at the transcription start-site and downstream enhancer sequences of CCND1 when the gene is poorly transcribed. Stimulation of CCND1 expression required release of H2A.Z concomitantly from both these DNA elements. The AAA+ family members TIP48/reptin and the histone variant H2A.Z are required to remodel the chromatin environment at CCND1 as a prerequisite for binding of the estrogen receptor (ERα in the presence of hormone. TIP48 promotes acetylation and exchange of H2A.Z, which triggers a dissociation of the CCND1 3' enhancer from the promoter, thereby releasing a repressive intragenic loop. This release then enables the estrogen receptor to bind to the CCND1 promoter. Our findings provide new insight into the priming of chromatin required for transcription factor access to their target sequence. Dynamic release of gene loops could be a rapid means to remodel chromatin and to stimulate transcription in response to hormones.

  10. Quantifying transient binding of ISWI chromatin remodelers in living cells by pixel-wise photobleaching profile evolution analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdel, Fabian; Rippe, Karsten

    2012-11-20

    Interactions between nuclear proteins and chromatin frequently occur on the time scale of seconds and below. These transient binding events are important for the fast identification of target sites as concluded from our previous analysis of the human chromatin remodelers Snf2H and Snf2L from the imitation switch (ISWI) family. Both ATP-driven molecular motor proteins are able to translocate nucleosomes along the DNA and appear to exert this activity only on a small number of nucleosomes to which they bind more tightly. For mechanistic studies, one needs to distinguish such translocation reactions or other long-lived interactions associated with conformational changes and/or ATP hydrolysis from nonproductive chromatin sampling during target search. These processes can be separated by measuring the duration of nucleosome binding with subsecond time resolution. To reach this goal, we have developed a fluorescence bleaching technique termed pixel-wise photobleaching profile evolution analysis (3PEA). It exploits the inherent time structure of confocal microscopy images and yields millisecond resolution. 3PEA represents a generally applicable approach to quantitate transient chromatin interactions in the 2- to 500-ms time regime within only ∼1 s needed for a measurement. The green autofluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Snf2H and Snf2L and the inactive Snf2L+13 splice variant were studied by 3PEA in comparison to the isolated GFP or red autofluorescent protein and a GFP pentamer. Our results reveal that the residence time for transient chromatin binding of Snf2H and Snf2L is <2 ms, and strongly support the view that ISWI-type remodelers are only rarely active in unperturbed cells during G1 phase.

  11. Chromatin remodeling regulates catalase expression during cancer cells adaptation to chronic oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glorieux, Christophe; Sandoval, Juan Marcelo; Fattaccioli, Antoine; Dejeans, Nicolas; Garbe, James C; Dieu, Marc; Verrax, Julien; Renard, Patricia; Huang, Peng; Calderon, Pedro Buc

    2016-10-01

    Regulation of ROS metabolism plays a major role in cellular adaptation to oxidative stress in cancer cells, but the molecular mechanism that regulates catalase, a key antioxidant enzyme responsible for conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen, remains to be elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the transcriptional regulatory mechanism controlling catalase expression in three human mammary cell lines: the normal mammary epithelial 250MK primary cells, the breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells and an experimental model of MCF-7 cells resistant against oxidative stress resulting from chronic exposure to H 2 O 2 (Resox), in which catalase was overexpressed. Here we identify a novel promoter region responsible for the regulation of catalase expression at -1518/-1226 locus and the key molecules that interact with this promoter and affect catalase transcription. We show that the AP-1 family member JunB and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) mediate catalase transcriptional activation and repression, respectively, by controlling chromatin remodeling through a histone deacetylases-dependent mechanism. This regulatory mechanism plays an important role in redox adaptation to chronic exposure to H 2 O 2 in breast cancer cells. Our study suggests that cancer adaptation to oxidative stress may be regulated by transcriptional factors through chromatin remodeling, and reveals a potential new mechanism to target cancer cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Relocalization of human chromatin remodeling cofactor TIP48 in mitosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sigala, Barbara; Edwards, Mina; Puri, Teena; Tsaneva, Irina R.

    2005-01-01

    TIP48 is a highly conserved eukaryotic AAA + protein which is an essential cofactor for several complexes involved in chromatin acetylation and remodeling, transcriptional and developmental regulation and nucleolar organization and trafficking. We show that TIP48 abundance in HeLa cells did not change during the cell cycle, nor did its distribution in various biochemical fractions. However, we observed distinct changes in the subcellular localization of TIP48 during M phase using immunofluorescence microscopy. Our studies demonstrate that in interphase cells TIP48 was found mainly in the nucleus and exhibited a distinct localization in the nuclear periphery. As the cells entered mitosis, TIP48 was excluded from the condensing chromosomes but showed association with the mitotic apparatus. During anaphase, some TIP48 was detected in the centrosome colocalizing with tubulin but the strongest staining appeared in the mitotic equator associated with the midzone central spindle. Accumulation of TIP48 in the midzone and the midbody was observed in late telophase and cytokinesis. This redeployment of TIP48 during anaphase and cytokinesis was independent of microtubule assembly. The relocation of endogenous TIP48 to the midzone/midbody under physiological conditions suggests a novel and distinct function for TIP48 in mitosis and possible involvement in the exit of mitosis

  13. An overproduction of astellolides induced by genetic disruption of chromatin-remodeling factors in Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinohara, Yasutomo; Kawatani, Makoto; Futamura, Yushi; Osada, Hiroyuki; Koyama, Yasuji

    2016-01-01

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is an important industrial mold. Recent genomic analysis indicated that A. oryzae has a large number of biosynthetic genes for secondary metabolites (SMs), but many of the SMs they produce have not been identified. For better understanding of SMs production by A. oryzae, we screened a gene-disruption library of transcription factors including chromatin-remodeling factors and found two gene disruptions that show similarly altered SM production profiles. One is a homolog of Aspergillus nidulans cclA, a component of the histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complex of proteins associated with Set1 complex, and the other, sppA, is an ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPP1, another component of a complex of proteins associated with Set1 complex. The cclA and sppA disruptions in A. oryzae are deficient in trimethylation of H3K4. Furthermore, one of the SMs that increased in the cclA disruptant was identified as astellolide F (14-deacetyl astellolide B). These data indicate that both cclA and sppA affect production of SMs including astellolides by affecting the methylation status of H3K4 in A. oryzae.

  14. A new non-catalytic role for ubiquitin ligase RNF8 in unfolding higher-order chromatin structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Luijsterburg, Martijn S; Acs, Klara; Ackermann, Leena

    2012-01-01

    The ubiquitin ligases RNF8 and RNF168 orchestrate DNA damage signalling through the ubiquitylation of histone H2A and the recruitment of downstream repair factors. Here, we demonstrate that RNF8, but not RNF168 or the canonical H2A ubiquitin ligase RNF2, mediates extensive chromatin decondensation....... Our data show that CHD4, the catalytic subunit of the NuRD complex, interacts with RNF8 and is essential for RNF8-mediated chromatin unfolding. The chromatin remodelling activity of CHD4 promotes efficient ubiquitin conjugation and assembly of RNF168 and BRCA1 at DNA double-strand breaks....... Interestingly, RNF8-mediated recruitment of CHD4 and subsequent chromatin remodelling were independent of the ubiquitin-ligase activity of RNF8, but involved a non-canonical interaction with the forkhead-associated (FHA) domain. Our study reveals a new mechanism of chromatin remodelling-assisted ubiquitylation...

  15. Selection on a Subunit of the NURF Chromatin Remodeler Modifies Life History Traits in a Domesticated Strain of Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward E Large

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Evolutionary life history theory seeks to explain how reproductive and survival traits are shaped by selection through allocations of an individual's resources to competing life functions. Although life-history traits evolve rapidly, little is known about the genetic and cellular mechanisms that control and couple these tradeoffs. Here, we find that two laboratory-adapted strains of C. elegans descended from a single common ancestor that lived in the 1950s have differences in a number of life-history traits, including reproductive timing, lifespan, dauer formation, growth rate, and offspring number. We identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL of large effect that controls 24%-75% of the total trait variance in reproductive timing at various timepoints. Using CRISPR/Cas9-induced genome editing, we show this QTL is due in part to a 60 bp deletion in the 3' end of the nurf-1 gene, which is orthologous to the human gene encoding the BPTF component of the NURF chromatin remodeling complex. Besides reproduction, nurf-1 also regulates growth rate, lifespan, and dauer formation. The fitness consequences of this deletion are environment specific-it increases fitness in the growth conditions where it was fixed but decreases fitness in alternative laboratory growth conditions. We propose that chromatin remodeling, acting through nurf-1, is a pleiotropic regulator of life history trade-offs underlying the evolution of multiple traits across different species.

  16. dDYRK2 and Minibrain interact with the chromatin remodelling factors SNR1 and TRX.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinstrie, Ross; Lochhead, Pamela A; Sibbet, Gary; Morrice, Nick; Cleghon, Vaughn

    2006-08-15

    The DYRKs (dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinases) are a conserved family of protein kinases that autophosphorylate a tyrosine residue in their activation loop by an intra-molecular mechanism and phosphorylate exogenous substrates on serine/threonine residues. Little is known about the identity of true substrates for DYRK family members and their binding partners. To address this question, we used full-length dDYRK2 (Drosophila DYRK2) as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a Drosophila embryo cDNA library. Of 14 independent dDYRK2 interacting clones identified, three were derived from the chromatin remodelling factor, SNR1 (Snf5-related 1), and three from the essential chromatin component, TRX (trithorax). The association of dDYRK2 with SNR1 and TRX was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation studies. Deletion analysis showed that the C-terminus of dDYRK2 modulated the interaction with SNR1 and TRX. DYRK family member MNB (Minibrain) was also found to co-precipitate with SNR1 and TRX, associations that did not require the C-terminus of the molecule. dDYRK2 and MNB were also found to phosphorylate SNR1 at Thr102 in vitro and in vivo. This phosphorylation required the highly conserved DH-box (DYRK homology box) of dDYRK2, whereas the DH-box was not essential for phosphorylation by MNB. This is the first instance of phosphorylation of SNR1 or any of its homologues and implicates the DYRK family of kinases with a role in chromatin remodelling.

  17. The selector gene Pax7 dictates alternate pituitary cell fates through its pioneer action on chromatin remodeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Budry, L.; Balsalobre, A.; Gauthier, Y.; Khetchoumian, K.; L'Honore, A.; Vallette-Kasic, S.; Brue, T; Figarella-Branger, D.; Meij, B.P.; Drouin, J.

    2012-01-01

    Genes Dev. 2012 Oct 15;26(20):2299-310. doi: 10.1101/gad.200436.112. The selector gene Pax7 dictates alternate pituitary cell fates through its pioneer action on chromatin remodeling. Budry L, Balsalobre A, Gauthier Y, Khetchoumian K, L'honoré A, Vallette S, Brue T, Figarella-Branger D, Meij B,

  18. Expression, purification and characterization of the human MTA2-RBBP7 complex

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brasen, Christoffer; Dorosz, Jerzy; Wiuf, Anders

    2017-01-01

    The repressive Nucleosome Remodeling and histone Deacetylation (NuRD) complex remodels the chromatin structure by coupling ATP-dependent remodeling activity with histone deacetylase function and plays important roles in regulating gene transcription, DNA damage repair and chromatin assembly. The ...

  19. De Novo Mutations in CHD4, an ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeler Gene, Cause an Intellectual Disability Syndrome with Distinctive Dysmorphisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Karin; Terhal, Paulien A; Cohen, Lior; Bruccoleri, Michael; Irving, Melita; Martinez, Ariel F; Rosenfeld, Jill A; Machol, Keren; Yang, Yaping; Liu, Pengfei; Walkiewicz, Magdalena; Beuten, Joke; Gomez-Ospina, Natalia; Haude, Katrina; Fong, Chin-To; Enns, Gregory M; Bernstein, Jonathan A; Fan, Judith; Gotway, Garrett; Ghorbani, Mohammad; van Gassen, Koen; Monroe, Glen R; van Haaften, Gijs; Basel-Vanagaite, Lina; Yang, Xiang-Jiao; Campeau, Philippe M; Muenke, Maximilian

    2016-10-06

    Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler involved in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, DNA repair, and cell cycle progression. Also known as Mi2β, CHD4 is an integral subunit of a well-characterized histone deacetylase complex. Here we report five individuals with de novo missense substitutions in CHD4 identified through whole-exome sequencing and web-based gene matching. These individuals have overlapping phenotypes including developmental delay, intellectual disability, hearing loss, macrocephaly, distinct facial dysmorphisms, palatal abnormalities, ventriculomegaly, and hypogonadism as well as additional findings such as bone fusions. The variants, c.3380G>A (p.Arg1127Gln), c.3443G>T (p.Trp1148Leu), c.3518G>T (p.Arg1173Leu), and c.3008G>A, (p.Gly1003Asp) (GenBank: NM_001273.3), affect evolutionarily highly conserved residues and are predicted to be deleterious. Previous studies in yeast showed the equivalent Arg1127 and Trp1148 residues to be crucial for SNF2 function. Furthermore, mutations in the same positions were reported in malignant tumors, and a de novo missense substitution in an equivalent arginine residue in the C-terminal helicase domain of SMARCA4 is associated with Coffin Siris syndrome. Cell-based studies of the p.Arg1127Gln and p.Arg1173Leu mutants demonstrate normal localization to the nucleus and HDAC1 interaction. Based on these findings, the mutations potentially alter the complex activity but not its formation. This report provides evidence for the role of CHD4 in human development and expands an increasingly recognized group of Mendelian disorders involving chromatin remodeling and modification. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Novel pedigree analysis implicates DNA repair and chromatin remodeling in multiple myeloma risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waller, Rosalie G; Darlington, Todd M; Wei, Xiaomu; Madsen, Michael J; Thomas, Alun; Curtin, Karen; Coon, Hilary; Rajamanickam, Venkatesh; Musinsky, Justin; Jayabalan, David; Atanackovic, Djordje; Rajkumar, S Vincent; Kumar, Shaji; Slager, Susan; Middha, Mridu; Galia, Perrine; Demangel, Delphine; Salama, Mohamed; Joseph, Vijai; McKay, James; Offit, Kenneth; Klein, Robert J; Lipkin, Steven M; Dumontet, Charles; Vachon, Celine M; Camp, Nicola J

    2018-02-01

    The high-risk pedigree (HRP) design is an established strategy to discover rare, highly-penetrant, Mendelian-like causal variants. Its success, however, in complex traits has been modest, largely due to challenges of genetic heterogeneity and complex inheritance models. We describe a HRP strategy that addresses intra-familial heterogeneity, and identifies inherited segments important for mapping regulatory risk. We apply this new Shared Genomic Segment (SGS) method in 11 extended, Utah, multiple myeloma (MM) HRPs, and subsequent exome sequencing in SGS regions of interest in 1063 MM / MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance-a precursor to MM) cases and 964 controls from a jointly-called collaborative resource, including cases from the initial 11 HRPs. One genome-wide significant 1.8 Mb shared segment was found at 6q16. Exome sequencing in this region revealed predicted deleterious variants in USP45 (p.Gln691* and p.Gln621Glu), a gene known to influence DNA repair through endonuclease regulation. Additionally, a 1.2 Mb segment at 1p36.11 is inherited in two Utah HRPs, with coding variants identified in ARID1A (p.Ser90Gly and p.Met890Val), a key gene in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. Our results provide compelling statistical and genetic evidence for segregating risk variants for MM. In addition, we demonstrate a novel strategy to use large HRPs for risk-variant discovery more generally in complex traits.

  1. Novel pedigree analysis implicates DNA repair and chromatin remodeling in multiple myeloma risk.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosalie G Waller

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The high-risk pedigree (HRP design is an established strategy to discover rare, highly-penetrant, Mendelian-like causal variants. Its success, however, in complex traits has been modest, largely due to challenges of genetic heterogeneity and complex inheritance models. We describe a HRP strategy that addresses intra-familial heterogeneity, and identifies inherited segments important for mapping regulatory risk. We apply this new Shared Genomic Segment (SGS method in 11 extended, Utah, multiple myeloma (MM HRPs, and subsequent exome sequencing in SGS regions of interest in 1063 MM / MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance-a precursor to MM cases and 964 controls from a jointly-called collaborative resource, including cases from the initial 11 HRPs. One genome-wide significant 1.8 Mb shared segment was found at 6q16. Exome sequencing in this region revealed predicted deleterious variants in USP45 (p.Gln691* and p.Gln621Glu, a gene known to influence DNA repair through endonuclease regulation. Additionally, a 1.2 Mb segment at 1p36.11 is inherited in two Utah HRPs, with coding variants identified in ARID1A (p.Ser90Gly and p.Met890Val, a key gene in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. Our results provide compelling statistical and genetic evidence for segregating risk variants for MM. In addition, we demonstrate a novel strategy to use large HRPs for risk-variant discovery more generally in complex traits.

  2. Soft skills turned into hard facts: nucleosome remodelling at developmental switches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chioda, M; Becker, P B

    2010-07-01

    Nucleosome remodelling factors are regulators of DNA accessibility in chromatin and lubricators of all major functions of eukaryotic genomes. Their action is transient and reversible, yet can be decisive for irreversible cell-fate decisions during development. In addition to the well-known local actions of nucleosome remodelling factors during transcription initiation, more global and fundamental roles for remodelling complexes in shaping the epigenome during development are emerging.

  3. SWI/SNF-like chromatin remodeling factor Fun30 supports point centromere function in S. cerevisiae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mickaël Durand-Dubief

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Budding yeast centromeres are sequence-defined point centromeres and are, unlike in many other organisms, not embedded in heterochromatin. Here we show that Fun30, a poorly understood SWI/SNF-like chromatin remodeling factor conserved in humans, promotes point centromere function through the formation of correct chromatin architecture at centromeres. Our determination of the genome-wide binding and nucleosome positioning properties of Fun30 shows that this enzyme is consistently enriched over centromeres and that a majority of CENs show Fun30-dependent changes in flanking nucleosome position and/or CEN core micrococcal nuclease accessibility. Fun30 deletion leads to defects in histone variant Htz1 occupancy genome-wide, including at and around most centromeres. FUN30 genetically interacts with CSE4, coding for the centromere-specific variant of histone H3, and counteracts the detrimental effect of transcription through centromeres on chromosome segregation and suppresses transcriptional noise over centromere CEN3. Previous work has shown a requirement for fission yeast and mammalian homologs of Fun30 in heterochromatin assembly. As centromeres in budding yeast are not embedded in heterochromatin, our findings indicate a direct role of Fun30 in centromere chromatin by promoting correct chromatin architecture.

  4. Remodeling of ribosomal genes in somatic cells by Xenopus egg extract

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ostrup, Olga, E-mail: osvarcova@gmail.com [Institute of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Stem Cell Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo (Norway); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo (Norway); Hyttel, Poul; Klaerke, Dan A. [Institute of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Collas, Philippe, E-mail: philc@medisin.uio.no [Stem Cell Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo (Norway); Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Oslo (Norway)

    2011-09-02

    Highlights: {yields} Xenopus egg extract remodels nuclei and alter cell growth characteristics. {yields} Ribosomal genes are reprogrammed within 6 h after extract exposure. {yields} rDNA reprogramming involves promoter targeting of SNF2H remodeling complex. {yields} Xenopus egg extract does not initiate stress-related response in somatic cells. {yields} Aza-cytidine elicits a stress-induced response in reprogrammed cells. -- Abstract: Extracts from Xenopus eggs can reprogram gene expression in somatic nuclei, however little is known about the earliest processes associated with the switch in the transcriptional program. We show here that an early reprogramming event is the remodeling of ribosomal chromatin and gene expression. This occurs within hours of extract treatment and is distinct from a stress response. Egg extract elicits remodeling of the nuclear envelope, chromatin and nucleolus. Nucleolar remodeling involves a rapid and stable decrease in ribosomal gene transcription, and promoter targeting of the nucleolar remodeling complex component SNF2H without affecting occupancy of the transcription factor UBF and the stress silencers SUV39H1 and SIRT1. During this process, nucleolar localization of UBF and SIRT1 is not altered. On contrary, azacytidine pre-treatment has an adverse effect on rDNA remodeling induced by extract and elicits a stress-type nuclear response. Thus, an early event of Xenopus egg extract-mediated nuclear reprogramming is the remodeling of ribosomal genes involving nucleolar remodeling complex. Condition-specific and rapid silencing of ribosomal genes may serve as a sensitive marker for evaluation of various reprogramming methods.

  5. New mitotic regulators released from chromatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hideki eYokoyama

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Faithful action of the mitotic spindle segregates duplicated chromosomes into daughter cells. Perturbations of this process result in chromosome mis-segregation, leading to chromosomal instability and cancer development. Chromosomes are not simply passengers segregated by spindle microtubules but rather play a major active role in spindle assembly. The GTP bound form of the Ran GTPase (RanGTP, produced around chromosomes, locally activates spindle assembly factors. Recent studies have uncovered that chromosomes organize mitosis beyond spindle formation. They distinctly regulate other mitotic events, such as spindle maintenance in anaphase, which is essential for chromosome segregation. Furthermore, the direct function of chromosomes is not only to produce RanGTP but, in addition, to release key mitotic regulators from chromatin. Chromatin-remodeling factors and nuclear pore complex proteins, which have established functions on chromatin in interphase, dissociate from mitotic chromatin and function in spindle assembly or maintenance. Thus, chromosomes actively organize their own segregation using chromatin-releasing mitotic regulators as well as RanGTP.

  6. Noradrenergic Activation of the Basolateral Amygdala Enhances Object Recognition Memory and Induces Chromatin Remodeling in the Insular Cortex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassiba eBeldjoud

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available It is well established that arousal-induced memory enhancement requires noradrenergic activation of the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA and modulatory influences on information storage processes in its many target regions. While this concept is well accepted, the molecular basis of such BLA effects on neural plasticity changes within other brain regions remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated whether noradrenergic activation of the BLA after object recognition training induces chromatin remodeling through histone post-translational modifications in the insular cortex (IC, a brain region that is importantly involved in object recognition memory. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were trained on an object recognition task, followed immediately by bilateral microinfusions of norepinephrine (1.0 µg or saline administered into the BLA. Saline-treated control rats exhibited poor 24-h retention, whereas norepinephrine treatment induced robust 24-h object recognition memory. Most importantly, this memory-enhancing dose of norepinephrine induced a global reduction in the acetylation levels of histone H3 at lysine 14, H2B and H4 in the IC 1 h later, whereas it had no effect on the phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10 or tri-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27. Norepinephrine administered into the BLA of non-trained control rats did not induce any changes in the histone marks investigated in this study. These findings indicate that noradrenergic activation of the BLA induces training-specific effects on chromatin remodeling mechanisms, and presumably gene transcription, in its target regions, which may contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of stress and emotional arousal effects on memory consolidation.

  7. Rapid and reversible epigenome editing by endogenous chromatin regulators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Simon M G; Kirkland, Jacob G; Chory, Emma J; Husmann, Dylan; Calarco, Joseph P; Crabtree, Gerald R

    2017-09-15

    Understanding the causal link between epigenetic marks and gene regulation remains a central question in chromatin biology. To edit the epigenome we developed the FIRE-Cas9 system for rapid and reversible recruitment of endogenous chromatin regulators to specific genomic loci. We enhanced the dCas9-MS2 anchor for genome targeting with Fkbp/Frb dimerizing fusion proteins to allow chemical-induced proximity of a desired chromatin regulator. We find that mSWI/SNF (BAF) complex recruitment is sufficient to oppose Polycomb within minutes, leading to activation of bivalent gene transcription in mouse embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, Hp1/Suv39h1 heterochromatin complex recruitment to active promoters deposits H3K9me3 domains, resulting in gene silencing that can be reversed upon washout of the chemical dimerizer. This inducible recruitment strategy provides precise kinetic information to model epigenetic memory and plasticity. It is broadly applicable to mechanistic studies of chromatin in mammalian cells and is particularly suited to the analysis of endogenous multi-subunit chromatin regulator complexes.Understanding the link between epigenetic marks and gene regulation requires the development of new tools to directly manipulate chromatin. Here the authors demonstrate a Cas9-based system to recruit chromatin remodelers to loci of interest, allowing rapid, reversible manipulation of epigenetic states.

  8. Shelterin Protects Chromosome Ends by Compacting Telomeric Chromatin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandaria, Jigar N.; Qin, Peiwu; Berk, Veysel; Chu, Steven; Yildiz, Ahmet

    2016-01-01

    SUMMARY Telomeres, repetitive DNA sequences at chromosome ends, are shielded against the DNA damage response (DDR) by the shelterin complex. To understand how shelterin protects telomere ends, we investigated the structural organization of telomeric chromatin in human cells using super-resolution microscopy. We found that telomeres form compact globular structures through a complex network of interactions between shelterin subunits and telomeric DNA, and not by DNA methylation, histone deacetylation or histone trimethylation at telomeres and subtelomeric regions. Mutations that abrogate shelterin assembly or removal of individual subunits from telomeres cause up to a 10-fold increase in telomere volume. Decompacted telomeres become more accessible to telomere-associated proteins and accumulate DDR signals. Recompaction of telomeric chromatin using an orthogonal method displaces DDR signals from telomeres. These results reveal the chromatin remodeling activity of shelterin and demonstrate that shelterin-mediated compaction of telomeric chromatin provides robust protection of chromosome ends against the DDR machinery. PMID:26871633

  9. Chromatin Structure and Function

    CERN Document Server

    Wolffe, Alan P

    1999-01-01

    The Third Edition of Chromatin: Structure and Function brings the reader up-to-date with the remarkable progress in chromatin research over the past three years. It has been extensively rewritten to cover new material on chromatin remodeling, histone modification, nuclear compartmentalization, DNA methylation, and transcriptional co-activators and co-repressors. The book is written in a clear and concise fashion, with 60 new illustrations. Chromatin: Structure and Function provides the reader with a concise and coherent account of the nature, structure, and assembly of chromatin and its active

  10. Connecting the dots: chromatin and alternative splicing in EMT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warns, Jessica A; Davie, James R; Dhasarathy, Archana

    2016-02-01

    Nature has devised sophisticated cellular machinery to process mRNA transcripts produced by RNA Polymerase II, removing intronic regions and connecting exons together, to produce mature RNAs. This process, known as splicing, is very closely linked to transcription. Alternative splicing, or the ability to produce different combinations of exons that are spliced together from the same genomic template, is a fundamental means of regulating protein complexity. Similar to transcription, both constitutive and alternative splicing can be regulated by chromatin and its associated factors in response to various signal transduction pathways activated by external stimuli. This regulation can vary between different cell types, and interference with these pathways can lead to changes in splicing, often resulting in aberrant cellular states and disease. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which leads to cancer metastasis, is influenced by alternative splicing events of chromatin remodelers and epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs. In this review, we will discuss the role of epigenetic factors including chromatin, chromatin remodelers, DNA methyltransferases, and microRNAs in the context of alternative splicing, and discuss their potential involvement in alternative splicing during the EMT process.

  11. eRNAs promote transcription by establishing chromatin accessibility at defined genomic loci

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mousavi, Kambiz; Zare, Hossein; Dell'orso, Stefania

    2013-01-01

    )RNA acted to activate the downstream myogenic genes. The deployment of transcriptional machinery to appropriate loci is contingent on chromatin accessibility, a rate-limiting step preceding Pol II assembly. By nuclease sensitivity assay, we found that eRNAs regulate genomic access of the transcriptional...... complex to defined regulatory regions. In conclusion, our data suggest that eRNAs contribute to establishing a cell-type-specific transcriptional circuitry by directing chromatin-remodeling events....

  12. Mutations and modeling of the chromatin remodeler CHD8 define an emerging autism etiology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca A Barnard

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong but complex genetic component. Recent family based exome-sequencing strategies have identified recurrent de novo mutations at specific genes, providing strong evidence for ASD risk, but also highlighting the extreme genetic heterogeneity of the disorder. However, disruptions in these genes converge on key molecular pathways early in development. In particular, functional enrichment analyses have found that there is a bias towards genes involved in transcriptional regulation, such as chromatin regulators. Here we review recent genetic, animal model, co-expression network, and functional genomics studies relating to the high confidence ASD risk gene, CHD8. CHD8 a chromatin remodeling factor, may serve as a master regulator of a common ASD etiology. Individuals with a CHD8 mutation show an ASD subtype that includes similar physical characteristics, such as macrocephaly and prolonged GI problems including recurrent constipation. Similarly, animal models of CHD8 disruption exhibit enlarged head circumference and reduced gut motility phenotypes. Systems biology approaches suggest CHD8 and other candidate ASD risk genes are enriched during mid-fetal development, which may represent a critical time window in ASD etiology. Transcription profiles from cell and primary tissue models of early development indicate that CHD8 may also positively regulate other candidate ASD risk genes through both direct and indirect means. However continued study is needed to elucidate the mechanism of regulation as well as identify which CHD8 targets are most relevant to ASD risk. Overall, these initial studies suggest the potential for common ASD etiologies and the development of personalized treatments in the future.

  13. Autism genes keep turning up chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasalle, Janine M

    2013-06-19

    Autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex genetic disorders collectively characterized by impaired social interactions and language as well as repetitive and restrictive behaviors. Of the hundreds of genes implicated in ASD, those encoding proteins acting at neuronal synapses have been most characterized by candidate gene studies. However, recent unbiased genome-wide analyses have turned up a multitude of novel candidate genes encoding nuclear factors implicated in chromatin remodeling, histone demethylation, histone variants, and the recognition of DNA methylation. Furthermore, the chromatin landscape of the human genome has been shown to influence the location of de novo mutations observed in ASD as well as the landscape of DNA methylation underlying neurodevelopmental and synaptic processes. Understanding the interactions of nuclear chromatin proteins and DNA with signal transduction pathways and environmental influences in the developing brain will be critical to understanding the relevance of these ASD candidate genes and continued uncovering of the "roots" of autism etiology.

  14. Elucidation of Chromatin Remodeling Machinery Involved in Regulation of Estrogen Receptor Alpha Expression in Human Breast Cancer Cells

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Sharma, Dipali

    2005-01-01

    .... Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we examined the chromatin status and repressor complex associated with silenced ER and changes in the key regulatory factors during reactivation by inhibitors of DNMT...

  15. Dietary polyphenols and chromatin remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo, Gian Luigi; Vastolo, Viviana; Ciccarelli, Marco; Albano, Luigi; Macchia, Paolo Emidio; Ungaro, Paola

    2017-08-13

    Polyphenols are the most abundant phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables, and plant-derived beverages. Recent findings suggest that polyphenols display the ability to reverse adverse epigenetic regulation involved in pathological conditions, such as obesity, metabolic disorder, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and various forms of cancer. Epigenetics, defined as heritable changes to the transcriptome, independent from those occurring in the genome, includes DNA methylation, histone modifications, and posttranscriptional gene regulation by noncoding RNAs. Sinergistically and cooperatively, these processes regulate gene expression by changing chromatin organization and DNA accessibility. Such induced epigenetic changes can be inherited during cell division, resulting in permanent maintenance of the acquired phenotype, but they may also occur throughout an individual life-course and may ultimately influence phenotypic outcomes (health and disease risk). In the last decade, a number of studies have shown that nutrients can affect metabolic traits by altering the structure of chromatin and directly regulate both transcription and translational processes. In this context, dietary polyphenol-targeted epigenetics becomes an attractive approach for disease prevention and intervention. Here, we will review how polyphenols, including flavonoids, curcuminoids, and stilbenes, modulate the establishment and maintenance of key epigenetic marks, thereby influencing gene expression and, hence, disease risk and health.

  16. High-Frequency Promoter Firing Links THO Complex Function to Heavy Chromatin Formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mouaikel, John; Causse, Sébastien Z; Rougemaille, Mathieu

    2013-01-01

    The THO complex is involved in transcription, genome stability, and messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) formation, but its precise molecular function remains enigmatic. Under heat shock conditions, THO mutants accumulate large protein-DNA complexes that alter the chromatin density of target genes...... (heavy chromatin), defining a specific biochemical facet of THO function and a powerful tool of analysis. Here, we show that heavy chromatin distribution is dictated by gene boundaries and that the gene promoter is necessary and sufficient to convey THO sensitivity in these conditions. Single......-molecule fluorescence insitu hybridization measurements show that heavy chromatin formation correlates with an unusually high firing pace of the promoter with more than 20 transcription events per minute. Heavy chromatin formation closely follows the modulation of promoter firing and strongly correlates with polymerase...

  17. Chromatin in embryonic stem cell neuronal differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meshorer, E

    2007-03-01

    Chromatin, the basic regulatory unit of the eukaryotic genetic material, is controlled by epigenetic mechanisms including histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling. Cellular differentiation involves large changes in gene expression concomitant with alterations in genome organization and chromatin structure. Such changes are particularly evident in self-renewing pluripotent embryonic stem cells, which begin, in terms of cell fate, as a tabula rasa, and through the process of differentiation, acquire distinct identities. Here I describe the changes in chromatin that accompany neuronal differentiation, particularly of embryonic stem cells, and discuss how chromatin serves as the master regulator of cellular destiny.

  18. The SWI/SNF BAF-A complex is essential for neural crest development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandler, Ronald L; Magnuson, Terry

    2016-03-01

    Growing evidence indicates that chromatin remodeler mutations underlie the pathogenesis of human neurocristopathies or disorders that affect neural crest cells (NCCs). However, causal relationships among chromatin remodeler subunit mutations and NCC defects remain poorly understood. Here we show that homozygous loss of ARID1A-containing, SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes (BAF-A) in NCCs results in embryonic lethality in mice, with mutant embryos succumbing to heart defects. Strikingly, monoallelic loss of ARID1A in NCCs led to craniofacial defects in adult mice, including shortened snouts and low set ears, and these defects were more pronounced following homozygous loss of ARID1A, with the ventral cranial bones being greatly reduced in size. Early NCC specification and expression of the BRG1 NCC target gene, PLEXINA2, occurred normally in the absence of ARID1A. Nonetheless, mutant embryos displayed incomplete conotruncal septation of the cardiac outflow tract and defects in the posterior pharyngeal arteries, culminating in persistent truncus arteriosus and agenesis of the ductus arteriosus. Consistent with this, migrating cardiac NCCs underwent apoptosis within the circumpharyngeal ridge. Our data support the notion that multiple, distinct chromatin remodeling complexes govern genetically separable events in NCC development and highlight a potential pathogenic role for NCCs in the human BAF complex disorder, Coffin-Siris Syndrome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The RSF1 histone-remodelling factor facilitates DNA double-strand break repair by recruiting centromeric and Fanconi Anaemia proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Pessina

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available ATM is a central regulator of the cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs. Here we identify a biochemical interaction between ATM and RSF1 and we characterise the role of RSF1 in this response. The ATM-RSF1 interaction is dependent upon both DSBs and ATM kinase activity. Together with SNF2H/SMARCA5, RSF1 forms the RSF chromatin-remodelling complex. Although RSF1 is specific to the RSF complex, SNF2H/SMARCA5 is a catalytic subunit of several other chromatin-remodelling complexes. Although not required for checkpoint signalling, RSF1 is required for efficient repair of DSBs via both end-joining and homology-directed repair. Specifically, the ATM-dependent recruitment to sites of DSBs of the histone fold proteins CENPS/MHF1 and CENPX/MHF2, previously identified at centromeres, is RSF1-dependent. In turn these proteins recruit and regulate the mono-ubiquitination of the Fanconi Anaemia proteins FANCD2 and FANCI. We propose that by depositing CENPS/MHF1 and CENPX/MHF2, the RSF complex either directly or indirectly contributes to the reorganisation of chromatin around DSBs that is required for efficient DNA repair.

  20. Lipid droplet-associated gene expression and chromatin remodelling in LIPASE 5'-upstream region from beginning- to mid-endodormant bud in 'Fuji' apple.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Takanori; Wang, Shanshan; Ohkawa, Katsuya; Ohara, Hitoshi; Ikeura, Hiromi; Ogawa, Yukiharu; Kondo, Satoru

    2017-11-01

    We found that lipid accumulation in the meristem region and the expression of MdLIP2A, which appears to be regulated by chromatin remodeling, coincided with endodormancy induction in the 'Fuji' apple. In deciduous trees, including apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.), lipid accumulation in the meristem region towards endodormancy induction has been thought to be an important process for the acquisition of cold tolerance. In this study, we conducted histological staining of crude lipids in the meristem region of 'Fuji' apples and found that lipid accumulation coincided with endodormancy induction. Since a major component of lipid bodies (triacylglycerol) is esterified fatty acids, we analysed fatty acid-derived volatile compounds and genes encoding fatty acid-modifying enzymes (MdLOX1A and MdHPL2A); the reduction of lipid breakdown also coincided with endodormancy induction. We then characterised the expression patterns of lipid body-regulatory genes MdOLE1 and MdLIP2A during endodormancy induction and found that the expression of MdLIP2A correlated well with lipid accumulation towards endodormancy induction. Based on these results, we conducted chromatin remodelling studies and localized the cis-element in the 5'-upstream region of MdLIP2A to clarify its regulatory mechanism. Finally, we revealed that chromatin was concentrated - 764 to - 862 bp of the 5'-upstream region of MdLIP2A, which harbours the GARE [gibberellin responsive MYB transcription factor binding site] and CArG [MADS-box transcription factor binding site] motifs-meristem development-related protein-binding sites.

  1. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog facilitates chromatin accessibility of the estrogen receptor α target genes in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Kwang Won, E-mail: kwjeong@gachon.ac.kr

    2014-04-04

    Highlights: • H3K4me3 and Pol II binding at TFF1 promoter were reduced in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. • FLII is required for chromatin accessibility of the enhancer of ERalpha target genes. • Depletion of FLII causes inhibition of proliferation of MCF-7 cells. - Abstract: The coordinated activities of multiple protein complexes are essential to the remodeling of chromatin structure and for the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to the promoter in order to facilitate the initiation of transcription in nuclear receptor-mediated gene expression. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog (FLII), a nuclear receptor coactivator, is associated with the SWI/SNF-chromatin remodeling complex during estrogen receptor (ER)α-mediated transcription. However, the function of FLII in estrogen-induced chromatin opening has not been fully explored. Here, we show that FLII plays a critical role in establishing active histone modification marks and generating the open chromatin structure of ERα target genes. We observed that the enhancer regions of ERα target genes are heavily occupied by FLII, and histone H3K4me3 and Pol II binding induced by estrogen are decreased in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments showed that depletion of FLII resulted in reduced chromatin accessibility of multiple ERα target genes. These data suggest FLII as a key regulator of ERα-mediated transcription through its role in regulating chromatin accessibility for the binding of RNA Polymerase II and possibly other transcriptional coactivators.

  2. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog facilitates chromatin accessibility of the estrogen receptor α target genes in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Kwang Won

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • H3K4me3 and Pol II binding at TFF1 promoter were reduced in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. • FLII is required for chromatin accessibility of the enhancer of ERalpha target genes. • Depletion of FLII causes inhibition of proliferation of MCF-7 cells. - Abstract: The coordinated activities of multiple protein complexes are essential to the remodeling of chromatin structure and for the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to the promoter in order to facilitate the initiation of transcription in nuclear receptor-mediated gene expression. Flightless I (Drosophila) homolog (FLII), a nuclear receptor coactivator, is associated with the SWI/SNF-chromatin remodeling complex during estrogen receptor (ER)α-mediated transcription. However, the function of FLII in estrogen-induced chromatin opening has not been fully explored. Here, we show that FLII plays a critical role in establishing active histone modification marks and generating the open chromatin structure of ERα target genes. We observed that the enhancer regions of ERα target genes are heavily occupied by FLII, and histone H3K4me3 and Pol II binding induced by estrogen are decreased in FLII-depleted MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments showed that depletion of FLII resulted in reduced chromatin accessibility of multiple ERα target genes. These data suggest FLII as a key regulator of ERα-mediated transcription through its role in regulating chromatin accessibility for the binding of RNA Polymerase II and possibly other transcriptional coactivators

  3. Interplay between chromatin modulators and histone acetylation regulates the formation of accessible chromatin in the upstream regulatory region of fission yeast fbp1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, Akira; Senmatsu, Satoshi; Asada, Ryuta; Abe, Takuya; Hoffman, Charles S; Ohta, Kunihiro; Hirota, Kouji

    2018-05-03

    Numerous noncoding RNA transcripts are detected in eukaryotic cells. Noncoding RNAs transcribed across gene promoters are involved in the regulation of mRNA transcription via chromatin modulation. This function of noncoding RNA transcription was first demonstrated for the fission yeast fbp1 gene, where a cascade of noncoding RNA transcription events induces chromatin remodeling to facilitate transcription factor binding. We recently demonstrated that the noncoding RNAs from the fbp1 upstream region facilitate binding of the transcription activator Atf1 and thereby promote histone acetylation. Histone acetylation by histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers (ADCRs) are implicated in chromatin remodeling, but the interplay between HATs and ADCRs in this process has not been fully elucidated. Here, we examine the roles played by two distinct ADCRs, Snf22 and Hrp3, and by the HAT Gcn5 in the transcriptional activation of fbp1. Snf22 and Hrp3 redundantly promote disassembly of chromatin in the fbp1 upstream region. Gcn5 critically contributes to nucleosome eviction in the absence of either Snf22 or Hrp3, presumably by recruiting Hrp3 in snf22∆ cells and Snf22 in hrp3∆ cells. Conversely, Gcn5-dependent histone H3 acetylation is impaired in snf22∆/hrp3∆ cells, suggesting that both redundant ADCRs induce recruitment of Gcn5 to the chromatin array in the fbp1 upstream region. These results reveal a previously unappreciated interplay between ADCRs and histone acetylation in which histone acetylation facilitates recruitment of ADCRs, while ADCRs are required for histone acetylation.

  4. The Drosophila melanogaster CHD1 chromatin remodeling factor modulates global chromosome structure and counteracts HP1a and H3K9me2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugga, Lakshmi; McDaniel, Ivy E; Engie, Liana; Armstrong, Jennifer A

    2013-01-01

    CHD1 is a conserved chromatin remodeling factor that localizes to active genes and functions in nucleosome assembly and positioning as well as histone turnover. Mouse CHD1 is required for the maintenance of stem cell pluripotency while human CHD1 may function as a tumor suppressor. To investigate the action of CHD1 on higher order chromatin structure in differentiated cells, we examined the consequences of loss of CHD1 and over-expression of CHD1 on polytene chromosomes from salivary glands of third instar Drosophila melanogaster larvae. We observed that chromosome structure is sensitive to the amount of this remodeler. Loss of CHD1 resulted in alterations of chromosome structure and an increase in the heterochromatin protein HP1a, while over-expression of CHD1 disrupted higher order chromatin structure and caused a decrease in levels of HP1a. Over-expression of an ATPase inactive form of CHD1 did not result in severe chromosomal defects, suggesting that the ATPase activity is required for this in vivo phenotype. Interestingly, changes in CHD1 protein levels did not correlate with changes in the levels of the euchromatin mark H3K4me3 or elongating RNA Polymerase II. Thus, while CHD1 is localized to transcriptionally active regions of the genome, it can function to alter the levels of HP1a, perhaps through changes in methylation of H3K9.

  5. The Drosophila melanogaster CHD1 chromatin remodeling factor modulates global chromosome structure and counteracts HP1a and H3K9me2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmi Bugga

    Full Text Available CHD1 is a conserved chromatin remodeling factor that localizes to active genes and functions in nucleosome assembly and positioning as well as histone turnover. Mouse CHD1 is required for the maintenance of stem cell pluripotency while human CHD1 may function as a tumor suppressor. To investigate the action of CHD1 on higher order chromatin structure in differentiated cells, we examined the consequences of loss of CHD1 and over-expression of CHD1 on polytene chromosomes from salivary glands of third instar Drosophila melanogaster larvae. We observed that chromosome structure is sensitive to the amount of this remodeler. Loss of CHD1 resulted in alterations of chromosome structure and an increase in the heterochromatin protein HP1a, while over-expression of CHD1 disrupted higher order chromatin structure and caused a decrease in levels of HP1a. Over-expression of an ATPase inactive form of CHD1 did not result in severe chromosomal defects, suggesting that the ATPase activity is required for this in vivo phenotype. Interestingly, changes in CHD1 protein levels did not correlate with changes in the levels of the euchromatin mark H3K4me3 or elongating RNA Polymerase II. Thus, while CHD1 is localized to transcriptionally active regions of the genome, it can function to alter the levels of HP1a, perhaps through changes in methylation of H3K9.

  6. Chromatin versus pathogens: the function of epigenetics in plant immunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Bo; Wang, Guo-Liang

    2015-01-01

    To defend against pathogens, plants have developed a sophisticated innate immunity that includes effector recognition, signal transduction, and rapid defense responses. Recent evidence has demonstrated that plants utilize the epigenetic control of gene expression to fine-tune their defense when challenged by pathogens. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of histone modifications (i.e., methylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination) and chromatin remodeling that contribute to plant immunity against pathogens. Functions of key histone-modifying and chromatin remodeling enzymes are discussed. PMID:26388882

  7. Histone variant H3.3-mediated chromatin remodeling is essential for paternal genome activation in mouse preimplantation embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Qingran; Banaszynski, Laura A; Geng, Fuqiang; Zhang, Xiaolei; Zhang, Jiaming; Zhang, Heng; O'Neill, Claire L; Yan, Peidong; Liu, Zhonghua; Shido, Koji; Palermo, Gianpiero D; Allis, C David; Rafii, Shahin; Rosenwaks, Zev; Wen, Duancheng

    2018-03-09

    Derepression of chromatin-mediated transcriptional repression of paternal and maternal genomes is considered the first major step that initiates zygotic gene expression after fertilization. The histone variant H3.3 is present in both male and female gametes and is thought to be important for remodeling the paternal and maternal genomes for activation during both fertilization and embryogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using our H3.3B-HA-tagged mouse model, engineered to report H3.3 expression in live animals and to distinguish different sources of H3.3 protein in embryos, we show here that sperm-derived H3.3 (sH3.3) protein is removed from the sperm genome shortly after fertilization and extruded from the zygotes via the second polar bodies (PBII) during embryogenesis. We also found that the maternal H3.3 (mH3.3) protein is incorporated into the paternal genome as early as 2 h postfertilization and is detectable in the paternal genome until the morula stage. Knockdown of maternal H3.3 resulted in compromised embryonic development both of fertilized embryos and of androgenetic haploid embryos. Furthermore, we report that mH3.3 depletion in oocytes impairs both activation of the Oct4 pluripotency marker gene and global de novo transcription from the paternal genome important for early embryonic development. Our results suggest that H3.3-mediated paternal chromatin remodeling is essential for the development of preimplantation embryos and the activation of the paternal genome during embryogenesis. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. Nucleosome breathing and remodeling constrain CRISPR-Cas9 function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaac, R Stefan; Jiang, Fuguo; Doudna, Jennifer A; Lim, Wendell A; Narlikar, Geeta J; Almeida, Ricardo

    2016-01-01

    The CRISPR-Cas9 bacterial surveillance system has become a versatile tool for genome editing and gene regulation in eukaryotic cells, yet how CRISPR-Cas9 contends with the barriers presented by eukaryotic chromatin is poorly understood. Here we investigate how the smallest unit of chromatin, a nucleosome, constrains the activity of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. We find that nucleosomes assembled on native DNA sequences are permissive to Cas9 action. However, the accessibility of nucleosomal DNA to Cas9 is variable over several orders of magnitude depending on dynamic properties of the DNA sequence and the distance of the PAM site from the nucleosome dyad. We further find that chromatin remodeling enzymes stimulate Cas9 activity on nucleosomal templates. Our findings imply that the spontaneous breathing of nucleosomal DNA together with the action of chromatin remodelers allow Cas9 to effectively act on chromatin in vivo. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13450.001 PMID:27130520

  9. Repression of germline RNAi pathways in somatic cells by retinoblastoma pathway chromatin complexes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoyun Wu

    Full Text Available The retinoblastoma (Rb tumor suppressor acts with a number of chromatin cofactors in a wide range of species to suppress cell proliferation. The Caenorhabditis elegans retinoblastoma gene and many of these cofactors, called synMuv B genes, were identified in genetic screens for cell lineage defects caused by growth factor misexpression. Mutations in many synMuv B genes, including lin-35/Rb, also cause somatic misexpression of the germline RNA processing P granules and enhanced RNAi. We show here that multiple small RNA components, including a set of germline-specific Argonaute genes, are misexpressed in the soma of many synMuv B mutant animals, revealing one node for enhanced RNAi. Distinct classes of synMuv B mutants differ in the subcellular architecture of their misexpressed P granules, their profile of misexpressed small RNA and P granule genes, as well as their enhancement of RNAi and the related silencing of transgenes. These differences define three classes of synMuv B genes, representing three chromatin complexes: a LIN-35/Rb-containing DRM core complex, a SUMO-recruited Mec complex, and a synMuv B heterochromatin complex, suggesting that intersecting chromatin pathways regulate the repression of small RNA and P granule genes in the soma and the potency of RNAi. Consistent with this, the DRM complex and the synMuv B heterochromatin complex were genetically additive and displayed distinct antagonistic interactions with the MES-4 histone methyltransferase and the MRG-1 chromodomain protein, two germline chromatin regulators required for the synMuv phenotype and the somatic misexpression of P granule components. Thus intersecting synMuv B chromatin pathways conspire with synMuv B suppressor chromatin factors to regulate the expression of small RNA pathway genes, which enables heightened RNAi response. Regulation of small RNA pathway genes by human retinoblastoma may also underlie its role as a tumor suppressor gene.

  10. IRAK-M regulates chromatin remodeling in lung macrophages during experimental sepsis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenneth Lyn-Kew

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Sepsis results in a profound state of immunosuppression, which is temporally associated with impaired leukocyte function. The mechanism of leukocyte reprogramming in sepsis is incompletely understood. In this study, we explored mechanisms contributing to dysregulated inflammatory cytokine expression by pulmonary macrophages during experimental sepsis. Pulmonary macrophages (PM recovered from the lungs of mice undergoing cecal ligation and puncture (CLP display transiently reduced expression of some, but not all innate genes in response to LPS. Impaired expression of TNF-alpha and iNOS was associated with reduced acetylation and methylation of specific histones (AcH4 and H3K4me3 and reduced binding of RNA polymerase II to the promoters of these genes. Transient impairment in LPS-induced cytokine responses in septic PM temporally correlated with induction of IRAK-M mRNA and protein, which occurred in a MyD88-dependent fashion. PM isolated from IRAK-M(-/- mice were largely refractory to CLP-induced impairment in cytokine expression, chromatin remodeling, recruitment of RNA polymerase II, and induction of histone deacetylase-2 observed during sepsis. Our findings indicate that systemic sepsis induces epigenetic silencing of cytokine gene expression in lung macrophages, and IRAK-M appears to be a critical mediator of this response.

  11. Epigenetic regulation of open chromatin in pluripotent stem cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Kikyo, Nobuaki

    2014-01-01

    The recent progress in pluripotent stem cell research has opened new avenues of disease modeling, drug screening, and transplantation of patient-specific tissues that had been unimaginable until a decade ago. The central mechanism underlying pluripotency is epigenetic gene regulation; the majority of cell signaling pathways, both extracellular and cytoplasmic, eventually alter the epigenetic status of their target genes during the process of activating or suppressing the genes to acquire or maintain pluripotency. It has long been thought that the chromatin of pluripotent stem cells is globally open to enable the timely activation of essentially all genes in the genome during differentiation into multiple lineages. The current article reviews descriptive observations and the epigenetic machinery relevant to what is supposed to be globally open chromatin in pluripotent stem cells. This includes microscopic appearance, permissive gene transcription, chromatin remodeling complexes, histone modifications, DNA methylation, noncoding RNAs, dynamic movement of chromatin proteins, nucleosome accessibility and positioning, and long-range chromosomal interactions. Detailed analyses of each element, however, have revealed that the globally open chromatin hypothesis is not necessarily supported by some of the critical experimental evidence, such as genome-wide nucleosome accessibility and nucleosome positioning. Further understanding of the epigenetic gene regulation is expected to determine the true nature of the so-called globally open chromatin in pluripotent stem. PMID:24695097

  12. The histone chaperone TAF-I/SET/INHAT is required for transcription in vitro of chromatin templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamble, Matthew J; Erdjument-Bromage, Hediye; Tempst, Paul; Freedman, Leonard P; Fisher, Robert P

    2005-01-01

    To uncover factors required for transcription by RNA polymerase II on chromatin, we fractionated a mammalian cell nuclear extract. We identified the histone chaperone TAF-I (also known as INHAT [inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase]), which was previously proposed to repress transcription, as a potent activator of chromatin transcription responsive to the vitamin D3 receptor or to Gal4-VP16. TAF-I associates with chromatin in vitro and can substitute for the related protein NAP-1 in assembling chromatin onto cloned DNA templates in cooperation with the remodeling enzyme ATP-dependent chromatin assembly factor (ACF). The chromatin assembly and transcriptional activation functions are distinct, however, and can be dissociated temporally. Efficient transcription of chromatin assembled with TAF-I still requires the presence of TAF-I during the polymerization reaction. Conversely, TAF-I cannot stimulate transcript elongation when added after the other factors necessary for assembly of a preinitiation complex on naked DNA. Thus, TAF-I is required to facilitate transcription at a step after chromatin assembly but before transcript elongation.

  13. Acetylation-Dependent Chromatin Reorganization by BRDT, a Testis-Specific Bromodomain-Containing Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pivot-Pajot, Christophe; Caron, Cécile; Govin, Jérôme; Vion, Alexandre; Rousseaux, Sophie; Khochbin, Saadi

    2003-01-01

    The association between histone acetylation and replacement observed during spermatogenesis prompted us to consider the testis as a source for potential factors capable of remodelling acetylated chromatin. A systematic search of data banks for open reading frames encoding testis-specific bromodomain-containing proteins focused our attention on BRDT, a testis-specific protein of unknown function containing two bromodomains. BRDT specifically binds hyperacetylated histone H4 tail depending on the integrity of both bromodomains. Moreover, in somatic cells, the ectopic expression of BRDT triggered a dramatic reorganization of the chromatin only after induction of histone hyperacetylation by trichostatin A (TSA). We then defined critical domains of BRDT involved in its activity. Both bromodomains of BRDT, as well as flanking regions, were found indispensable for its histone acetylation-dependent remodelling activity. Interestingly, we also observed that recombinant BRDT was capable of inducing reorganization of the chromatin of isolated nuclei in vitro only when the nuclei were from TSA-treated cells. This assay also allowed us to show that the action of BRDT was ATP independent, suggesting a structural role for the protein in the remodelling of acetylated chromatin. This is the first demonstration of a large-scale reorganization of acetylated chromatin induced by a specific factor. PMID:12861021

  14. Complex mutual regulation of facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) subunits on both mRNA and protein levels in human cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safina, Alfiya; Garcia, Henry; Commane, Mairead; Guryanova, Olga; Degan, Seamus; Kolesnikova, Kateryna; Gurova, Katerina V

    2013-08-01

    Facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) is a chromatin remodeling complex with two subunits: SSRP1 and SPT16. Mechanisms controlling FACT levels are of interest, since the complex is not expressed in most differentiated cells, but is frequently upregulated in cancer, particularly in poorly differentiated, aggressive tumors. Moreover, inhibition of FACT expression or function in tumor cells interferes with their survival. Here we demonstrate that SSRP1 and SPT16 protein levels decline upon induction of cellular differentiation or senescence in vitro and that similar declines in protein levels for both SSRP1 and SPT16 occur upon RNAi-mediated knockdown of either SSRP1 or SPT16. The interdependence of SSRP1 and SPT16 protein levels was found to be due to their association with SSRP1 and SPT16 mRNAs, which stabilizes the proteins. In particular, presence of SSRP1 mRNA is critical for SPT16 protein stability. In addition, binding of SSRP1 and SPT16 mRNAs to the FACT complex increases the stability and efficiency of translation of the mRNAs. These data support a model in which the FACT complex is stable when SSRP1 mRNA is present, but quickly degrades when SSRP1 mRNA levels drop. In the absence of FACT complex, SSRP1 and SPT16 mRNAs are unstable and inefficiently translated, making reactivation of FACT function unlikely in normal cells. Thus, we have described a complex and unusual mode of regulation controlling cellular FACT levels that results in amplified and stringent control of FACT activity. The FACT dependence of tumor cells suggests that mechanisms controlling FACT levels could be targeted for anticancer therapy.

  15. Role of nucleosome remodeling in neurodevelopmental and intellectual disability disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto J Lopez

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available It is becoming increasingly important to understand how epigenetic mechanisms control gene expression during neurodevelopment. Two epigenetic mechanisms that have received considerable attention are DNA methylation and histone acetylation. Human exome sequencing and genome-wide association studies have linked several neurobiological disorders to genes whose products actively regulate DNA methylation and histone acetylation. More recently, a third major epigenetic mechanism, nucleosome remodeling, has been implicated in human developmental and intellectual disability disorders. Nucleosome remodeling is driven primarily through nucleosome remodeling complexes with specialized ATP-dependent enzymes. These enzymes directly interact with DNA or chromatin structure, as well as histone subunits, to restructure the shape and organization of nucleosome positioning to ultimately regulate gene expression. Of particular interest is the neuron-specific Brg1/hBrm Associated Factor (nBAF complex. Mutations in nBAF subunit genes have so far been linked to Coffin-Siris syndrome, Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, schizophrenia, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Together, these human developmental and intellectual disability disorders are powerful examples of the impact of epigenetic modulation on gene expression. This review focuses on the new and emerging role of nucleosome remodeling in neurodevelopmental and intellectual disability disorders and whether nucleosome remodeling affects gene expression required for cognition independently of its role in regulating gene expression required for development.

  16. Role of nucleosome remodeling in neurodevelopmental and intellectual disability disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Alberto J; Wood, Marcelo A

    2015-01-01

    It is becoming increasingly important to understand how epigenetic mechanisms control gene expression during neurodevelopment. Two epigenetic mechanisms that have received considerable attention are DNA methylation and histone acetylation. Human exome sequencing and genome-wide association studies have linked several neurobiological disorders to genes whose products actively regulate DNA methylation and histone acetylation. More recently, a third major epigenetic mechanism, nucleosome remodeling, has been implicated in human developmental and intellectual disability (ID) disorders. Nucleosome remodeling is driven primarily through nucleosome remodeling complexes with specialized ATP-dependent enzymes. These enzymes directly interact with DNA or chromatin structure, as well as histone subunits, to restructure the shape and organization of nucleosome positioning to ultimately regulate gene expression. Of particular interest is the neuron-specific Brg1/hBrm Associated Factor (nBAF) complex. Mutations in nBAF subunit genes have so far been linked to Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS), Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NBS), schizophrenia, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Together, these human developmental and ID disorders are powerful examples of the impact of epigenetic modulation on gene expression. This review focuses on the new and emerging role of nucleosome remodeling in neurodevelopmental and ID disorders and whether nucleosome remodeling affects gene expression required for cognition independently of its role in regulating gene expression required for development.

  17. [The role of remodeling complexes CHD1 and ISWI in spontaneous and UV-induced mutagenesis control in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evstiukhina, T A; Alekseeva, E A; Fedorov, D V; Peshekhonov, V T; Korolev, V G

    2017-02-01

    Chromatin remodulators are special multiprotein machines capable of transforming the structure, constitution, and positioning of nucleosomes on DNA. Biochemical activities of remodeling complexes CHD1 and ISWI from the SWI2/SNF2 family are well established. They ensure correct positioning of nucleosomes along the genome, which is probably critical for genome stability, in particular, after action of polymerases, repair enzymes, and transcription. In this paper, we show that single mutations in genes ISW1, ISW2, and CHD1 weakly affect repair and mutagenic processes in yeast cells. At the same time, there are differences in the effect of these mutations on spontaneous mutation levels, which indicates certain specificity of action of protein complexes ISW1, ISW2, and CHD1 on expression of different genes that control repair and mutation processes in yeast.

  18. Transcriptional activation by the thyroid hormone receptor through ligand-dependent receptor recruitment and chromatin remodelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøntved, Lars; Waterfall, Joshua J; Kim, Dong Wook

    2015-01-01

    A bimodal switch model is widely used to describe transcriptional regulation by the thyroid hormone receptor (TR). In this model, the unliganded TR forms stable, chromatin-bound complexes with transcriptional co-repressors to repress transcription. Binding of hormone dissociates co...

  19. Broken silence restored-remodeling primes for deacetylation at replication forks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jasencakova, Zuzana; Groth, Anja

    2011-01-01

    Faithful propagation of chromatin structures requires assimilation of new histones to the modification profile of individual loci. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Rowbotham and colleagues identify a remodeler, SMARCAD1, acting at replication sites to facilitate histone deacetylation and restorat......Faithful propagation of chromatin structures requires assimilation of new histones to the modification profile of individual loci. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Rowbotham and colleagues identify a remodeler, SMARCAD1, acting at replication sites to facilitate histone deacetylation...

  20. Chromatin structure and dynamics in hot environments: architectural proteins and DNA topoisomerases of thermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visone, Valeria; Vettone, Antonella; Serpe, Mario; Valenti, Anna; Perugino, Giuseppe; Rossi, Mosè; Ciaramella, Maria

    2014-09-25

    In all organisms of the three living domains (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya) chromosome-associated proteins play a key role in genome functional organization. They not only compact and shape the genome structure, but also regulate its dynamics, which is essential to allow complex genome functions. Elucidation of chromatin composition and regulation is a critical issue in biology, because of the intimate connection of chromatin with all the essential information processes (transcription, replication, recombination, and repair). Chromatin proteins include architectural proteins and DNA topoisomerases, which regulate genome structure and remodelling at two hierarchical levels. This review is focussed on architectural proteins and topoisomerases from hyperthermophilic Archaea. In these organisms, which live at high environmental temperature (>80 °C <113 °C), chromatin proteins and modulation of the DNA secondary structure are concerned with the problem of DNA stabilization against heat denaturation while maintaining its metabolic activity.

  1. Chromatin Structure and Dynamics in Hot Environments: Architectural Proteins and DNA Topoisomerases of Thermophilic Archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Visone

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In all organisms of the three living domains (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya chromosome-associated proteins play a key role in genome functional organization. They not only compact and shape the genome structure, but also regulate its dynamics, which is essential to allow complex genome functions. Elucidation of chromatin composition and regulation is a critical issue in biology, because of the intimate connection of chromatin with all the essential information processes (transcription, replication, recombination, and repair. Chromatin proteins include architectural proteins and DNA topoisomerases, which regulate genome structure and remodelling at two hierarchical levels. This review is focussed on architectural proteins and topoisomerases from hyperthermophilic Archaea. In these organisms, which live at high environmental temperature (>80 °C <113 °C, chromatin proteins and modulation of the DNA secondary structure are concerned with the problem of DNA stabilization against heat denaturation while maintaining its metabolic activity.

  2. A Systematic Analysis of Factors Localized to Damaged Chromatin Reveals PARP-Dependent Recruitment of Transcription Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izhar, Lior; Adamson, Britt; Ciccia, Alberto; Lewis, Jedd; Pontano-Vaites, Laura; Leng, Yumei; Liang, Anthony C; Westbrook, Thomas F; Harper, J Wade; Elledge, Stephen J

    2015-06-09

    Localization to sites of DNA damage is a hallmark of DNA damage response (DDR) proteins. To identify DDR factors, we screened epitope-tagged proteins for localization to sites of chromatin damaged by UV laser microirradiation and found >120 proteins that localize to damaged chromatin. These include the BAF tumor suppressor complex and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) candidate protein TAF15. TAF15 contains multiple domains that bind damaged chromatin in a poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-dependent manner, suggesting a possible role as glue that tethers multiple PAR chains together. Many positives were transcription factors; > 70% of randomly tested transcription factors localized to sites of DNA damage, and of these, ∼90% were PARP dependent for localization. Mutational analyses showed that localization to damaged chromatin is DNA-binding-domain dependent. By examining Hoechst staining patterns at damage sites, we see evidence of chromatin decompaction that is PARP dependent. We propose that PARP-regulated chromatin remodeling at sites of damage allows transient accessibility of DNA-binding proteins. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. A Systematic Analysis of Factors Localized to Damaged Chromatin Reveals PARP-Dependent Recruitment of Transcription Factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lior Izhar

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Localization to sites of DNA damage is a hallmark of DNA damage response (DDR proteins. To identify DDR factors, we screened epitope-tagged proteins for localization to sites of chromatin damaged by UV laser microirradiation and found >120 proteins that localize to damaged chromatin. These include the BAF tumor suppressor complex and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS candidate protein TAF15. TAF15 contains multiple domains that bind damaged chromatin in a poly-(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-dependent manner, suggesting a possible role as glue that tethers multiple PAR chains together. Many positives were transcription factors; > 70% of randomly tested transcription factors localized to sites of DNA damage, and of these, ∼90% were PARP dependent for localization. Mutational analyses showed that localization to damaged chromatin is DNA-binding-domain dependent. By examining Hoechst staining patterns at damage sites, we see evidence of chromatin decompaction that is PARP dependent. We propose that PARP-regulated chromatin remodeling at sites of damage allows transient accessibility of DNA-binding proteins.

  4. Chromosome aberration model combining radiation tracks, chromatin structure, DSB repair and chromatin mobility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedland, W.; Kundrat, P.

    2015-01-01

    The module that simulates the kinetics and yields of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations within the biophysical code PARTRAC is described. Radiation track structures simulated by Monte Carlo methods are overlapped with multi-scale models of DNA and chromatin to assess the resulting DNA damage. Spatial mobility of individual DNA ends from double-strand breaks is modelled simultaneously with their processing by the non-homologous end-joining enzymes. To score diverse types of chromosome aberrations, the joined ends are classified regarding their original chromosomal location, orientation and the involvement of centromeres. A comparison with experimental data on dicentrics induced by gamma and alpha particles shows that their relative dose dependence is predicted correctly, although the absolute yields are overestimated. The critical model assumptions on chromatin mobility and on the initial damage recognition and chromatin remodelling steps and their future refinements to solve this issue are discussed. (authors)

  5. The SET1 Complex Selects Actively Transcribed Target Genes via Multivalent Interaction with CpG Island Chromatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David A. Brown

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin modifications and the promoter-associated epigenome are important for the regulation of gene expression. However, the mechanisms by which chromatin-modifying complexes are targeted to the appropriate gene promoters in vertebrates and how they influence gene expression have remained poorly defined. Here, using a combination of live-cell imaging and functional genomics, we discover that the vertebrate SET1 complex is targeted to actively transcribed gene promoters through CFP1, which engages in a form of multivalent chromatin reading that involves recognition of non-methylated DNA and histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3. CFP1 defines SET1 complex occupancy on chromatin, and its multivalent interactions are required for the SET1 complex to place H3K4me3. In the absence of CFP1, gene expression is perturbed, suggesting that normal targeting and function of the SET1 complex are central to creating an appropriately functioning vertebrate promoter-associated epigenome.

  6. Circular chromatin complexes in human lymphocytes high-resolution autoradiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becak, M.L.; Fukuda-Pizzocaro, K.; Santos, R. de C.S. dos; Brunner, O.

    1985-01-01

    Transcriptionally active chromatin fibers were observed in chromosomes presenting the loops/scaffold configuration. The active fibers showed altered nucleosomes and presented multiforked aspects which led to the formation of ring complexes. The ribonucleoprotein transcripts (RNP) appeared as networks of 0.1 μm or multiples tandemly disposed along the fiber. It is suggested that the ring complexes belong to the human genome. The possibility that these circular structures come from a prokaryote is also considered. (author) [pt

  7. EBNA1 efficiently assembles on chromatin containing the Epstein-Barr virus latent origin of replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avolio-Hunter, Tina M.; Frappier, Lori

    2003-01-01

    The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein, EBNA1, activates the replication of latent EBV episomes and the transcription of EBV latency genes by binding to recognition sites in the DS and FR elements of oriP. Since EBV episomes exist as chromatin, we have examined the interaction of EBNA1 with oriP templates assembled with physiologically spaced nucleosomes. We show that EBNA1 retains the ability to efficiently bind its recognition sites within the DS and FR elements in oriP chromatin and that this property is intrinsic to the EBNA1 DNA binding domain. The efficient assembly of EBNA1 on oriP chromatin does not require ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors and does not cause the precise positioning of nucleosomes within or adjacent to the FR and DS elements. Thus EBNA1 belongs to a select group of proteins that can efficiently access their recognition sites within nucleosomes without the need for additional chromatin remodeling factors

  8. Mutations in SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex gene ARID1B cause Coffin-Siris syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santen, Gijs W E; Aten, Emmelien; Sun, Yu; Almomani, Rowida; Gilissen, Christian; Nielsen, Maartje; Kant, Sarina G; Snoeck, Irina N; Peeters, Els A J; Hilhorst-Hofstee, Yvonne; Wessels, Marja W; den Hollander, Nicolette S; Ruivenkamp, Claudia A L; van Ommen, Gert-Jan B; Breuning, Martijn H; den Dunnen, Johan T; van Haeringen, Arie; Kriek, Marjolein

    2012-03-18

    We identified de novo truncating mutations in ARID1B in three individuals with Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) by exome sequencing. Array-based copy-number variation (CNV) analysis in 2,000 individuals with intellectual disability revealed deletions encompassing ARID1B in 3 subjects with phenotypes partially overlapping that of CSS. Taken together with published data, these results indicate that haploinsufficiency of the ARID1B gene, which encodes an epigenetic modifier of chromatin structure, is an important cause of CSS and is potentially a common cause of intellectual disability and speech impairment.

  9. Put your 3D glasses on: plant chromatin is on show

    KAUST Repository

    Rodriguez Granados, Natalia Yaneth; Ramirez Prado, Juan Sebastian; Veluchamy, Alaguraj; Latrasse, David; Raynaud, Cé cile; Crespi, Martin; Ariel, Federico; Benhamed, Moussa

    2016-01-01

    The three-dimensional organization of the eukaryotic nucleus and its chromosomal conformation have emerged as important features in the complex network of mechanisms behind gene activity and genome connectivity dynamics, which can be evidenced in the regionalized chromosomal spatial distribution and the clustering of diverse genomic regions with similar expression patterns. The development of chromatin conformation capture (3C) techniques has permitted the elucidation of commonalities between the eukaryotic phyla, as well as important differences among them. The growing number of studies in the field performed in plants has shed light on the structural and regulatory features of these organisms. For instance, it has been proposed that plant chromatin can be arranged into different conformations such as Rabl, Rosette-like, and Bouquet, and that both short- and long-range chromatin interactions occur in Arabidopsis. In this review, we compile the current knowledge about chromosome architecture characteristics in plants, as well as the molecular events and elements (including long non-coding RNAs, histone and DNA modifications, chromatin remodeling complexes, and transcription factors) shaping the genome three-dimensional conformation. Furthermore, we discuss the developmental outputs of genome topology-mediated gene expression regulation. It is becoming increasingly clear that new tools and techniques with higher resolution need to be developed and implemented in Arabidopsis and other model plants in order to better understand chromosome architecture dynamics, from an integrative perspective with other fields of plant biology such as development, stress biology, and finally agriculture. © 2016 The Author 2016.

  10. Put your 3D glasses on: plant chromatin is on show

    KAUST Repository

    Rodriguez Granados, Natalia Yaneth

    2016-04-30

    The three-dimensional organization of the eukaryotic nucleus and its chromosomal conformation have emerged as important features in the complex network of mechanisms behind gene activity and genome connectivity dynamics, which can be evidenced in the regionalized chromosomal spatial distribution and the clustering of diverse genomic regions with similar expression patterns. The development of chromatin conformation capture (3C) techniques has permitted the elucidation of commonalities between the eukaryotic phyla, as well as important differences among them. The growing number of studies in the field performed in plants has shed light on the structural and regulatory features of these organisms. For instance, it has been proposed that plant chromatin can be arranged into different conformations such as Rabl, Rosette-like, and Bouquet, and that both short- and long-range chromatin interactions occur in Arabidopsis. In this review, we compile the current knowledge about chromosome architecture characteristics in plants, as well as the molecular events and elements (including long non-coding RNAs, histone and DNA modifications, chromatin remodeling complexes, and transcription factors) shaping the genome three-dimensional conformation. Furthermore, we discuss the developmental outputs of genome topology-mediated gene expression regulation. It is becoming increasingly clear that new tools and techniques with higher resolution need to be developed and implemented in Arabidopsis and other model plants in order to better understand chromosome architecture dynamics, from an integrative perspective with other fields of plant biology such as development, stress biology, and finally agriculture. © 2016 The Author 2016.

  11. C-terminal region of DNA ligase IV drives XRCC4/DNA ligase IV complex to chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Sicheng; Liu, Xunyue; Kamdar, Radhika Pankaj; Wanotayan, Rujira; Sharma, Mukesh Kumar; Adachi, Noritaka; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Chromatin binding of XRCC4 is dependent on the presence of DNA ligase IV. •C-terminal region of DNA ligase IV alone can recruit itself and XRCC4 to chromatin. •Two BRCT domains of DNA ligase IV are essential for the chromatin binding of XRCC4. -- Abstract: DNA ligase IV (LIG4) and XRCC4 form a complex to ligate two DNA ends at the final step of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). It is not fully understood how these proteins are recruited to DSBs. We recently demonstrated radiation-induced chromatin binding of XRCC4 by biochemical fractionation using detergent Nonidet P-40. In the present study, we examined the role of LIG4 in the recruitment of XRCC4/LIG4 complex to chromatin. The chromatin binding of XRCC4 was dependent on the presence of LIG4. The mutations in two BRCT domains (W725R and W893R, respectively) of LIG4 reduced the chromatin binding of LIG4 and XRCC4. The C-terminal fragment of LIG4 (LIG4-CT) without N-terminal catalytic domains could bind to chromatin with XRCC4. LIG4-CT with W725R or W893R mutation could bind to chromatin but could not support the chromatin binding of XRCC4. The ability of C-terminal region of LIG4 to interact with chromatin might provide us with an insight into the mechanisms of DSB repair through NHEJ

  12. Chromatin-regulating proteins as targets for cancer therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oike, Takahiro; Ogiwara, Hideaki; Kohno, Takashi; Amornwichet, Napapat; Nakano, Takashi

    2014-01-01

    Chromatin-regulating proteins represent a large class of novel targets for cancer therapy. In the context of radiotherapy, acetylation and deacetylation of histones by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) play important roles in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks generated by ionizing irradiation, and are therefore attractive targets for radiosensitization. Small-molecule inhibitors of HATs (garcinol, anacardic acid and curcumin) and HDACs (vorinostat, sodium butyrate and valproic acid) have been shown to sensitize cancer cells to ionizing irradiation in preclinical models, and some of these molecules are being tested in clinical trials, either alone or in combination with radiotherapy. Meanwhile, recent large-scale genome analyses have identified frequent mutations in genes encoding chromatin-regulating proteins, especially in those encoding subunits of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex, in various human cancers. These observations have driven researchers toward development of targeted therapies against cancers carrying these mutations. DOT1L inhibition in MLL-rearranged leukemia, EZH2 inhibition in EZH2-mutant or MLL-rearranged hematologic malignancies and SNF5-deficient tumors, BRD4 inhibition in various hematologic malignancies, and BRM inhibition in BRG1-deficient tumors have demonstrated promising anti-tumor effects in preclinical models, and these strategies are currently awaiting clinical application. Overall, the data collected so far suggest that targeting chromatin-regulating proteins is a promising strategy for tomorrow's cancer therapy, including radiotherapy and molecularly targeted chemotherapy. (author)

  13. Circulating chromatin-anti-chromatin antibody complexes bind with high affinity to dermo-epidermal structures in murine and human lupus nephritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fismen, S; Hedberg, A; Fenton, K A

    2009-01-01

    Murine and human lupus nephritis are characterized by glomerular deposits of electron-dense structures (EDS). Dominant components of EDS are chromatin fragments and IgG antibodies. Whether glomerular EDS predispose for similar deposits in skin is unknown. We analysed (i) whether dermo-epidermal i......Murine and human lupus nephritis are characterized by glomerular deposits of electron-dense structures (EDS). Dominant components of EDS are chromatin fragments and IgG antibodies. Whether glomerular EDS predispose for similar deposits in skin is unknown. We analysed (i) whether dermo......-epidermal immune complex deposits have similar molecular composition as glomerular deposits, (ii) whether chromatin fragments bind dermo-epidermal structures, and (iii) whether deposits in nephritic glomeruli predispose for accumulation of similar deposits in skin. Paired skin and kidney biopsies from nephritic...... (NZBxNZW)F1 and MRL-lpr/lpr mice and from five patients with lupus nephritis were analysed by immunofluorescence, immune electron microscopy (IEM) and co-localization TUNEL IEM. Affinity of chromatin fragments for membrane structures was determined by surface plasmon resonance. Results demonstrated (i...

  14. The SET1 Complex Selects Actively Transcribed Target Genes via Multivalent Interaction with CpG Island Chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, David A; Di Cerbo, Vincenzo; Feldmann, Angelika; Ahn, Jaewoo; Ito, Shinsuke; Blackledge, Neil P; Nakayama, Manabu; McClellan, Michael; Dimitrova, Emilia; Turberfield, Anne H; Long, Hannah K; King, Hamish W; Kriaucionis, Skirmantas; Schermelleh, Lothar; Kutateladze, Tatiana G; Koseki, Haruhiko; Klose, Robert J

    2017-09-05

    Chromatin modifications and the promoter-associated epigenome are important for the regulation of gene expression. However, the mechanisms by which chromatin-modifying complexes are targeted to the appropriate gene promoters in vertebrates and how they influence gene expression have remained poorly defined. Here, using a combination of live-cell imaging and functional genomics, we discover that the vertebrate SET1 complex is targeted to actively transcribed gene promoters through CFP1, which engages in a form of multivalent chromatin reading that involves recognition of non-methylated DNA and histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). CFP1 defines SET1 complex occupancy on chromatin, and its multivalent interactions are required for the SET1 complex to place H3K4me3. In the absence of CFP1, gene expression is perturbed, suggesting that normal targeting and function of the SET1 complex are central to creating an appropriately functioning vertebrate promoter-associated epigenome. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Sedimentation Velocity Analysis of Large Oligomeric Chromatin Complexes Using Interference Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogge, Ryan A; Hansen, Jeffrey C

    2015-01-01

    Sedimentation velocity experiments measure the transport of molecules in solution under centrifugal force. Here, we describe a method for monitoring the sedimentation of very large biological molecular assemblies using the interference optical systems of the analytical ultracentrifuge. The mass, partial-specific volume, and shape of macromolecules in solution affect their sedimentation rates as reflected in the sedimentation coefficient. The sedimentation coefficient is obtained by measuring the solute concentration as a function of radial distance during centrifugation. Monitoring the concentration can be accomplished using interference optics, absorbance optics, or the fluorescence detection system, each with inherent advantages. The interference optical system captures data much faster than these other optical systems, allowing for sedimentation velocity analysis of extremely large macromolecular complexes that sediment rapidly at very low rotor speeds. Supramolecular oligomeric complexes produced by self-association of 12-mer chromatin fibers are used to illustrate the advantages of the interference optics. Using interference optics, we show that chromatin fibers self-associate at physiological divalent salt concentrations to form structures that sediment between 10,000 and 350,000S. The method for characterizing chromatin oligomers described in this chapter will be generally useful for characterization of any biological structures that are too large to be studied by the absorbance optical system. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Modulation of chromatin access during adipocyte differentiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandrup, Susanne; Hager, Gordon L

    2012-01-01

    identified; however, it is not until recently that we have begun to understand how these factors act at a genome-wide scale. In a recent publication we have mapped the genome-wide changes in chromatin structure during differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and shown that a major reorganization...... of the chromatin landscape occurs within few hours following the addition of the adipogenic cocktail. In addition, we have mapped the genome-wide profiles of several of the early adipogenic transcription factors and shown that they act in a highly cooperative manner to drive this dramatic remodeling process....

  17. CRTC1 Nuclear Translocation Following Learning Modulates Memory Strength via Exchange of Chromatin Remodeling Complexes on the Fgf1 Gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchida, Shusaku; Teubner, Brett J W; Hevi, Charles; Hara, Kumiko; Kobayashi, Ayumi; Dave, Rutu M; Shintaku, Tatsushi; Jaikhan, Pattaporn; Yamagata, Hirotaka; Suzuki, Takayoshi; Watanabe, Yoshifumi; Zakharenko, Stanislav S; Shumyatsky, Gleb P

    2017-01-10

    Memory is formed by synapse-to-nucleus communication that leads to regulation of gene transcription, but the identity and organizational logic of signaling pathways involved in this communication remain unclear. Here we find that the transcription cofactor CRTC1 is a critical determinant of sustained gene transcription and memory strength in the hippocampus. Following associative learning, synaptically localized CRTC1 is translocated to the nucleus and regulates Fgf1b transcription in an activity-dependent manner. After both weak and strong training, the HDAC3-N-CoR corepressor complex leaves the Fgf1b promoter and a complex involving the translocated CRTC1, phosphorylated CREB, and histone acetyltransferase CBP induces transient transcription. Strong training later substitutes KAT5 for CBP, a process that is dependent on CRTC1, but not on CREB phosphorylation. This in turn leads to long-lasting Fgf1b transcription and memory enhancement. Thus, memory strength relies on activity-dependent changes in chromatin and temporal regulation of gene transcription on specific CREB/CRTC1 gene targets. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. 5C analysis of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex locus reveals distinct chromatin interaction networks between gene-rich and gene-poor TADs in skin epithelial cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Poterlowicz

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Mammalian genomes contain several dozens of large (>0.5 Mbp lineage-specific gene loci harbouring functionally related genes. However, spatial chromatin folding, organization of the enhancer-promoter networks and their relevance to Topologically Associating Domains (TADs in these loci remain poorly understood. TADs are principle units of the genome folding and represents the DNA regions within which DNA interacts more frequently and less frequently across the TAD boundary. Here, we used Chromatin Conformation Capture Carbon Copy (5C technology to characterize spatial chromatin interaction network in the 3.1 Mb Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC locus harbouring 61 functionally related genes that show lineage-specific activation during terminal keratinocyte differentiation in the epidermis. 5C data validated by 3D-FISH demonstrate that the EDC locus is organized into several TADs showing distinct lineage-specific chromatin interaction networks based on their transcription activity and the gene-rich or gene-poor status. Correlation of the 5C results with genome-wide studies for enhancer-specific histone modifications (H3K4me1 and H3K27ac revealed that the majority of spatial chromatin interactions that involves the gene-rich TADs at the EDC locus in keratinocytes include both intra- and inter-TAD interaction networks, connecting gene promoters and enhancers. Compared to thymocytes in which the EDC locus is mostly transcriptionally inactive, these interactions were found to be keratinocyte-specific. In keratinocytes, the promoter-enhancer anchoring regions in the gene-rich transcriptionally active TADs are enriched for the binding of chromatin architectural proteins CTCF, Rad21 and chromatin remodeler Brg1. In contrast to gene-rich TADs, gene-poor TADs show preferential spatial contacts with each other, do not contain active enhancers and show decreased binding of CTCF, Rad21 and Brg1 in keratinocytes. Thus, spatial interactions between gene

  19. The importance of topoisomerases for chromatin regulated genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fredsøe, Jacob Christian; Pedersen, Jakob Madsen; Rødgaard, Morten Terpager

    2013-01-01

    DNA topoisomerases are enzymes, which function to relieve torsional stress in the DNA helix by introducing transient breaks into the DNA molecule. By use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and microarray technology we have previously shown that topoisomerases are required for the activation of chromatin...... topoisomerases for optimal activation, but in contrast to the PHO5 gene, topoisomerases are not required for chromatin remodeling of the GAL1/10 promoter region, indicating a different role of the enzymes. We are currently performing a detailed investigation of the GAL genes to elucidate the precise role...

  20. Genomic and proteomic characterization of ARID1A chromatin remodeller in ampullary tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nastase, Anca; Teo, Jin Yao; Heng, Hong Lee; Ng, Cedric Chuan Young; Myint, Swe Swe; Rajasegaran, Vikneswari; Loh, Jia Liang; Lee, Ser Yee; Ooi, London Lucien; Chung, Alexander Yaw Fui; Chow, Pierce Kah Hoe; Cheow, Peng Chung; Wan, Wei Keat; Azhar, Rafy; Khoo, Avery; Xiu, Sam Xin; Alkaff, Syed Muhammad Fahmy; Cutcutache, Ioana; Lim, Jing Quan; Ong, Choon Kiat; Herlea, Vlad; Dima, Simona; Duda, Dan G; Teh, Bin Tean; Popescu, Irinel; Lim, Tony Kiat Hon

    2017-01-01

    AT rich interactive domain 1A (ARID1A) is one of the most commonly mutated genes in a broad variety of tumors. The mechanisms that involve ARID1A in ampullary cancer progression remains elusive. Here, we evaluated the frequency of ARID1A and KRAS mutations in ampullary adenomas and adenocarcinomas and in duodenal adenocarcinomas from two cohorts of patients from Singapore and Romania, correlated with clinical and pathological tumor features, and assessed the functional role of ARID1A . In the ampullary adenocarcinomas, the frequency of KRAS and ARID1A mutations was 34.7% and 8.2% respectively, with a loss or reduction of ARID1A protein in 17.2% of the cases. ARID1A mutational status was significantly correlated with ARID1A protein expression level (P=0.023). There was a significant difference in frequency of ARID1A mutation between Romania and Singapore (2.7% versus 25%, P=0.04), suggestive of different etiologies. One somatic mutation was detected in the ampullary adenoma group. In vitro studies indicated the tumor suppressive role of ARID1A . Our results warrant further investigation of this chromatin remodeller as a potential early biomarker of the disease, as well as identification of therapeutic targets in ARID1A mutated ampullary cancers.

  1. Synaptic, transcriptional and chromatin genes disrupted in autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Rubeis, Silvia; He, Xin; Goldberg, Arthur P; Poultney, Christopher S; Samocha, Kaitlin; Cicek, A Erucment; Kou, Yan; Liu, Li; Fromer, Menachem; Walker, Susan; Singh, Tarinder; Klei, Lambertus; Kosmicki, Jack; Shih-Chen, Fu; Aleksic, Branko; Biscaldi, Monica; Bolton, Patrick F; Brownfeld, Jessica M; Cai, Jinlu; Campbell, Nicholas G; Carracedo, Angel; Chahrour, Maria H; Chiocchetti, Andreas G; Coon, Hilary; Crawford, Emily L; Curran, Sarah R; Dawson, Geraldine; Duketis, Eftichia; Fernandez, Bridget A; Gallagher, Louise; Geller, Evan; Guter, Stephen J; Hill, R Sean; Ionita-Laza, Juliana; Jimenz Gonzalez, Patricia; Kilpinen, Helena; Klauck, Sabine M; Kolevzon, Alexander; Lee, Irene; Lei, Irene; Lei, Jing; Lehtimäki, Terho; Lin, Chiao-Feng; Ma'ayan, Avi; Marshall, Christian R; McInnes, Alison L; Neale, Benjamin; Owen, Michael J; Ozaki, Noriio; Parellada, Mara; Parr, Jeremy R; Purcell, Shaun; Puura, Kaija; Rajagopalan, Deepthi; Rehnström, Karola; Reichenberg, Abraham; Sabo, Aniko; Sachse, Michael; Sanders, Stephan J; Schafer, Chad; Schulte-Rüther, Martin; Skuse, David; Stevens, Christine; Szatmari, Peter; Tammimies, Kristiina; Valladares, Otto; Voran, Annette; Li-San, Wang; Weiss, Lauren A; Willsey, A Jeremy; Yu, Timothy W; Yuen, Ryan K C; Cook, Edwin H; Freitag, Christine M; Gill, Michael; Hultman, Christina M; Lehner, Thomas; Palotie, Aaarno; Schellenberg, Gerard D; Sklar, Pamela; State, Matthew W; Sutcliffe, James S; Walsh, Christiopher A; Scherer, Stephen W; Zwick, Michael E; Barett, Jeffrey C; Cutler, David J; Roeder, Kathryn; Devlin, Bernie; Daly, Mark J; Buxbaum, Joseph D

    2014-11-13

    The genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorder involves the interplay of common and rare variants and their impact on hundreds of genes. Using exome sequencing, here we show that analysis of rare coding variation in 3,871 autism cases and 9,937 ancestry-matched or parental controls implicates 22 autosomal genes at a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, plus a set of 107 autosomal genes strongly enriched for those likely to affect risk (FDR < 0.30). These 107 genes, which show unusual evolutionary constraint against mutations, incur de novo loss-of-function mutations in over 5% of autistic subjects. Many of the genes implicated encode proteins for synaptic formation, transcriptional regulation and chromatin-remodelling pathways. These include voltage-gated ion channels regulating the propagation of action potentials, pacemaking and excitability-transcription coupling, as well as histone-modifying enzymes and chromatin remodellers-most prominently those that mediate post-translational lysine methylation/demethylation modifications of histones.

  2. Chromatin Hydrodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruinsma, Robijn; Grosberg, Alexander Y.; Rabin, Yitzhak; Zidovska, Alexandra

    2014-01-01

    Following recent observations of large scale correlated motion of chromatin inside the nuclei of live differentiated cells, we present a hydrodynamic theory—the two-fluid model—in which the content of a nucleus is described as a chromatin solution with the nucleoplasm playing the role of the solvent and the chromatin fiber that of a solute. This system is subject to both passive thermal fluctuations and active scalar and vector events that are associated with free energy consumption, such as ATP hydrolysis. Scalar events drive the longitudinal viscoelastic modes (where the chromatin fiber moves relative to the solvent) while vector events generate the transverse modes (where the chromatin fiber moves together with the solvent). Using linear response methods, we derive explicit expressions for the response functions that connect the chromatin density and velocity correlation functions to the corresponding correlation functions of the active sources and the complex viscoelastic moduli of the chromatin solution. We then derive general expressions for the flow spectral density of the chromatin velocity field. We use the theory to analyze experimental results recently obtained by one of the present authors and her co-workers. We find that the time dependence of the experimental data for both native and ATP-depleted chromatin can be well-fitted using a simple model—the Maxwell fluid—for the complex modulus, although there is some discrepancy in terms of the wavevector dependence. Thermal fluctuations of ATP-depleted cells are predominantly longitudinal. ATP-active cells exhibit intense transverse long wavelength velocity fluctuations driven by force dipoles. Fluctuations with wavenumbers larger than a few inverse microns are dominated by concentration fluctuations with the same spectrum as thermal fluctuations but with increased intensity. PMID:24806919

  3. Identification of chromatin-associated regulators of MSL complex targeting in Drosophila dosage compensation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erica Larschan

    Full Text Available Sex chromosome dosage compensation in Drosophila provides a model for understanding how chromatin organization can modulate coordinate gene regulation. Male Drosophila increase the transcript levels of genes on the single male X approximately two-fold to equal the gene expression in females, which have two X-chromosomes. Dosage compensation is mediated by the Male-Specific Lethal (MSL histone acetyltransferase complex. Five core components of the MSL complex were identified by genetic screens for genes that are specifically required for male viability and are dispensable for females. However, because dosage compensation must interface with the general transcriptional machinery, it is likely that identifying additional regulators that are not strictly male-specific will be key to understanding the process at a mechanistic level. Such regulators would not have been recovered from previous male-specific lethal screening strategies. Therefore, we have performed a cell culture-based, genome-wide RNAi screen to search for factors required for MSL targeting or function. Here we focus on the discovery of proteins that function to promote MSL complex recruitment to "chromatin entry sites," which are proposed to be the initial sites of MSL targeting. We find that components of the NSL (Non-specific lethal complex, and a previously unstudied zinc-finger protein, facilitate MSL targeting and display a striking enrichment at MSL entry sites. Identification of these factors provides new insight into how MSL complex establishes the specialized hyperactive chromatin required for dosage compensation in Drosophila.

  4. Effects of fast neutrons on chromatin: dependence on chromatin structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radu, L. [Dept. of Molecular Genetics, V. Babes National Inst., Bd. Timisoara, Bucharest (Romania); Constantinescu, B. [Dept. of Cyclotron, H. Hulubei National Inst., Bucharest (Romania); Gazdaru, D. [Dept. of Biophysics, Physics Faculty, Univ. of Bucharest (Romania)

    2002-07-01

    The effects of fast neutrons (10-100 Gy) on chromatin extracted from normal (liver of Wistar rats) and tumor (Walker carcinosarcoma maintained on Wistar rats) tissues were compared. The spectroscopic assays used were (i) chromatin intrinsic fluorescence, (ii) time-resolved fluorescence of chromatin-proflavine complexes, and (iii) fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between dansyl chloride and acridine orange coupled to chromatin. For both normal and tumor chromatin, the intensity of intrinsic fluorescence specific for acidic and basic proteins decreased with increasing dose. The relative contributions of the excited-state lifetime of proflavine bound to chromatin were reduced upon fast-neutron irradiation, indicating a decrease in the proportion of chromatin DNA available for ligand binding. The Forster energy transfer efficiencies were also modified by irradiation. These effects were larger for chromatin from tumor tissue. In the range 0-100 Gy, fast neutrons induced alterations in DNA and acidic and basic proteins, as well as in global chromatin structure. The radiosensitivity of chromatin extracted from tumor tissue seems to be higher than that of chromatin extracted from normal tissue, probably because of its higher euchromatin (loose)-heterochromatin (compact) ratio. (author)

  5. Effects of fast neutrons on chromatin: dependence on chromatin structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radu, L.; Constantinescu, B.; Gazdaru, D.

    2002-01-01

    The effects of fast neutrons (10-100 Gy) on chromatin extracted from normal (liver of Wistar rats) and tumor (Walker carcinosarcoma maintained on Wistar rats) tissues were compared. The spectroscopic assays used were (i) chromatin intrinsic fluorescence, (ii) time-resolved fluorescence of chromatin-proflavine complexes, and (iii) fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between dansyl chloride and acridine orange coupled to chromatin. For both normal and tumor chromatin, the intensity of intrinsic fluorescence specific for acidic and basic proteins decreased with increasing dose. The relative contributions of the excited-state lifetime of proflavine bound to chromatin were reduced upon fast-neutron irradiation, indicating a decrease in the proportion of chromatin DNA available for ligand binding. The Forster energy transfer efficiencies were also modified by irradiation. These effects were larger for chromatin from tumor tissue. In the range 0-100 Gy, fast neutrons induced alterations in DNA and acidic and basic proteins, as well as in global chromatin structure. The radiosensitivity of chromatin extracted from tumor tissue seems to be higher than that of chromatin extracted from normal tissue, probably because of its higher euchromatin (loose)-heterochromatin (compact) ratio. (author)

  6. Widespread Chromatin Accessibility at Repetitive Elements Links Stem Cells with Human Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas C. Gomez

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin regulation is critical for differentiation and disease. However, features linking the chromatin environment of stem cells with disease remain largely unknown. We explored chromatin accessibility in embryonic and multipotent stem cells and unexpectedly identified widespread chromatin accessibility at repetitive elements. Integrating genomic and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that these sites of increased accessibility are associated with well-positioned nucleosomes marked by distinct histone modifications. Differentiation is accompanied by chromatin remodeling at repetitive elements associated with altered expression of genes in relevant developmental pathways. Remarkably, we found that the chromatin environment of Ewing sarcoma, a mesenchymally derived tumor, is shared with primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs. Accessibility at repetitive elements in MSCs offers a permissive environment that is exploited by the critical oncogene responsible for this cancer. Our data demonstrate that stem cells harbor a unique chromatin landscape characterized by accessibility at repetitive elements, a feature associated with differentiation and oncogenesis.

  7. Genome-wide overlap in the binding location and function of chromatin-remodeling proteins | Center for Cancer Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    A single strand of DNA can stretch several meters. Yet dozens of these strands, which can be one-tenth as thin as a human hair, need to fit into the cell’s nucleus. To pack those strands into such a small space, DNA tightly winds itself around histone proteins, forming nucleosomes that are strung together into complexes called chromatin. Beyond efficiently packaging DNA,

  8. CRTC1 Nuclear Translocation Following Learning Modulates Memory Strength via Exchange of Chromatin Remodeling Complexes on the Fgf1 Gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shusaku Uchida

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Memory is formed by synapse-to-nucleus communication that leads to regulation of gene transcription, but the identity and organizational logic of signaling pathways involved in this communication remain unclear. Here we find that the transcription cofactor CRTC1 is a critical determinant of sustained gene transcription and memory strength in the hippocampus. Following associative learning, synaptically localized CRTC1 is translocated to the nucleus and regulates Fgf1b transcription in an activity-dependent manner. After both weak and strong training, the HDAC3-N-CoR corepressor complex leaves the Fgf1b promoter and a complex involving the translocated CRTC1, phosphorylated CREB, and histone acetyltransferase CBP induces transient transcription. Strong training later substitutes KAT5 for CBP, a process that is dependent on CRTC1, but not on CREB phosphorylation. This in turn leads to long-lasting Fgf1b transcription and memory enhancement. Thus, memory strength relies on activity-dependent changes in chromatin and temporal regulation of gene transcription on specific CREB/CRTC1 gene targets. : Uchida et al. link CRTC1 synapse-to-nucleus shuttling in memory. Weak and strong training induce CRTC1 nuclear transport and transient Fgf1b transcription by a complex including CRTC1, CREB, and histone acetyltransferase CBP, whereas strong training alone maintains Fgf1b transcription through CRTC1-dependent substitution of KAT5 for CBP, leading to memory enhancement. Keywords: memory enhancement, long-term potentiation, hippocampus, nuclear transport, epigenetics, FGF1, CRTC1, KAT5/Tip60, HDAC3, CREB

  9. Modulation of chromatin remodelling induced by the freshwater cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin in human intestinal caco-2 cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoine Huguet

    Full Text Available Cylindrospermopsin (CYN is a cyanotoxin that has been recognised as an emerging potential public health risk. Although CYN toxicity has been demonstrated, the mechanisms involved have not been fully characterised. To identify some key pathways related to this toxicity, we studied the transcriptomic profile of human intestinal Caco-2 cells exposed to a sub-toxic concentration of CYN (1.6 µM for 24hrs using a non-targeted approach. CYN was shown to modulate different biological functions which were related to growth arrest (with down-regulation of cdkn1a and uhrf1 genes, and DNA recombination and repair (with up-regulation of aptx and pms2 genes. Our main results reported an increased expression of some histone-modifying enzymes (histone acetyl and methyltransferases MYST1, KAT5 and EHMT2 involved in chromatin remodelling, which is essential for initiating transcription. We also detected greater levels of acetylated histone H2A (Lys5 and dimethylated histone H3 (Lys4, two products of these enzymes. In conclusion, CYN overexpressed proteins involved in DNA damage repair and transcription, including modifications of nucleosomal histones. Our results highlighted some new cell processes induced by CYN.

  10. Relationship between chromatin complexity and nuclear envelope circularity in hippocampal pyramidal neurons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pantic, Igor; Basailovic, Milos; Paunovic, Jovana; Pantic, Senka

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: •We analyzed chromatin structure and nuclear envelope of 200 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. •Fractal and GLCM mathematical parameters were calculated each chromatin structure. •Nuclear shape was quantified by calculating circularity of the nuclear envelope. •Circularity was in significant relationship with chromatin fractal dimension. •Strong correlation was detected between circularity and some GLCM parameters. -- Abstract: In this study we tested the existence and strength of the relationship between circularity of nuclear envelope and mathematical parameters of chromatin structure. Coronal sections of the brain were made in 10 male albino mice. The brain tissue was stained using a modification of Feulgen method for DNA visualization. A total of 200 hippocampal pyramidal neurons (20 per animal) were visualized using DEM 200 High-Speed Color CMOS Chip and Olympus CX21FS1 microscope. Circularity of the nuclear membrane was calculated in ImageJ (NIH, USA) after the nuclear segmentation, based on the freehand selection of the nuclear regions of interest. Circularity was determined from the values of area and perimeter. For each chromatin structure, using fractal and grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) algorithms, we determined the values of fractal dimension, lacunarity, angular second moment, GLCM entropy, inverse difference moment, GLCM correlation, and GLCM contrast. It was found that circularity is in a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with fractal dimension as the main parameter of fractal complexity analysis. Also, circularity was in a very strong relationship (p < 0.001) with certain parameters of grey level co-occurrence matrix such as the angular second moment and GLCM correlation. This is the first study to indicate that nuclear shape is significantly related to mathematical parameters of higher chromatin organization. Also, it seems that circularity of the nuclear envelope is a good predictor of certain features of chromatin

  11. C/EBP maintains chromatin accessibility in liver and facilitates glucocorticoid receptor recruitment to steroid response elements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøntved, Lars; John, Sam; Baek, Songjoon

    2013-01-01

    -binding sites are occupied by C/EBPβ. At the majority of these sites, chromatin is preaccessible suggesting a priming function of C/EBPβ for GR recruitment. Disruption of C/EBPβ binding to chromatin results in attenuation of pre-programmed chromatin accessibility, GR recruitment and GR-induced chromatin...... remodelling specifically at sites co-occupied by GR and C/EBPβ. Collectively, we demonstrate a highly cooperative mechanism by which C/EBPβ regulates selective GR binding to the genome in liver tissue. We suggest that selective targeting of GR in other tissues is likely mediated by the combined action of cell...

  12. Chromatin Controls DNA Replication Origin Selection, Lagging-Strand Synthesis, and Replication Fork Rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurat, Christoph F; Yeeles, Joseph T P; Patel, Harshil; Early, Anne; Diffley, John F X

    2017-01-05

    The integrity of eukaryotic genomes requires rapid and regulated chromatin replication. How this is accomplished is still poorly understood. Using purified yeast replication proteins and fully chromatinized templates, we have reconstituted this process in vitro. We show that chromatin enforces DNA replication origin specificity by preventing non-specific MCM helicase loading. Helicase activation occurs efficiently in the context of chromatin, but subsequent replisome progression requires the histone chaperone FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription). The FACT-associated Nhp6 protein, the nucleosome remodelers INO80 or ISW1A, and the lysine acetyltransferases Gcn5 and Esa1 each contribute separately to maximum DNA synthesis rates. Chromatin promotes the regular priming of lagging-strand DNA synthesis by facilitating DNA polymerase α function at replication forks. Finally, nucleosomes disrupted during replication are efficiently re-assembled into regular arrays on nascent DNA. Our work defines the minimum requirements for chromatin replication in vitro and shows how multiple chromatin factors might modulate replication fork rates in vivo. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Involvement of Chromatin Remodeling Genes and the Rho GTPases RhoB and CDC42 in Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolai Skovbjerg Arildsen

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveOvarian clear cell carcinomas (OCCCs constitute a rare ovarian cancer subtype with distinct clinical features, but may nonetheless be difficult to distinguish morphologically from other subtypes. There is limited knowledge of genetic events driving OCCC tumorigenesis beyond ARID1A, which is reportedly mutated in 30–50% of OCCCs. We aimed to further characterize OCCCs by combined global transcriptional profiling and targeted deep sequencing of a panel of well-established cancer genes. Increased knowledge of OCCC-specific genetic aberrations may help in guiding development of targeted treatments and ultimately improve patient outcome.MethodsGene expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue from a cohort of the major ovarian cancer subtypes (cohort 1; n = 67 was performed using whole-genome cDNA-mediated Annealing, Selection, extension and Ligation (WG-DASL bead arrays, followed by pathway, gene module score, and gene ontology analyses, respectively. A second FFPE cohort of 10 primary OCCCs was analyzed by targeted DNA sequencing of a panel of 60 cancer-related genes (cohort 2. Non-synonymous and non-sense variants affecting single-nucleotide variations and insertions or deletions were further analyzed. A tissue microarray of 43 OCCCs (cohort 3 was used for validation by immunohistochemistry and chromogenic in situ hybridization.ResultsGene expression analyses revealed a distinct OCCC profile compared to other histological subtypes, with, e.g., ERBB2, TFAP2A, and genes related to cytoskeletal actin regulation being overexpressed in OCCC. ERBB2 was, however, not overexpressed on the protein level and ERBB2 amplification was rare in the validation cohort. Targeted deep sequencing revealed non-synonymous variants or insertions/deletions in 11/60 cancer-related genes. Genes involved in chromatin remodeling, including ARID1A, SPOP, and KMT2D were frequently mutated across OCCC tumors.ConclusionOCCCs appear

  14. Epigenomic Co-localization and Co-evolution Reveal a Key Role for 5hmC as a Communication Hub in the Chromatin Network of ESCs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Juan

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Epigenetic communication through histone and cytosine modifications is essential for gene regulation and cell identity. Here, we propose a framework that is based on a chromatin communication model to get insight on the function of epigenetic modifications in ESCs. The epigenetic communication network was inferred from genome-wide location data plus extensive manual annotation. Notably, we found that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC is the most-influential hub of this network, connecting DNA demethylation to nucleosome remodeling complexes and to key transcription factors of pluripotency. Moreover, an evolutionary analysis revealed a central role of 5hmC in the co-evolution of chromatin-related proteins. Further analysis of regions where 5hmC co-localizes with specific interactors shows that each interaction points to chromatin remodeling, stemness, differentiation, or metabolism. Our results highlight the importance of cytosine modifications in the epigenetic communication of ESCs. : 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC plays a key role in the epigenomic communication network of embryonic stem cells. Juan et al. build a communication network based in co-localization of epigenomic data and literature. The analysis of the network and its components reveals that proteins reading and editing 5hmC co-evolve and serve as links between diverse molecular processes.

  15. Fanconi anemia protein, FANCA, associates with BRG1, a component of the human SWI/SNF complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otsuki, T; Furukawa, Y; Ikeda, K; Endo, H; Yamashita, T; Shinohara, A; Iwamatsu, A; Ozawa, K; Liu, J M

    2001-11-01

    Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disorder that predisposes to hematopoietic failure, birth defects and cancer. We identified an interaction between the FA protein, FANCA and brm-related gene 1 (BRG1) product. BRG1 is a subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, which remodels chromatin structure through a DNA-dependent ATPase activity. FANCA was demonstrated to associate with the endogenous SWI/SNF complex. We also found a significant increase in the molecular chaperone, glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94) among BRG1-associated factors isolated from a FANCA-mutant cell line, which was not seen in either a normal control cell line or the mutant line complemented by wild-type FANCA. Despite this specific difference, FANCA did not appear to be absolutely required for in vitro chromatin remodeling. Finally, we demonstrated co-localization in the nucleus between transfected FANCA and BRG1. The physiological action of FANCA on the SWI/SNF complex remains to be clarified, but our work suggests that FANCA may recruit the SWI/SNF complex to target genes, thereby enabling coupled nuclear functions such as transcription and DNA repair.

  16. Identification of potential nuclear reprogramming and differentiation factors by a novel selection method for cloning chromatin-binding proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Liu; Zheng Aihua; Yi Ling; Xu Chongren; Ding Mingxiao; Deng Hongkui

    2004-01-01

    Nuclear reprogramming is critical for animal cloning and stem cell creation through nuclear transfer, which requires extensive remodeling of chromosomal architecture involving dramatic changes in chromatin-binding proteins. To understand the mechanism of nuclear reprogramming, it is critical to identify chromatin-binding factors specify the reprogramming process. In this report, we have developed a high-throughput selection method, based on T7 phage display and chromatin immunoprecipitation, to isolate chromatin-binding factors expressed in mouse embryonic stem cells using primary mouse embryonic fibroblast chromatin. Seven chromatin-binding proteins have been isolated by this method. We have also isolated several chromatin-binding proteins involved in hepatocyte differentiation. Our method provides a powerful tool to rapidly and selectively identify chromatin-binding proteins. The method can be used to study epigenetic modification of chromatin during nuclear reprogramming, cell differentiation, and transdifferentiation

  17. Manipulation of Cell Cycle and Chromatin Configuration by Means of Cell-Penetrating Geminin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshinori Ohno

    Full Text Available Geminin regulates chromatin remodeling and DNA replication licensing which play an important role in regulating cellular proliferation and differentiation. Transcription of the Geminin gene is regulated via an E2F-responsive region, while the protein is being closely regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Our objective was to directly transduce Geminin protein into cells. Recombinant cell-penetrating Geminin (CP-Geminin was generated by fusing Geminin with a membrane translocating motif from FGF4 and was efficiently incorporated into NIH 3T3 cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The withdrawal study indicated that incorporated CP-Geminin was quickly reduced after removal from medium. We confirmed CP-Geminin was imported into the nucleus after incorporation and also that the incorporated CP-Geminin directly interacted with Cdt1 or Brahma/Brg1 as the same manner as Geminin. We further demonstrated that incorporated CP-Geminin suppressed S-phase progression of the cell cycle and reduced nuclease accessibility in the chromatin, probably through suppression of chromatin remodeling, indicating that CP-Geminin constitutes a novel tool for controlling chromatin configuration and the cell cycle. Since Geminin has been shown to be involved in regulation of stem cells and cancer cells, CP-Geminin is expected to be useful for elucidating the role of Geminin in stem cells and cancer cells, and for manipulating their activity.

  18. Chromatin Repressive Complexes in Stem Cells, Development, and Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laugesen, Anne; Helin, Kristian

    2014-01-01

    The chromatin environment is essential for the correct specification and preservation of cell identity through modulation and maintenance of transcription patterns. Many chromatin regulators are required for development, stem cell maintenance, and differentiation. Here, we review the roles...

  19. Distribution of nuclease attack sites and complexity of DNA in the products of post-irradiation degradiation of rat thymus chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zvonareva, N.B.; Zhivotovsky, B.D.; Hanson, K.P.

    1983-01-01

    The distribution of nuclease attack sites in chromatin has been studied on the basis of the quantitative relationship of the single- and double-stranded fragments of various lengths in the products of post-irradiation degradation of chromatin (PDN). It has been shown that in irradiated thymocytes internucleosome degradation of chromatin occurs and the products of the enzymic digestion of chromatin derive from randomly distributed genome areas accumulate. Analysis of the reassociation curves has not shown any differences in the complexity of the PDN fractions and total DNA. (author)

  20. Downstream Antisense Transcription Predicts Genomic Features That Define the Specific Chromatin Environment at Mammalian Promoters.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher A Lavender

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Antisense transcription is a prevalent feature at mammalian promoters. Previous studies have primarily focused on antisense transcription initiating upstream of genes. Here, we characterize promoter-proximal antisense transcription downstream of gene transcription starts sites in human breast cancer cells, investigating the genomic context of downstream antisense transcription. We find extensive correlations between antisense transcription and features associated with the chromatin environment at gene promoters. Antisense transcription downstream of promoters is widespread, with antisense transcription initiation observed within 2 kb of 28% of gene transcription start sites. Antisense transcription initiates between nucleosomes regularly positioned downstream of these promoters. The nucleosomes between gene and downstream antisense transcription start sites carry histone modifications associated with active promoters, such as H3K4me3 and H3K27ac. This region is bound by chromatin remodeling and histone modifying complexes including SWI/SNF subunits and HDACs, suggesting that antisense transcription or resulting RNA transcripts contribute to the creation and maintenance of a promoter-associated chromatin environment. Downstream antisense transcription overlays additional regulatory features, such as transcription factor binding, DNA accessibility, and the downstream edge of promoter-associated CpG islands. These features suggest an important role for antisense transcription in the regulation of gene expression and the maintenance of a promoter-associated chromatin environment.

  1. Quantitative analysis of nucleolar chromatin distribution in the complex convoluted nucleoli of Didinium nasutum (Ciliophora).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonova, Olga G; Karajan, Bella P; Ivlev, Yuri F; Ivanova, Julia L; Skarlato, Sergei O; Popenko, Vladimir I

    2013-01-01

    We have earlier shown that the typical Didinium nasutum nucleolus is a complex convoluted branched domain, comprising a dense fibrillar component located at the periphery of the nucleolus and a granular component located in the central part. Here our main interest was to study quantitatively the spatial distribution of nucleolar chromatin structures in these convoluted nucleoli. There are no "classical" fibrillar centers in D.nasutum nucleoli. The spatial distribution of nucleolar chromatin bodies, which play the role of nucleolar organizers in the macronucleus of D.nasutum, was studied using 3D reconstructions based on serial ultrathin sections. The relative number of nucleolar chromatin bodies was determined in macronuclei of recently fed, starved D.nasutum cells and in resting cysts. This parameter is shown to correlate with the activity of the nucleolus. However, the relative number of nucleolar chromatin bodies in different regions of the same convoluted nucleolus is approximately the same. This finding suggests equal activity in different parts of the nucleolar domain and indicates the existence of some molecular mechanism enabling it to synchronize this activity in D. nasutum nucleoli. Our data show that D. nasutum nucleoli display bipartite structure. All nucleolar chromatin bodies are shown to be located outside of nucleoli, at the periphery of the fibrillar component.

  2. Large-scale chromatin remodeling at the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus: a paradigm for multigene regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolland, Daniel J; Wood, Andrew L; Corcoran, Anne E

    2009-01-01

    complementary processes involved in this large-scale locus organisation. We will examine the structure of the Igh locus and the large-scale and higher-order chromatin remodelling processes associated with V(D)J recombination, at the level of the locus itself, its conformational changes and its dynamic localisation within the nucleus.

  3. Arabidopsis PCH2 Mediates Meiotic Chromosome Remodeling and Maturation of Crossovers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christophe Lambing

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Meiotic chromosomes are organized into linear looped chromatin arrays by a protein axis localized along the loop-bases. Programmed remodelling of the axis occurs during prophase I of meiosis. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM has revealed dynamic changes in the chromosome axis in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica oleracea. We show that the axis associated protein ASY1 is depleted during zygotene concomitant with synaptonemal complex (SC formation. Study of an Atpch2 mutant demonstrates this requires the conserved AAA+ ATPase, PCH2, which localizes to the sites of axis remodelling. Loss of PCH2 leads to a failure to deplete ASY1 from the axes and compromizes SC polymerisation. Immunolocalization of recombination proteins in Atpch2 indicates that recombination initiation and CO designation during early prophase I occur normally. Evidence suggests that CO interference is initially functional in the mutant but there is a defect in CO maturation following designation. This leads to a reduction in COs and a failure to form COs between some homologous chromosome pairs leading to univalent chromosomes at metaphase I. Genetic analysis reveals that CO distribution is also affected in some chromosome regions. Together these data indicate that the axis remodelling defect in Atpch2 disrupts normal patterned formation of COs.

  4. Chromatin Structure and Replication Origins: Determinants Of Chromosome Replication And Nuclear Organization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Owen K.; Aladjem, Mirit I.

    2014-01-01

    The DNA replication program is, in part, determined by the epigenetic landscape that governs local chromosome architecture and directs chromosome duplication. Replication must coordinate with other biochemical processes occurring concomitantly on chromatin, such as transcription and remodeling, to insure accurate duplication of both genetic and epigenetic features and to preserve genomic stability. The importance of genome architecture and chromatin looping in coordinating cellular processes on chromatin is illustrated by two recent sets of discoveries. First, chromatin-associated proteins that are not part of the core replication machinery were shown to affect the timing of DNA replication. These chromatin-associated proteins could be working in concert, or perhaps in competition, with the transcriptional machinery and with chromatin modifiers to determine the spatial and temporal organization of replication initiation events. Second, epigenetic interactions are mediated by DNA sequences that determine chromosomal replication. In this review we summarize recent findings and current models linking spatial and temporal regulation of the replication program with epigenetic signaling. We discuss these issues in the context of the genome’s three-dimensional structure with an emphasis on events occurring during the initiation of DNA replication. PMID:24905010

  5. Regulation of chromatin structure by poly(ADP-ribosylation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sascha eBeneke

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The interaction of DNA with proteins in the context of chromatin has to be tightly regulated to achieve so different tasks as packaging, transcription, replication and repair. The very rapid and transient post-translational modification of proteins by poly(ADP-ribose has been shown to take part in all four. Originally identified as immediate cellular answer to a variety of genotoxic stresses, already early data indicated the ability of this highly charged nucleic acid-like polymer to modulate nucleosome structure, the basic unit of chromatin. At the same time the enzyme responsible for synthesizing poly(ADP-ribose, the zinc-finger protein poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1, was shown to control transcription initiation as basic factor TFIIC within the RNA-polymerase II machinery. Later research focused more on PARP-mediated regulation of DNA repair and cell death, but in the last few years, transcription as well as chromatin modulation has re-appeared on the scene. This review will discuss the impact of PARP1 on transcription and transcription factors, its implication in chromatin remodeling for DNA repair and probably also replication, and its role in controlling epigenetic events such as DNA methylation and the functionality of the insulator protein CCCTC-binding factor.

  6. N terminus of Swr1 binds to histone H2AZ and provides a platform for subunit assembly in the chromatin remodeling complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wei-Hua; Wu, Chwen-Huey; Ladurner, Andreas; Mizuguchi, Gaku; Wei, Debbie; Xiao, Hua; Luk, Ed; Ranjan, Anand; Wu, Carl

    2009-03-06

    Variant histone H2AZ-containing nucleosomes are involved in the regulation of gene expression. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, chromatin deposition of histone H2AZ is mediated by the fourteen-subunit SWR1 complex, which catalyzes ATP-dependent exchange of nucleosomal histone H2A for H2AZ. Previous work defined the role of seven SWR1 subunits (Swr1 ATPase, Swc2, Swc3, Arp6, Swc5, Yaf9, and Swc6) in maintaining complex integrity and H2AZ histone replacement activity. Here we examined the function of three additional SWR1 subunits, bromodomain containing Bdf1, actin-related protein Arp4 and Swc7, by analyzing affinity-purified mutant SWR1 complexes. We observed that depletion of Arp4 (arp4-td) substantially impaired the association of Bdf1, Yaf9, and Swc4. In contrast, loss of either Bdf1 or Swc7 had minimal effects on overall complex integrity. Furthermore, the basic H2AZ histone replacement activity of SWR1 in vitro required Arp4, but not Bdf1 or Swc7. Thus, three out of fourteen SWR1 subunits, Bdf1, Swc7, and previously noted Swc3, appear to have roles auxiliary to the basic histone replacement activity. The N-terminal region of the Swr1 ATPase subunit is necessary and sufficient to direct association of Bdf1 and Swc7, as well as Arp4, Act1, Yaf9 and Swc4. This same region contains an additional H2AZ-H2B specific binding site, distinct from the previously identified Swc2 subunit. These findings suggest that one SWR1 enzyme might be capable of binding two H2AZ-H2B dimers, and provide further insight on the hierarchy and interdependency of molecular interactions within the SWR1 complex.

  7. Impaired chromatin remodelling at STAT1-regulated promoters leads to global unresponsiveness of Toxoplasma gondii-infected macrophages to IFN-γ.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Lang

    2012-01-01

    -infected MΦ are unable to respond to IFN-γ due to disturbed chromatin remodelling, but can be rescued using histone deacetylase inhibitors.

  8. The Scc2/Scc4 complex acts in sister chromatid cohesion and transcriptional regulation by maintaining nucleosome-free regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Serra, Lidia; Kelly, Gavin; Patel, Harshil; Stewart, Aengus; Uhlmann, Frank

    2014-01-01

    The cohesin complex is at the heart of many chromosomal activities, including sister chromatid cohesion and transcriptional regulation1-3. Cohesin loading onto chromosomes depends on the Scc2/Scc4 cohesin loader complex4-6, but the chromatin features that form cohesin loading sites remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the RSC chromatin remodeling complex recruits budding yeast Scc2/Scc4 to broad nucleosome-free regions, that the cohesin loader itself helps to maintain. Consequently, inactivation of the cohesin loader or RSC complex have similar effects on nucleosome positioning, gene expression and sister chromatid cohesion. These results reveal an intimate link between local chromatin structure and higher order chromosome architecture. Our findings pertain to the similarities between two severe human disorders, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, caused by mutations in the human cohesin loader, and Coffin-Siris syndrome, resulting from mutations in human RSC complex components7-9. Both could arise from gene misregulation due to related changes in the nucleosome landscape. PMID:25173104

  9. Transcription factor 19 interacts with histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation and controls gluconeogenesis via the nucleosome-remodeling-deacetylase complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Sabyasachi; Sanyal, Sulagna; Srivastava, Dushyant Kumar; Dasgupta, Dipak; Roy, Siddhartha; Das, Chandrima

    2017-12-15

    Transcription factor 19 (TCF19) has been reported as a type 1 diabetes-associated locus involved in maintenance of pancreatic β cells through a fine-tuned regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. TCF19 also exhibits genomic association with type 2 diabetes, although the precise molecular mechanism remains unknown. It harbors both a plant homeodomain and a forkhead-associated domain implicated in epigenetic recognition and gene regulation, a phenomenon that has remained unexplored. Here, we show that TCF19 selectively interacts with histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation through its plant homeodomain finger. Knocking down TCF19 under high-glucose conditions affected many metabolic processes, including gluconeogenesis. We found that TCF19 overexpression represses de novo glucose production in HepG2 cells. The transcriptional repression of key genes, induced by TCF19, coincided with NuRD (nucleosome-remodeling-deacetylase) complex recruitment to the promoters of these genes. TCF19 interacted with CHD4 (chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4), which is a part of the NuRD complex, in a glucose concentration-independent manner. In summary, our results show that TCF19 interacts with an active transcription mark and recruits a co-repressor complex to regulate gluconeogenic gene expression in HepG2 cells. Our study offers critical insights into the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of gluconeogenesis and into the roles of chromatin readers in metabolic homeostasis. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Proteomic interrogation of human chromatin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana P Torrente

    Full Text Available Chromatin proteins provide a scaffold for DNA packaging and a basis for epigenetic regulation and genomic maintenance. Despite understanding its functional roles, mapping the chromatin proteome (i.e. the "Chromatome" is still a continuing process. Here, we assess the biological specificity and proteomic extent of three distinct chromatin preparations by identifying proteins in selected chromatin-enriched fractions using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. These experiments allowed us to produce a chromatin catalog, including several proteins ranging from highly abundant histone proteins to less abundant members of different chromatin machinery complexes. Using a Normalized Spectral Abundance Factor approach, we quantified relative abundances of the proteins across the chromatin enriched fractions giving a glimpse into their chromosomal abundance. The large-scale data sets also allowed for the discovery of a variety of novel post-translational modifications on the identified chromatin proteins. With these comparisons, we find one of the probed methods to be qualitatively superior in specificity for chromatin proteins, but inferior in proteomic extent, evidencing a compromise that must be made between biological specificity and broadness of characterization. Additionally, we attempt to identify proteins in eu- and heterochromatin, verifying the enrichments by characterizing the post-translational modifications detected on histone proteins from these chromatin regions. In summary, our results provide insights into the value of different methods to extract chromatin-associated proteins and provide starting points to study the factors that may be involved in directing gene expression and other chromatin-related processes.

  11. Mediator complex cooperatively regulates transcription of retinoic acid target genes with Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 during neuronal differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukasawa, Rikiya; Iida, Satoshi; Tsutsui, Taiki; Hirose, Yutaka; Ohkuma, Yoshiaki

    2015-11-01

    The Mediator complex (Mediator) plays key roles in transcription and functions as the nexus for integration of various transcriptional signals. Previously, we screened for Mediator cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-interacting factors and identified three proteins related to chromatin regulation. One of them, SUZ12 is required for both stability and activity of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). PRC2 primarily suppresses gene expression through histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation, resulting in stem cell maintenance and differentiation; perturbation of this process leads to oncogenesis. Recent work showed that Mediator contributes to the embryonic stem cell state through DNA loop formation, which is strongly associated with chromatin architecture; however, it remains unclear how Mediator regulates gene expression in cooperation with chromatin regulators (i.e. writers, readers and remodelers). We found that Mediator CDKs interact directly with the PRC2 subunit EZH2, as well as SUZ12. Known PRC2 target genes were deregulated by Mediator CDK knockdown during neuronal differentiation, and both Mediator and PRC2 complexes co-occupied the promoters of developmental genes regulated by retinoic acid. Our results provide a mechanistic link between Mediator and PRC2 during neuronal differentiation. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.

  12. A unique enhancer boundary complex on the mouse ribosomal RNA genes persists after loss of Rrn3 or UBF and the inactivation of RNA polymerase I transcription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herdman, Chelsea; Mars, Jean-Clement; Stefanovsky, Victor Y; Tremblay, Michel G; Sabourin-Felix, Marianne; Lindsay, Helen; Robinson, Mark D; Moss, Tom

    2017-07-01

    Transcription of the several hundred of mouse and human Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes accounts for the majority of RNA synthesis in the cell nucleus and is the determinant of cytoplasmic ribosome abundance, a key factor in regulating gene expression. The rRNA genes, referred to globally as the rDNA, are clustered as direct repeats at the Nucleolar Organiser Regions, NORs, of several chromosomes, and in many cells the active repeats are transcribed at near saturation levels. The rDNA is also a hotspot of recombination and chromosome breakage, and hence understanding its control has broad importance. Despite the need for a high level of rDNA transcription, typically only a fraction of the rDNA is transcriptionally active, and some NORs are permanently silenced by CpG methylation. Various chromatin-remodelling complexes have been implicated in counteracting silencing to maintain rDNA activity. However, the chromatin structure of the active rDNA fraction is still far from clear. Here we have combined a high-resolution ChIP-Seq protocol with conditional inactivation of key basal factors to better understand what determines active rDNA chromatin. The data resolve questions concerning the interdependence of the basal transcription factors, show that preinitiation complex formation is driven by the architectural factor UBF (UBTF) independently of transcription, and that RPI termination and release corresponds with the site of TTF1 binding. They further reveal the existence of an asymmetric Enhancer Boundary Complex formed by CTCF and Cohesin and flanked upstream by phased nucleosomes and downstream by an arrested RNA Polymerase I complex. We find that the Enhancer Boundary Complex is the only site of active histone modification in the 45kbp rDNA repeat. Strikingly, it not only delimits each functional rRNA gene, but also is stably maintained after gene inactivation and the re-establishment of surrounding repressive chromatin. Our data define a poised state of rDNA chromatin

  13. A unique enhancer boundary complex on the mouse ribosomal RNA genes persists after loss of Rrn3 or UBF and the inactivation of RNA polymerase I transcription.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chelsea Herdman

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Transcription of the several hundred of mouse and human Ribosomal RNA (rRNA genes accounts for the majority of RNA synthesis in the cell nucleus and is the determinant of cytoplasmic ribosome abundance, a key factor in regulating gene expression. The rRNA genes, referred to globally as the rDNA, are clustered as direct repeats at the Nucleolar Organiser Regions, NORs, of several chromosomes, and in many cells the active repeats are transcribed at near saturation levels. The rDNA is also a hotspot of recombination and chromosome breakage, and hence understanding its control has broad importance. Despite the need for a high level of rDNA transcription, typically only a fraction of the rDNA is transcriptionally active, and some NORs are permanently silenced by CpG methylation. Various chromatin-remodelling complexes have been implicated in counteracting silencing to maintain rDNA activity. However, the chromatin structure of the active rDNA fraction is still far from clear. Here we have combined a high-resolution ChIP-Seq protocol with conditional inactivation of key basal factors to better understand what determines active rDNA chromatin. The data resolve questions concerning the interdependence of the basal transcription factors, show that preinitiation complex formation is driven by the architectural factor UBF (UBTF independently of transcription, and that RPI termination and release corresponds with the site of TTF1 binding. They further reveal the existence of an asymmetric Enhancer Boundary Complex formed by CTCF and Cohesin and flanked upstream by phased nucleosomes and downstream by an arrested RNA Polymerase I complex. We find that the Enhancer Boundary Complex is the only site of active histone modification in the 45kbp rDNA repeat. Strikingly, it not only delimits each functional rRNA gene, but also is stably maintained after gene inactivation and the re-establishment of surrounding repressive chromatin. Our data define a poised state

  14. Acetylation curtails nucleosome binding, not stable nucleosome remodeling, by FoxO1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatta, M.; Liu, F.; Cirillo, L.A.

    2009-01-01

    Transcriptional activity of FoxO factors is controlled through the actions of multiple growth factors signaling through protein kinase B, whereby phosphorylation of FoxO factors inhibits FoxO-mediated transactivation by promoting nuclear export. Phosphorylation of FoxO factors is enhanced by p300-mediated acetylation, which decreases their affinity for DNA. The negative effect of acetylation on FoxO DNA binding, together with nuclear FoxO mobility, is eliminated by over-expression of the de-acetylase Sirt1, suggesting that acetylation mobilizes FoxO factors in chromatin for inducible gene expression. Here, we show that acetylation significantly curtails the affinity of FoxO1 for its binding sites in nucleosomal DNA but has no effect on either stable nucleosome binding or remodeling by this factor. We suggest that, while acetylation provides a first, essential step toward mobilizing FoxO factors for inducible gene repression, additional mechanisms exist for overcoming their inherent capacity to stably bind and remodel nuclear chromatin.

  15. The role of BAF (mSWI/SNF) complexes in mammalian neural development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Esther Y; Crabtree, Gerald R

    2014-09-01

    The BAF (mammalian SWI/SNF) complexes are a family of multi-subunit ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers that use ATP hydrolysis to alter chromatin structure. Distinct BAF complex compositions are possible through combinatorial assembly of homologous subunit families and can serve non-redundant functions. In mammalian neural development, developmental stage-specific BAF assemblies are found in embryonic stem cells, neural progenitors and postmitotic neurons. In particular, the neural progenitor-specific BAF complexes are essential for controlling the kinetics and mode of neural progenitor cell division, while neuronal BAF function is necessary for the maturation of postmitotic neuronal phenotypes as well as long-term memory formation. The microRNA-mediated mechanism for transitioning from npBAF to nBAF complexes is instructive for the neuronal fate and can even convert fibroblasts into neurons. The high frequency of BAF subunit mutations in neurological disorders underscores the rate-determining role of BAF complexes in neural development, homeostasis, and plasticity. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Nuclear Matrix protein SMAR1 represses HIV-1 LTR mediated transcription through chromatin remodeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sreenath, Kadreppa; Pavithra, Lakshminarasimhan; Singh, Sandeep; Sinha, Surajit; Dash, Prasanta K.; Siddappa, Nagadenahalli B.; Ranga, Udaykumar; Mitra, Debashis; Chattopadhyay, Samit

    2010-01-01

    Nuclear Matrix and MARs have been implicated in the transcriptional regulation of host as well as viral genes but their precise role in HIV-1 transcription remains unclear. Here, we show that > 98% of HIV sequences contain consensus MAR element in their promoter. We show that SMAR1 binds to the LTR MAR and reinforces transcriptional silencing by tethering the LTR MAR to nuclear matrix. SMAR1 associated HDAC1-mSin3 corepressor complex is dislodged from the LTR upon cellular activation by PMA/TNFα leading to an increase in the acetylation and a reduction in the trimethylation of histones, associated with the recruitment of RNA Polymerase II on the LTR. Overexpression of SMAR1 lead to reduction in LTR mediated transcription, both in a Tat dependent and independent manner, resulting in a decreased virion production. These results demonstrate the role of SMAR1 in regulating viral transcription by alternative compartmentalization of LTR between the nuclear matrix and chromatin.

  17. Insulator protein Su(Hw) recruits SAGA and Brahma complexes and constitutes part of Origin Recognition Complex-binding sites in the Drosophila genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vorobyeva, Nadezhda E.; Mazina, Marina U.; Golovnin, Anton K.; Kopytova, Daria V.; Gurskiy, Dmitriy Y.; Nabirochkina, Elena N.; Georgieva, Sofia G.; Georgiev, Pavel G.; Krasnov, Aleksey N.

    2013-01-01

    Despite increasing data on the properties of replication origins, molecular mechanisms underlying origin recognition complex (ORC) positioning in the genome are still poorly understood. The Su(Hw) protein accounts for the activity of best-studied Drosophila insulators. Here, we show that Su(Hw) recruits the histone acetyltransferase complex SAGA and chromatin remodeler Brahma to Su(Hw)-dependent insulators, which gives rise to regions with low nucleosome density and creates conditions for ORC binding. Depletion in Su(Hw) leads to a dramatic drop in the levels of SAGA, Brahma and ORC subunits and a significant increase in nucleosome density on Su(Hw)-dependent insulators, whereas artificial Su(Hw) recruitment itself is sufficient for subsequent SAGA, Brahma and ORC binding. In contrast to the majority of replication origins that associate with promoters of active genes, Su(Hw)-binding sites constitute a small proportion (6%) of ORC-binding sites that are localized preferentially in transcriptionally inactive chromatin regions termed BLACK and BLUE chromatin. We suggest that the key determinants of ORC positioning in the genome are DNA-binding proteins that constitute different DNA regulatory elements, including insulators, promoters and enhancers. Su(Hw) is the first example of such a protein. PMID:23609538

  18. High-Resolution Mapping of Chromatin Conformation in Cardiac Myocytes Reveals Structural Remodeling of the Epigenome in Heart Failure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Rosa-Garrido (Manuel); Chapski, D.J. (Douglas J.); Schmitt, A.D. (Anthony D.); Kimball, T.H. (Todd H.); Karbassi, E. (Elaheh); Monte, E. (Emma); Balderas, E. (Enrique); Pellegrini, M. (Matteo); Shih, T.-T. (Tsai-Ting); Soehalim, E. (Elizabeth); D.A. Liem (David); Ping, P. (Peipei); N.J. Galjart (Niels); Ren, S. (Shuxun); Wang, Y. (Yibin); Ren, B. (Bing); Vondriska, T.M. (Thomas M.)

    2017-01-01

    textabstractBACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is associated with epigenomic changes in the heart; however, the endogenous structure of cardiac myocyte chromatin has never been determined.METHODS: To investigate the mechanisms of epigenomic function in the heart, genome-wide chromatin conformation

  19. Autism-Associated Chromatin Regulator Brg1/SmarcA4 Is Required for Synapse Development and Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2-Mediated Synapse Remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zilai; Cao, Mou; Chang, Chia-Wei; Wang, Cindy; Shi, Xuanming; Zhan, Xiaoming; Birnbaum, Shari G; Bezprozvanny, Ilya; Huber, Kimberly M; Wu, Jiang I

    2016-01-01

    Synapse development requires normal neuronal activities and the precise expression of synapse-related genes. Dysregulation of synaptic genes results in neurological diseases such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Mutations in genes encoding chromatin-remodeling factor Brg1/SmarcA4 and its associated proteins are the genetic causes of several developmental diseases with neurological defects and autistic symptoms. Recent large-scale genomic studies predicted Brg1/SmarcA4 as one of the key nodes of the ASD gene network. We report that Brg1 deletion in early postnatal hippocampal neurons led to reduced dendritic spine density and maturation and impaired synapse activities. In developing mice, neuronal Brg1 deletion caused severe neurological defects. Gene expression analyses indicated that Brg1 regulates a significant number of genes known to be involved in synapse function and implicated in ASD. We found that Brg1 is required for dendritic spine/synapse elimination mediated by the ASD-associated transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and that Brg1 regulates the activity-induced expression of a specific subset of genes that overlap significantly with the targets of MEF2. Our analyses showed that Brg1 interacts with MEF2 and that MEF2 is required for Brg1 recruitment to target genes in response to neuron activation. Thus, Brg1 plays important roles in both synapse development/maturation and MEF2-mediated synapse remodeling. Our study reveals specific functions of the epigenetic regulator Brg1 in synapse development and provides insights into its role in neurological diseases such as ASD. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  20. The Yin and Yang of chromatin dynamics in adult stem cell fate selection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam, Rene C.; Fuchs, Elaine

    2015-01-01

    Adult organisms rely on tissue stem cells for maintenance and repair. During homeostasis, the concerted action of local niche signals and epigenetic regulators establish stable gene expression patterns to ensure that stem cells are not lost over time. However, stem cells also provide host tissues with a remarkable plasticity to respond to perturbations. How adult stem cells choose and acquire new fates is unknown, but the genome-wide mapping of epigenetic landscapes suggests a critical role for chromatin remodeling in these processes. Here, we explore the emerging role of chromatin modifiers and pioneer transcription factors in adult stem cell fate decisions and plasticity, which ensure that selective lineage choices are only made when environmentally cued. PMID:26689127

  1. Fast neutron irradiation effects on liver chromatin structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinescu, B.; Radu, L.

    1996-01-01

    The growing interest in neutron therapy requires complex studies on the mechanisms of neutron action on biological systems, especially on chromatin. The chromatin was extracted from a normal tissue-livers of Wistar rats - and from a tumoral tissue - Walker tumour maintained on Wistar rats. Irradiation doses from 5 Gy to 100 Gy by fast neutron intense beams produced via d(13.5 MeV) +Be (thick target) reaction at Bucharest U-120 Classical Cyclotron were used. To study the post-irradiation effects, various methods were employed. So, the variation in the 260 nm absorbency in chromatin thermal transition was pursuit. The chromatin-ethidium bromide complexes fluorescence with λ ex =480 nm and λ em =600 nm was analyzed. To determine chromatin DNA strand breaks a fluorimetric method, with cells' suspensions as starting material was used. This method requires a partial treatment with alkali producing three components: T-estimating the total fluorescence of DNA double helix, P-assigning the untwisting rate and B-the blank, where DNA is completely unfolded The percentsge of DNA double strand,-D-, remaining after this treatment, is: %D=100x(P-B)/(T-B). The intrinsic chromatin fluorescence was determined for tyrosine (λ ex =280 nm, λ em =305 nm), specific for badic chromatin prooteins, and for tryptophane (λ ex =290 nm, λ em =345 nm) specific for acid chromatin proteins. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed: The double fluorescent labelling of chromatin was realized with acridine orange for DNA and with dansyl chloride for chromatin proteins. Fluorescence intensity determinations were done with λ ex =505 nm, λ em =530 nm for acridine orange and with λ ex =323 nm, λ em =505 nm for dansyl chloride. A Pye Unicam SP 1800 spectrophotometer and a Aminco SPF 500 spectrofluorimeter were employed. (author)

  2. let-7 Modulates Chromatin Configuration and Target Gene Repression through Regulation of the ARID3B Complex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsai-Tsen Liao

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Let-7 is crucial for both stem cell differentiation and tumor suppression. Here, we demonstrate a chromatin-dependent mechanism of let-7 in regulating target gene expression in cancer cells. Let-7 directly represses the expression of AT-rich interacting domain 3B (ARID3B, ARID3A, and importin-9. In the absence of let-7, importin-9 facilitates the nuclear import of ARID3A, which then forms a complex with ARID3B. The nuclear ARID3B complex recruits histone demethylase 4C to reduce histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation and promotes the transcription of stemness factors. Functionally, expression of ARID3B is critical for the tumor initiation in let-7-depleted cancer cells. An inverse association between let-7 and ARID3A/ARID3B and prognostic significance is demonstrated in head and neck cancer patients. These results highlight a chromatin-dependent mechanism where let-7 regulates cancer stemness through ARID3B.

  3. Extracellular Matrix-Regulated Gene Expression RequiresCooperation of SWI/SNF and Transcription Factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Ren; Spencer, Virginia A.; Bissell, Mina J.

    2006-05-25

    Extracellular cues play crucial roles in the transcriptional regulation of tissue-specific genes, but whether and how these signals lead to chromatin remodeling is not understood and subject to debate. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and mammary-specific genes as models, we show here that extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules and prolactin cooperate to induce histone acetylation and binding of transcription factors and the SWI/SNF complex to the {beta}- and ?-casein promoters. Introduction of a dominant negative Brg1, an ATPase subunit of SWI/SNF complex, significantly reduced both {beta}- and ?-casein expression, suggesting that SWI/SNF-dependent chromatin remodeling is required for transcription of mammary-specific genes. ChIP analyses demonstrated that the ATPase activity of SWI/SNF is necessary for recruitment of RNA transcriptional machinery, but not for binding of transcription factors or for histone acetylation. Coimmunoprecipitation analyses showed that the SWI/SNF complex is associated with STAT5, C/EBP{beta}, and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Thus, ECM- and prolactin-regulated transcription of the mammary-specific casein genes requires the concerted action of chromatin remodeling enzymes and transcription factors.

  4. Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of ARID1B-mediated disorders and identification of altered cell-cycle dynamics due to ARID1B haploinsufficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sim, J. C. H.; White, S. M.; Fitzpatrick, E.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Mutations in genes encoding components of the Brahma-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complex have recently been shown to contribute to multiple syndromes characterised by developmental delay and intellectual disability. ARID1B mutations have been identified as the predomi......Background: Mutations in genes encoding components of the Brahma-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complex have recently been shown to contribute to multiple syndromes characterised by developmental delay and intellectual disability. ARID1B mutations have been identified...

  5. ASF1 is required to load histones on the HIRA complex in preparation of paternal chromatin assembly at fertilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horard, Béatrice; Sapey-Triomphe, Laure; Bonnefoy, Emilie; Loppin, Benjamin

    2018-05-11

    Anti-Silencing Factor 1 (ASF1) is a conserved H3-H4 histone chaperone involved in both Replication-Coupled and Replication-Independent (RI) nucleosome assembly pathways. At DNA replication forks, ASF1 plays an important role in regulating the supply of H3.1/2 and H4 to the CAF-1 chromatin assembly complex. ASF1 also provides H3.3-H4 dimers to HIRA and DAXX chaperones for RI nucleosome assembly. The early Drosophila embryo is an attractive system to study chromatin assembly in a developmental context. The formation of a diploid zygote begins with the unique, genome-wide RI assembly of paternal chromatin following sperm protamine eviction. Then, within the same cytoplasm, syncytial embryonic nuclei undergo a series of rapid, synchronous S and M phases to form the blastoderm embryo. Here, we have investigated the implication of ASF1 in these two distinct assembly processes. We show that depletion of the maternal pool of ASF1 with a specific shRNA induces a fully penetrant, maternal effect embryo lethal phenotype. Unexpectedly, despite the depletion of ASF1 protein to undetectable levels, we show that asf1 knocked-down (KD) embryos can develop to various stages, thus demonstrating that ASF1 is not absolutely required for the amplification of cleavage nuclei. Remarkably, we found that ASF1 is required for the formation of the male pronucleus, although ASF1 protein does not reside in the decondensing sperm nucleus. In asf1 KD embryos, HIRA localizes to the male nucleus but is only capable of limited and insufficient chromatin assembly. Finally, we show that the conserved HIRA B domain, which is involved in ASF1-HIRA interaction, is dispensable for female fertility. We conclude that ASF1 is critically required to load H3.3-H4 dimers on the HIRA complex prior to histone deposition on paternal DNA. This separation of tasks could optimize the rapid assembly of paternal chromatin within the gigantic volume of the egg cell. In contrast, ASF1 is surprisingly dispensable for the

  6. Epigenetic remodeling and modification to preserve skeletogenesis in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godfrey, Tanner C; Wildman, Benjamin J; Javed, Amjad; Lengner, Christopher J; Hassan, Mohammad Quamarul

    2018-12-01

    Current studies offer little insight on how epigenetic remodeling of bone-specific chromatin maintains bone mass in vivo. Understanding this gap and precise mechanism is pivotal for future therapeutic innovation to prevent bone loss. Recently, we found that low bone mass is associated with decreased H3K27 acetylation (activating histone modification) of bone specific gene promoters. Here, we aim to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms by which a miRNA cluster controls bone synthesis and homeostasis by regulating chromatin accessibility and H3K27 acetylation. In order to decipher the epigenetic axis that regulates osteogenesis, we studied a drug inducible anti-miR-23a cluster (miR-23a Cl ZIP ) knockdown mouse model. MiR-23a cluster knockdown (heterozygous) mice developed high bone mass. These mice displayed increased expression of Runx2 and Baf45a, essential factors for skeletogenesis; and decreased expression of Ezh2, a chromatin repressor indispensable for skeletogenesis. ChIP assays using miR-23a Cl knockdown calvarial cells revealed a BAF45A-EZH2 epigenetic antagonistic mechanism that maintains bone formation. Together, our findings support that the miR-23a Cl connection with tissue-specific RUNX2-BAF45A-EZH2 function is a novel molecular epigenetic axis through which a miRNA cluster orchestrates chromatin modification to elicit major effects on osteogenesis in vivo.

  7. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of Methyl CpG Binding Domain Protein 2 Regulates Chromatin Structure*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Annette; Zhang, Peng; Allmann, Lena; Meilinger, Daniela; Bertulat, Bianca; Eck, Daniel; Hofstaetter, Maria; Bartolomei, Giody; Hottiger, Michael O.; Schreiber, Valérie; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Cardoso, M. Cristina

    2016-01-01

    The epigenetic information encoded in the genomic DNA methylation pattern is translated by methylcytosine binding proteins like MeCP2 into chromatin topology and structure and gene activity states. We have shown previously that the MeCP2 level increases during differentiation and that it causes large-scale chromatin reorganization, which is disturbed by MeCP2 Rett syndrome mutations. Phosphorylation and other posttranslational modifications of MeCP2 have been described recently to modulate its function. Here we show poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of endogenous MeCP2 in mouse brain tissue. Consequently, we found that MeCP2 induced aggregation of pericentric heterochromatin and that its chromatin accumulation was enhanced in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1−/− compared with wild-type cells. We mapped the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation domains and engineered MeCP2 mutation constructs to further analyze potential effects on DNA binding affinity and large-scale chromatin remodeling. Single or double deletion of the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated regions and PARP inhibition increased the heterochromatin clustering ability of MeCP2. Increased chromatin clustering may reflect increased binding affinity. In agreement with this hypothesis, we found that PARP-1 deficiency significantly increased the chromatin binding affinity of MeCP2 in vivo. These data provide novel mechanistic insights into the regulation of MeCP2-mediated, higher-order chromatin architecture and suggest therapeutic opportunities to manipulate MeCP2 function. PMID:26772194

  8. Condensins Exert Force on Chromatin-Nuclear Envelope Tethers to Mediate Nucleoplasmic Reticulum Formation in Drosophila melanogaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozler, Julianna; Nguyen, Huy Q.; Rogers, Gregory C.; Bosco, Giovanni

    2014-01-01

    Although the nuclear envelope is known primarily for its role as a boundary between the nucleus and cytoplasm in eukaryotes, it plays a vital and dynamic role in many cellular processes. Studies of nuclear structure have revealed tissue-specific changes in nuclear envelope architecture, suggesting that its three-dimensional structure contributes to its functionality. Despite the importance of the nuclear envelope, the factors that regulate and maintain nuclear envelope shape remain largely unexplored. The nuclear envelope makes extensive and dynamic interactions with the underlying chromatin. Given this inexorable link between chromatin and the nuclear envelope, it is possible that local and global chromatin organization reciprocally impact nuclear envelope form and function. In this study, we use Drosophila salivary glands to show that the three-dimensional structure of the nuclear envelope can be altered with condensin II-mediated chromatin condensation. Both naturally occurring and engineered chromatin-envelope interactions are sufficient to allow chromatin compaction forces to drive distortions of the nuclear envelope. Weakening of the nuclear lamina further enhanced envelope remodeling, suggesting that envelope structure is capable of counterbalancing chromatin compaction forces. Our experiments reveal that the nucleoplasmic reticulum is born of the nuclear envelope and remains dynamic in that they can be reabsorbed into the nuclear envelope. We propose a model where inner nuclear envelope-chromatin tethers allow interphase chromosome movements to change nuclear envelope morphology. Therefore, interphase chromatin compaction may be a normal mechanism that reorganizes nuclear architecture, while under pathological conditions, such as laminopathies, compaction forces may contribute to defects in nuclear morphology. PMID:25552604

  9. Condensins exert force on chromatin-nuclear envelope tethers to mediate nucleoplasmic reticulum formation in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozler, Julianna; Nguyen, Huy Q; Rogers, Gregory C; Bosco, Giovanni

    2014-12-30

    Although the nuclear envelope is known primarily for its role as a boundary between the nucleus and cytoplasm in eukaryotes, it plays a vital and dynamic role in many cellular processes. Studies of nuclear structure have revealed tissue-specific changes in nuclear envelope architecture, suggesting that its three-dimensional structure contributes to its functionality. Despite the importance of the nuclear envelope, the factors that regulate and maintain nuclear envelope shape remain largely unexplored. The nuclear envelope makes extensive and dynamic interactions with the underlying chromatin. Given this inexorable link between chromatin and the nuclear envelope, it is possible that local and global chromatin organization reciprocally impact nuclear envelope form and function. In this study, we use Drosophila salivary glands to show that the three-dimensional structure of the nuclear envelope can be altered with condensin II-mediated chromatin condensation. Both naturally occurring and engineered chromatin-envelope interactions are sufficient to allow chromatin compaction forces to drive distortions of the nuclear envelope. Weakening of the nuclear lamina further enhanced envelope remodeling, suggesting that envelope structure is capable of counterbalancing chromatin compaction forces. Our experiments reveal that the nucleoplasmic reticulum is born of the nuclear envelope and remains dynamic in that they can be reabsorbed into the nuclear envelope. We propose a model where inner nuclear envelope-chromatin tethers allow interphase chromosome movements to change nuclear envelope morphology. Therefore, interphase chromatin compaction may be a normal mechanism that reorganizes nuclear architecture, while under pathological conditions, such as laminopathies, compaction forces may contribute to defects in nuclear morphology. Copyright © 2015 Bozler et al.

  10. Comparative analysis of chromatin landscape in regulatory regions of human housekeeping and tissue specific genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dasgupta Dipayan

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Global regulatory mechanisms involving chromatin assembly and remodelling in the promoter regions of genes is implicated in eukaryotic transcription control especially for genes subjected to spatial and temporal regulation. The potential to utilise global regulatory mechanisms for controlling gene expression might depend upon the architecture of the chromatin in and around the gene. In-silico analysis can yield important insights into this aspect, facilitating comparison of two or more classes of genes comprising of a large number of genes within each group. Results In the present study, we carried out a comparative analysis of chromatin characteristics in terms of the scaffold/matrix attachment regions, nucleosome formation potential and the occurrence of repetitive sequences, in the upstream regulatory regions of housekeeping and tissue specific genes. Our data show that putative scaffold/matrix attachment regions are more abundant and nucleosome formation potential is higher in the 5' regions of tissue specific genes as compared to the housekeeping genes. Conclusion The differences in the chromatin features between the two groups of genes indicate the involvement of chromatin organisation in the control of gene expression. The presence of global regulatory mechanisms mediated through chromatin organisation can decrease the burden of invoking gene specific regulators for maintenance of the active/silenced state of gene expression. This could partially explain the lower number of genes estimated in the human genome.

  11. The elongin complex antagonizes the chromatin factor Corto for vein versus intervein cell identity in Drosophila wings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rougeot, Julien; Renard, Myrtille; Randsholt, Neel B; Peronnet, Frédérique; Mouchel-Vielh, Emmanuèle

    2013-01-01

    Drosophila wings mainly consist of two cell types, vein and intervein cells. Acquisition of either fate depends on specific expression of genes that are controlled by several signaling pathways. The nuclear mechanisms that translate signaling into regulation of gene expression are not completely understood, but they involve chromatin factors from the Trithorax (TrxG) and Enhancers of Trithorax and Polycomb (ETP) families. One of these is the ETP Corto that participates in intervein fate through interaction with the Drosophila EGF Receptor--MAP kinase ERK pathway. Precise mechanisms and molecular targets of Corto in this process are not known. We show here that Corto interacts with the Elongin transcription elongation complex. This complex, that consists of three subunits (Elongin A, B, C), increases RNA polymerase II elongation rate in vitro by suppressing transient pausing. Analysis of phenotypes induced by EloA, B, or C deregulation as well as genetic interactions suggest that the Elongin complex might participate in vein vs intervein specification, and antagonizes corto as well as several TrxG genes in this process. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Elongin C and Corto bind the vein-promoting gene rhomboid in wing imaginal discs. We propose that Corto and the Elongin complex participate together in vein vs intervein fate, possibly through tissue-specific transcriptional regulation of rhomboid.

  12. The elongin complex antagonizes the chromatin factor Corto for vein versus intervein cell identity in Drosophila wings.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Rougeot

    Full Text Available Drosophila wings mainly consist of two cell types, vein and intervein cells. Acquisition of either fate depends on specific expression of genes that are controlled by several signaling pathways. The nuclear mechanisms that translate signaling into regulation of gene expression are not completely understood, but they involve chromatin factors from the Trithorax (TrxG and Enhancers of Trithorax and Polycomb (ETP families. One of these is the ETP Corto that participates in intervein fate through interaction with the Drosophila EGF Receptor--MAP kinase ERK pathway. Precise mechanisms and molecular targets of Corto in this process are not known. We show here that Corto interacts with the Elongin transcription elongation complex. This complex, that consists of three subunits (Elongin A, B, C, increases RNA polymerase II elongation rate in vitro by suppressing transient pausing. Analysis of phenotypes induced by EloA, B, or C deregulation as well as genetic interactions suggest that the Elongin complex might participate in vein vs intervein specification, and antagonizes corto as well as several TrxG genes in this process. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Elongin C and Corto bind the vein-promoting gene rhomboid in wing imaginal discs. We propose that Corto and the Elongin complex participate together in vein vs intervein fate, possibly through tissue-specific transcriptional regulation of rhomboid.

  13. Combinatorial depletion analysis to assemble the network architecture of the SAGA and ADA chromatin remodeling complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kenneth K; Sardiu, Mihaela E; Swanson, Selene K; Gilmore, Joshua M; Torok, Michael; Grant, Patrick A; Florens, Laurence; Workman, Jerry L; Washburn, Michael P

    2011-07-05

    Despite the availability of several large-scale proteomics studies aiming to identify protein interactions on a global scale, little is known about how proteins interact and are organized within macromolecular complexes. Here, we describe a technique that consists of a combination of biochemistry approaches, quantitative proteomics and computational methods using wild-type and deletion strains to investigate the organization of proteins within macromolecular protein complexes. We applied this technique to determine the organization of two well-studied complexes, Spt-Ada-Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase (SAGA) and ADA, for which no comprehensive high-resolution structures exist. This approach revealed that SAGA/ADA is composed of five distinct functional modules, which can persist separately. Furthermore, we identified a novel subunit of the ADA complex, termed Ahc2, and characterized Sgf29 as an ADA family protein present in all Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase complexes. Finally, we propose a model for the architecture of the SAGA and ADA complexes, which predicts novel functional associations within the SAGA complex and provides mechanistic insights into phenotypical observations in SAGA mutants.

  14. Dual mechanism of chromatin remodeling in the common shrew sex trivalent (XY 1Y 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey N. Matveevsky

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Here we focus on the XY1Y2 condition in male common shrew Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, applying electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry for a comprehensive analysis of structure, synapsis and behaviour of the sex trivalent in pachytene spermatocytes. The pachytene sex trivalent consists of three distinct parts: short and long synaptic SC fragments (between the X and Y1 and between the X and Y2, respectively and a long asynaptic region of the X in-between. Chromatin inactivation was revealed in the XY1 synaptic region, the asynaptic region of the X and a very small asynaptic part of the Y2. This inactive part of the sex trivalent, that we named the ‘head’, forms a typical sex body and is located at the periphery of the meiotic nucleus at mid pachytene. The second part or ‘tail’, a long region of synapsis between the X and Y2 chromosomes, is directed from the periphery into the nucleus. Based on the distribution patterns of four proteins involved in chromatin inactivation, we propose a model of meiotic silencing in shrew sex chromosomes. Thus, we conclude that pachytene sex chromosomes are structurally and functionally two different chromatin domains with specific nuclear topology: the peripheral inactivated ‘true’ sex chromosome regions (part of the X and the Y1 and more centrally located transcriptionally active autosomal segments (part of the X and the Y2.

  15. Long range epigenetic silencing is a trans-species mechanism that results in cancer specific deregulation by overriding the chromatin domains of normal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forn, Marta; Muñoz, Mar; Tauriello, Daniele V F; Merlos-Suárez, Anna; Rodilla, Verónica; Bigas, Anna; Batlle, Eduard; Jordà, Mireia; Peinado, Miguel A

    2013-12-01

    DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling are frequently implicated in the silencing of genes involved in carcinogenesis. Long Range Epigenetic Silencing (LRES) is a mechanism of gene inactivation that affects multiple contiguous CpG islands and has been described in different human cancer types. However, it is unknown whether there is a coordinated regulation of the genes embedded in these regions in normal cells and in early stages of tumor progression. To better characterize the molecular events associated with the regulation and remodeling of these regions we analyzed two regions undergoing LRES in human colon cancer in the mouse model. We demonstrate that LRES also occurs in murine cancer in vivo and mimics the molecular features of the human phenomenon, namely, downregulation of gene expression, acquisition of inactive histone marks, and DNA hypermethylation of specific CpG islands. The genes embedded in these regions showed a dynamic and autonomous regulation during mouse intestinal cell differentiation, indicating that, in the framework considered here, the coordinated regulation in LRES is restricted to cancer. Unexpectedly, benign adenomas in Apc(Min/+) mice showed overexpression of most of the genes affected by LRES in cancer, which suggests that the repressive remodeling of the region is a late event. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of the transcriptional insulator CTCF in mouse colon cancer cells revealed disrupted chromatin domain boundaries as compared with normal cells. Malignant regression of cancer cells by in vitro differentiation resulted in partial reversion of LRES and gain of CTCF binding. We conclude that genes in LRES regions are plastically regulated in cell differentiation and hyperproliferation, but are constrained to a coordinated repression by abolishing boundaries and the autonomous regulation of chromatin domains in cancer cells. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All

  16. PHF6 Degrees of Separation: The Multifaceted Roles of a Chromatin Adaptor Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd, Matthew A M; Ivanochko, Danton; Picketts, David J

    2015-06-19

    The importance of chromatin regulation to human disease is highlighted by the growing number of mutations identified in genes encoding chromatin remodeling proteins. While such mutations were first identified in severe developmental disorders, or in specific cancers, several genes have been implicated in both, including the plant homeodomain finger protein 6 (PHF6) gene. Indeed, germline mutations in PHF6 are the cause of the Börjeson-Forssman-Lehmann X-linked intellectual disability syndrome (BFLS), while somatic PHF6 mutations have been identified in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Studies from different groups over the last few years have made a significant impact towards a functional understanding of PHF6 protein function. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of PHF6 with particular emphasis on how it interfaces with a distinct set of interacting partners and its functional roles in the nucleoplasm and nucleolus. Overall, PHF6 is emerging as a key chromatin adaptor protein critical to the regulation of neurogenesis and hematopoiesis.

  17. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation links the chromatin remodeler SMARCA5/SNF2H to RNF168-dependent DNA damage signaling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G. Smeenk (Godelieve); W.W. Wiegant (Wouter); J.A. Marteijn (Jurgen); M.S. Luijsterburg (Martijn); N. Sroczynski (Nicholas); T. Costelloe (Thomas); R. Romeijn (Ron); A. Pastink (Albert); N. Mailand (Niels); W. Vermeulen (Wim); H. van Attikum (Haico)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractIonizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) arising in native chromatin elicit an RNF8/RNF168-dependent ubiquitylation response, which triggers the recruitment of various repair factors. Precisely how this response is regulated in the context of chromatin remains

  18. FACT facilitates chromatin transcription by RNA polymerases I and III

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birch, Joanna L; Tan, Bertrand C-M; Panov, Kostya I

    2009-01-01

    Efficient transcription elongation from a chromatin template requires RNA polymerases (Pols) to negotiate nucleosomes. Our biochemical analyses demonstrate that RNA Pol I can transcribe through nucleosome templates and that this requires structural rearrangement of the nucleosomal core particle....... The subunits of the histone chaperone FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription), SSRP1 and Spt16, co-purify and co-immunoprecipitate with mammalian Pol I complexes. In cells, SSRP1 is detectable at the rRNA gene repeats. Crucially, siRNA-mediated repression of FACT subunit expression in cells results...... in a significant reduction in 47S pre-rRNA levels, whereas synthesis of the first 40 nt of the rRNA is not affected, implying that FACT is important for Pol I transcription elongation through chromatin. FACT also associates with RNA Pol III complexes, is present at the chromatin of genes transcribed by Pol III...

  19. Fast neutron biological effects on normal and tumor chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinescu, B.; Bugoi, Roxana; Paunica, Tatiana; Radu, Liliana

    1997-01-01

    Growing interest in neutron therapy and radioprotection requires complex studies on the mechanisms of neutron action on biological systems, especially on chromatin (the complex of deoxyribonucleic acid-DNA- with proteins in eukaryotic cells). Our study aims to investigate the fast neutrons induced damages in normal and tumor chromatin, studying thermal transition, intrinsic fluorescence and fluorescence of chromatin-ethidium bromide complexes behavior versus irradiation dose. The Bucharest U-120 variable energy Cyclotron was employed as an intense source of fast neutrons produced by 13.5 MeV deuterons on a thick beryllium target (166.5 mg/cm 2 ) placed at 20 angle against the incident beam. The average energy is 5.24 MeV. The total yield at 0 angle is 6.7 x 10 16 n/sr·C·MeV. To determine neutron and gamma irradiation doses, home made thermoluminescent detectors-TLD(γ) and TLD (γ + n) were used: for gamma MgF 2 : Mn mixed with Teflon pellets (φ 12.5 mm, 0.6±0.1 mm thick) and for gamma plus neutrons MgF 2 :Mn mixed with 6 LiF and Teflon pellets (same dimensions). Using a 8.022 x 10 -2 albedo factor value and the equivalence 1Gy (n)=2·10 10 fast neutron/cm 2 , the dose for the irradiation of 1.2 x 10 2 Gy/μC, with an estimated precision of 15% C for neutrons and 7.8 x 10 -4 Gy/μC for gamma, at 10 cm behind Be target, was found, respectively. A diminution of the negative fluorescence intensity for chromatin-ethidium bromide complexes with the increasing of neutron dose (from 0.98 at 5 Gy to 0.85 at 100 Gy) was observed for normal chromatin. This fact reflects chromatin DNA injuries, with the decrease of double helix DNA proportion. To study the influence of gyrostan, thyroxine and D3 vitamin treatments on fast neutron radiolysis in tumor chromatin,10 mg/kg of anticancer drug gyrostan, 40μg/kg of hormonal compound thyroxine and 30,000 IU/kg of D3 vitamin were administrated, separately or associated, to Wistar rats bearing Walker carcinosarcoma. Representing

  20. Characteristics of complex fractionated atrial electrogram in the electroanatomically remodeled left atrium of patients with atrial fibrillation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jae-Hyung; Kim, Jong-Youn; Park, Sang-Weon

    2010-01-01

    Complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) guided ablation is effective in some patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF), but the pattern of CFAE may be different in the remodeled left atrium (LA). In 100 AF patients (83 males, 55.0±10.6 years old) with AF (51 paroxysmal AF (PAF), 49 PeAF) who underwent catheter ablation, CFAE cycle length (CL) and distribution (NavX 3D map) were compared according to the LA volume (3D-CT) and endocardial voltage (during high right atrial pacing 500-ms (Vol PACE ) and AF (Vol AF ; NavX). The mean CFAE-CL was longer (P=0.003) and the % area CFAE was smaller (P=0.006) in patients with LA ≥125 ml than those with PACE AF PACE <1.7 mV than those with ≥1.7 mV (P=0.006). The incidence of septal CFAE was consistently high, regardless of the degree of LA remodeling. In the AF patients with an electroanatomically remodeled LA, the % area of CFAE was smaller and mean CFAE-CL was longer than in those with a less remodeled LA. However, the majority of CFAE are consistently positioned on the septum in the remodeled LA. (author)

  1. Remodeling of the methylation landscape in breast cancer metastasis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marsha Reyngold

    Full Text Available The development of breast cancer metastasis is accompanied by dynamic transcriptome changes and dramatic alterations in nuclear and chromatin structure. The basis of these changes is incompletely understood. The DNA methylome of primary breast cancers contribute to transcriptomic heterogeneity and different metastatic behavior. Therefore we sought to characterize methylome remodeling during regional metastasis. We profiled the DNA methylome and transcriptome of 44 matched primary breast tumors and regional metastases. Striking subtype-specific patterns of metastasis-associated methylome remodeling were observed, which reflected the molecular heterogeneity of breast cancers. These divergent changes occurred primarily in CpG island (CGI-poor areas. Regions of methylome reorganization shared by the subtypes were also observed, and we were able to identify a metastasis-specific methylation signature that was present across the breast cancer subclasses. These alterations also occurred outside of CGIs and promoters, including sequences flanking CGIs and intergenic sequences. Integrated analysis of methylation and gene expression identified genes whose expression correlated with metastasis-specific methylation. Together, these findings significantly enhance our understanding of the epigenetic reorganization that occurs during regional breast cancer metastasis across the major breast cancer subtypes and reveal the nature of methylome remodeling during this process.

  2. New Face for Chromatin-Related Mesenchymal Modulator: n-CHD9 Localizes to Nucleoli and Interacts With Ribosomal Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salomon-Kent, Ronit; Marom, Ronit; John, Sam; Dundr, Miroslav; Schiltz, Louis R; Gutierrez, Jose; Workman, Jerry; Benayahu, Dafna; Hager, Gordon L

    2015-09-01

    Mesenchymal stem cells' differentiation into several lineages is coordinated by a complex of transcription factors and co-regulators which bind to specific gene promoters. The Chromatin-Related Mesenchymal Modulator, CHD9 demonstrated in vitro its ability for remodeling activity to reposition nucleosomes in an ATP-dependent manner. Epigenetically, CHD9 binds with modified H3-(K9me2/3 and K27me3). Previously, we presented a role for CHD9 with RNA Polymerase II (Pol II)-dependent transcription of tissue specific genes. Far less is known about CHD9 function in RNA Polymerase I (Pol I) related transcription of the ribosomal locus that also drives specific cell fate. We here describe a new form, the nucleolar CHD9 (n-CHD9) that is dynamically associated with Pol I, fibrillarin, and upstream binding factor (UBF) in the nucleoli, as shown by imaging and molecular approaches. Inhibitors of transcription disorganized the nucleolar compartment of transcription sites where rDNA is actively transcribed. Collectively, these findings link n-CHD9 with RNA pol I transcription in fibrillar centers. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and tilling arrays (ChIP- chip), we find an association of n-CHD9 with Pol I related to rRNA biogenesis. Our new findings support the role for CHD9 in chromatin regulation and association with rDNA genes, in addition to its already known function in transcription control of tissue specific genes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Determination of local chromatin composition by CasID.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidtmann, Elisabeth; Anton, Tobias; Rombaut, Pascaline; Herzog, Franz; Leonhardt, Heinrich

    2016-09-02

    Chromatin structure and function are determined by a plethora of proteins whose genome-wide distribution is typically assessed by immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Here, we developed a novel tool to investigate the local chromatin environment at specific DNA sequences. We combined the programmable DNA binding of dCas9 with the promiscuous biotin ligase BirA* (CasID) to biotinylate proteins in the direct vicinity of specific loci. Subsequent streptavidin-mediated precipitation and mass spectrometry identified both known and previously unknown chromatin factors associated with repetitive telomeric, major satellite and minor satellite DNA. With super-resolution microscopy, we confirmed the localization of the putative transcription factor ZNF512 at chromocenters. The versatility of CasID facilitates the systematic elucidation of functional protein complexes and locus-specific chromatin composition.

  4. Quantitative FLIM-FRET Microscopy to Monitor Nanoscale Chromatin Compaction In Vivo Reveals Structural Roles of Condensin Complexes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Llères

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available How metazoan genomes are structured at the nanoscale in living cells and tissues remains unknown. Here, we adapted a quantitative FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer-based fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM approach to assay nanoscale chromatin compaction in living organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans was chosen as a model system. By measuring FRET between histone-tagged fluorescent proteins, we visualized distinct chromosomal regions and quantified the different levels of nanoscale compaction in meiotic cells. Using RNAi and repetitive extrachromosomal array approaches, we defined the heterochromatin state and showed that its architecture presents a nanoscale-compacted organization controlled by Heterochromatin Protein-1 (HP1 and SETDB1 H3-lysine-9 methyltransferase homologs in vivo. Next, we functionally explored condensin complexes. We found that condensin I and condensin II are essential for heterochromatin compaction and that condensin I additionally controls lowly compacted regions. Our data show that, in living animals, nanoscale chromatin compaction is controlled not only by histone modifiers and readers but also by condensin complexes.

  5. SWI/SNF complex in disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santen, Gijs W.E.; Kriek, Marjolein; van Attikum, Haico

    2012-01-01

    Heterozygous germline mutations in components of switch/sucrose nonfermenting (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes were recently identified in patients with non-syndromic intellectual disability, Coffin-Siris syndrome and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome. The common denominator of the phenotype of these patients is severe intellectual disability and speech delay. Somatic and germline mutations in SWI/SNF components were previously implicated in tumor development. This raises the question whether patients with intellectual disability caused by SWI/SNF mutations in the germline are exposed to an increased risk of developing cancer. Here we compare the mutational spectrum of SWI/SNF components in intellectual disability syndromes and cancer, and discuss the implications of the results of this comparison for the patients. PMID:23010866

  6. A role for chromatin topology in imprinted domain regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, William A; Sachani, Saqib S; White, Carlee R; Mann, Mellissa R W

    2016-02-01

    Recently, many advancements in genome-wide chromatin topology and nuclear architecture have unveiled the complex and hidden world of the nucleus, where chromatin is organized into discrete neighbourhoods with coordinated gene expression. This includes the active and inactive X chromosomes. Using X chromosome inactivation as a working model, we utilized publicly available datasets together with a literature review to gain insight into topologically associated domains, lamin-associated domains, nucleolar-associating domains, scaffold/matrix attachment regions, and nucleoporin-associated chromatin and their role in regulating monoallelic expression. Furthermore, we comprehensively review for the first time the role of chromatin topology and nuclear architecture in the regulation of genomic imprinting. We propose that chromatin topology and nuclear architecture are important regulatory mechanisms for directing gene expression within imprinted domains. Furthermore, we predict that dynamic changes in chromatin topology and nuclear architecture play roles in tissue-specific imprint domain regulation during early development and differentiation.

  7. Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of plant chromatin and chromatin-associated proteins

    KAUST Repository

    Bigeard, Jean; Rayapuram, Naganand; Pflieger, Delphine; Hirt, Heribert

    2014-01-01

    In eukaryotes, most of the DNA is located in the nucleus where it is organized with histone proteins in a higher order structure as chromatin. Chromatin and chromatin-associated proteins contribute to DNA-related processes such as replication and transcription as well as epigenetic regulation. Protein functions are often regulated by PTMs among which phosphorylation is one of the most abundant PTM. Phosphorylation of proteins affects important properties, such as enzyme activity, protein stability, or subcellular localization. We here describe the main specificities of protein phosphorylation in plants and review the current knowledge on phosphorylation-dependent regulation of plant chromatin and chromatin-associated proteins. We also outline some future challenges to further elucidate protein phosphorylation and chromatin regulation.

  8. Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of plant chromatin and chromatin-associated proteins

    KAUST Repository

    Bigeard, Jean

    2014-07-10

    In eukaryotes, most of the DNA is located in the nucleus where it is organized with histone proteins in a higher order structure as chromatin. Chromatin and chromatin-associated proteins contribute to DNA-related processes such as replication and transcription as well as epigenetic regulation. Protein functions are often regulated by PTMs among which phosphorylation is one of the most abundant PTM. Phosphorylation of proteins affects important properties, such as enzyme activity, protein stability, or subcellular localization. We here describe the main specificities of protein phosphorylation in plants and review the current knowledge on phosphorylation-dependent regulation of plant chromatin and chromatin-associated proteins. We also outline some future challenges to further elucidate protein phosphorylation and chromatin regulation.

  9. Frequent mutations of chromatin remodeling genes in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gui, Yaoting; Guo, Guangwu; Huang, Yi

    2011-01-01

    frequently in tumors of low stages and grades, highlighting its potential role in the classification and diagnosis of bladder cancer. Our results provide an overview of the genetic basis of TCC and suggest that aberration of chromatin regulation might be a hallmark of bladder cancer.......Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most common type of bladder cancer. Here we sequenced the exomes of nine individuals with TCC and screened all the somatically mutated genes in a prevalence set of 88 additional individuals with TCC with different tumor stages and grades. In our study, we...

  10. Active remodelling of the TIM23 complex during translocation of preproteins into mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popov-Celeketić, Dusan; Mapa, Koyeli; Neupert, Walter; Mokranjac, Dejana

    2008-05-21

    The TIM23 (translocase of the mitochondrial inner membrane) complex mediates translocation of preproteins across and their insertion into the mitochondrial inner membrane. How the translocase mediates sorting of preproteins into the two different subcompartments is poorly understood. In particular, it is not clear whether association of two operationally defined parts of the translocase, the membrane-integrated part and the import motor, depends on the activity state of the translocase. We established conditions to in vivo trap the TIM23 complex in different translocation modes. Membrane-integrated part of the complex and import motor were always found in one complex irrespective of whether an arrested preprotein was present or not. Instead, we detected different conformations of the complex in response to the presence and, importantly, the type of preprotein being translocated. Two non-essential subunits of the complex, Tim21 and Pam17, modulate its activity in an antagonistic manner. Our data demonstrate that the TIM23 complex acts as a single structural and functional entity that is actively remodelled to sort preproteins into different mitochondrial subcompartments.

  11. Identification of in planta protein–protein interactions using IP-MS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jamge, Suraj; Angenent, Gerco; Bemer, Marian

    2018-01-01

    Gene regulation by transcription factors involves complex protein interaction networks, which include chromatin remodeling and modifying proteins as an integral part. Decoding these protein interactions is crucial for our understanding of chromatin-mediated gene regulation. Here, we describe a

  12. Testing Whether Defective Chromatin Assembly in S-Phase Contributes to Breast Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Adams, Peter

    2003-01-01

    .... We used a dominant negative mutant of (chromatin assembly factor-I) CAF1, a complex that assembles newly synthesized DNA into nucleosomes, to inhibit S-phase chromatin assembly and found that this induced S-phase arrest...

  13. Testing Whether Defective Chromatin Assembly in S-Phase Contributes to Breast Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Adams, Peter

    2004-01-01

    .... We used a dominant negative mutant of (chromatin assembly factor-I) CAF1, a complex that assembles newly synthesized DNA into nucleosomes, to inhibit S-phase chromatin assembly and found that this induced S-phase arrest...

  14. Ectopic protein interactions within BRD4–chromatin complexes drive oncogenic megadomain formation in NUT midline carcinoma

    OpenAIRE

    Alekseyenko, Artyom A.; Walsh, Erica M.; Zee, Barry M.; Pakozdi, Tibor; Hsi, Peter; Lemieux, Madeleine E.; Dal Cin, Paola; Ince, Tan A.; Kharchenko, Peter V.; Kuroda, Mitzi I.; French, Christopher A.

    2017-01-01

    Chromatin factors generally act within large, multisubunit complexes; thus, identifying both their normal and aberrant interactors in cancer should provide important information regarding potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Here, we apply this principle to analysis of BRD4–NUT, a fusion oncoprotein that drives an aggressive subtype of squamous cell cancer. We identify ZNF532 as a prominent BRD4–NUT–interacting protein in an established NUT midline carcinoma patient cell line, and ...

  15. H4K20me0 marks post-replicative chromatin and recruits the TONSL₋MMS22L DNA repair complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saredi, Giulia; Huang, Hongda; Hammond, Colin M.; Alabert, Constance; Bekker-Jensen, Simon; Forne, Ignasi; Reverón-Gómez, Nazaret; Foster, Benjamin M.; Mlejnkova, Lucie; Bartke, Till; Cejka, Petr; Mailand, Niels; Imhof, Axel; Patel, Dinshaw J.; Groth, Anja [UCopenhagen; (MSKCC); (ICL); (LMU); (Zurich)

    2016-06-22

    Here, we report that after DNA replication, chromosomal processes including DNA repair and transcription take place in the context of sister chromatids. While cell cycle regulation can guide these processes globally, mechanisms to distinguish pre- and post-replicative states locally remain unknown. In this paper we reveal that new histones incorporated during DNA replication provide a signature of post-replicative chromatin, read by the human TONSL–MMS22L1, 2, 3, 4 homologous recombination complex. We identify the TONSL ankyrin repeat domain (ARD) as a reader of histone H4 tails unmethylated at K20 (H4K20me0), which are specific to new histones incorporated during DNA replication and mark post-replicative chromatin until the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Accordingly, TONSL–MMS22L binds new histones H3–H4 both before and after incorporation into nucleosomes, remaining on replicated chromatin until late G2/M. H4K20me0 recognition is required for TONSL–MMS22L binding to chromatin and accumulation at challenged replication forks and DNA lesions. Consequently, TONSL ARD mutants are toxic, compromising genome stability, cell viability and resistance to replication stress. Finally, together, these data reveal a histone-reader-based mechanism for recognizing the post-replicative state, offering a new angle to understand DNA repair with the potential for targeted cancer therapy.

  16. Genome-wide identification of physically clustered genes suggests chromatin-level co-regulation in male reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reimegård, Johan; Kundu, Snehangshu; Pendle, Ali; Irish, Vivian F; Shaw, Peter; Nakayama, Naomi; Sundström, Jens F; Emanuelsson, Olof

    2017-04-07

    Co-expression of physically linked genes occurs surprisingly frequently in eukaryotes. Such chromosomal clustering may confer a selective advantage as it enables coordinated gene regulation at the chromatin level. We studied the chromosomal organization of genes involved in male reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana. We developed an in-silico tool to identify physical clusters of co-regulated genes from gene expression data. We identified 17 clusters (96 genes) involved in stamen development and acting downstream of the transcriptional activator MS1 (MALE STERILITY 1), which contains a PHD domain associated with chromatin re-organization. The clusters exhibited little gene homology or promoter element similarity, and largely overlapped with reported repressive histone marks. Experiments on a subset of the clusters suggested a link between expression activation and chromatin conformation: qRT-PCR and mRNA in situ hybridization showed that the clustered genes were up-regulated within 48 h after MS1 induction; out of 14 chromatin-remodeling mutants studied, expression of clustered genes was consistently down-regulated only in hta9/hta11, previously associated with metabolic cluster activation; DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed that transcriptional activation of the clustered genes was correlated with open chromatin conformation. Stamen development thus appears to involve transcriptional activation of physically clustered genes through chromatin de-condensation. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  17. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of chromatin-associated proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana

    KAUST Repository

    Bigeard, Jean

    2014-07-10

    The nucleus is the organelle where basically all DNA-related processes take place in eukaryotes, such as replication, transcription, and splicing as well as epigenetic regulation. The identification and description of the nuclear proteins is one of the requisites toward a comprehensive understanding of the biological functions accomplished in the nucleus. Many of the regulatory mechanisms of protein functions rely on their PTMs among which phosphorylation is probably one of the most important properties affecting enzymatic activity, interaction with other molecules, localization, or stability. So far, the nuclear and subnuclear proteome and phosphoproteome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana have been the subject of very few studies. In this work, we developed a purification protocol of Arabidopsis chromatin-associated proteins and performed proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses identifying a total of 879 proteins of which 198 were phosphoproteins that were mainly involved in chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, and RNA processing. From 230 precisely localized phosphorylation sites (phosphosites), 52 correspond to hitherto unidentified sites. This protocol and data thereby obtained should be a valuable resource for many domains of plant research.

  18. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of chromatin-associated proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana

    KAUST Repository

    Bigeard, Jean; Rayapuram, Naganand; Bonhomme, Ludovic; Hirt, Heribert; Pflieger, Delphine

    2014-01-01

    The nucleus is the organelle where basically all DNA-related processes take place in eukaryotes, such as replication, transcription, and splicing as well as epigenetic regulation. The identification and description of the nuclear proteins is one of the requisites toward a comprehensive understanding of the biological functions accomplished in the nucleus. Many of the regulatory mechanisms of protein functions rely on their PTMs among which phosphorylation is probably one of the most important properties affecting enzymatic activity, interaction with other molecules, localization, or stability. So far, the nuclear and subnuclear proteome and phosphoproteome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana have been the subject of very few studies. In this work, we developed a purification protocol of Arabidopsis chromatin-associated proteins and performed proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses identifying a total of 879 proteins of which 198 were phosphoproteins that were mainly involved in chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, and RNA processing. From 230 precisely localized phosphorylation sites (phosphosites), 52 correspond to hitherto unidentified sites. This protocol and data thereby obtained should be a valuable resource for many domains of plant research.

  19. Chromatin plasticity as a differentiation index during muscle differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Tomonobu M.; Higuchi, Sayaka; Kawauchi, Keiko; Tsukasaki, Yoshikazu; Ichimura, Taro; Fujita, Hideaki

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Change in the epigenetic landscape during myogenesis was optically investigated. ► Mobility of nuclear proteins was used to state the epigenetic status of the cell. ► Mobility of nuclear proteins decreased as myogenesis progressed in C2C12. ► Differentiation state diagram was developed using parameters obtained. -- Abstract: Skeletal muscle undergoes complicated differentiation steps that include cell-cycle arrest, cell fusion, and maturation, which are controlled through sequential expression of transcription factors. During muscle differentiation, remodeling of the epigenetic landscape is also known to take place on a large scale, determining cell fate. In an attempt to determine the extent of epigenetic remodeling during muscle differentiation, we characterized the plasticity of the chromatin structure using C2C12 myoblasts. Differentiation of C2C12 cells was induced by lowering the serum concentration after they had reached full confluence, resulting in the formation of multi-nucleated myotubes. Upon induction of differentiation, the nucleus size decreased whereas the aspect ratio increased, indicating the presence of force on the nucleus during differentiation. Movement of the nucleus was also suppressed when differentiation was induced, indicating that the plasticity of chromatin changed upon differentiation. To evaluate the histone dynamics during differentiation, FRAP experiment was performed, which showed an increase in the immobile fraction of histone proteins when differentiation was induced. To further evaluate the change in the histone dynamics during differentiation, FCS was performed, which showed a decrease in histone mobility on differentiation. We here show that the plasticity of chromatin decreases upon differentiation, which takes place in a stepwise manner, and that it can be used as an index for the differentiation stage during myogenesis using the state diagram developed with the parameters obtained in this study.

  20. Insights into Chromatin Structure and Dynamics in Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefanie Rosa

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The packaging of chromatin into the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell requires an extraordinary degree of compaction and physical organization. In recent years, it has been shown that this organization is dynamically orchestrated to regulate responses to exogenous stimuli as well as to guide complex cell-type-specific developmental programs. Gene expression is regulated by the compartmentalization of functional domains within the nucleus, by distinct nucleosome compositions accomplished via differential modifications on the histone tails and through the replacement of core histones by histone variants. In this review, we focus on these aspects of chromatin organization and discuss novel approaches such as live cell imaging and photobleaching as important tools likely to give significant insights into our understanding of the very dynamic nature of chromatin and chromatin regulatory processes. We highlight the contribution plant studies have made in this area showing the potential advantages of plants as models in understanding this fundamental aspect of biology.

  1. Repair response for DNA double-strand damage through ubiquitylation of chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakada, Shinichiro

    2011-01-01

    The chromatin modulation (remodeling) via lysine63 (K63)-linked ubiquitin (U) has been found important in the repair response for DNA double-strand damage, and the sequential signaling events at the damage site are explained. As the first step of the repair, MRN (MRE11, RAD50 and nibrin) complex recognizes the damage site and binds to it followed by many linked reactions by recruited and activated enzymes of various protein kinases and phosphatases, which resulting in the enhanced early signaling. As well, gamma-H2AX (phosphorylated histone H2AX) is yielded by the process, to which phosphorylated MDC1 (mediator of DNA-damage checkpoint 1) binds to produce their complex. Then further binding of RNF8-HERC2-UBC13 (ring finger protein 8, hect domain and RCC1 (CHC1)-like domain, and U conjugating enzyme E2N, respectively) occurs for starting the cumulative ubiquitylation of H2AX via K63 as the middle phase response. Signaling in the late phase occurs on the U chain formed at the damage site by binding of RAP (receptor-associated protein) 80 and other recruited 5 proteins like BRCA1 (breast cancer 1, early onset) to repair DNA by the homologous recombination after 53BP1 (tumor protein p53 binding protein) binding followed by methylation of histone H4. In a case of human compound heterozygous RNF168 defect, RIDDLE syndrome (radiosensitivity, immunodeficiency, dysmorphic features and learning difficulties), cells have no and slight abnormality of G2/M and intra-S checkpoint, respectively. Another defecting case with homozygous nonsense mutation has high radiosensitivity, intra-S checkpoint abnormality and others. Abnormality of immuno-globulins observed in both cases is similar to that in the RNF8-knockout mouse. Many tasks in chromatin ubiquitylation in the repair are still remained to be solved for protection and treatment of related diseases. (T.T.)

  2. RNA polymerase III transcription - regulated by chromatin structure and regulator of nuclear chromatin organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascali, Chiara; Teichmann, Martin

    2013-01-01

    RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription is regulated by modifications of the chromatin. DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of histones, such as acetylation, phosphorylation and methylation have been linked to Pol III transcriptional activity. In addition to being regulated by modifications of DNA and histones, Pol III genes and its transcription factors have been implicated in the organization of nuclear chromatin in several organisms. In yeast, the ability of the Pol III transcription system to contribute to nuclear organization seems to be dependent on direct interactions of Pol III genes and/or its transcription factors TFIIIC and TFIIIB with the structural maintenance of chromatin (SMC) protein-containing complexes cohesin and condensin. In human cells, Pol III genes and transcription factors have also been shown to colocalize with cohesin and the transcription regulator and genome organizer CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). Furthermore, chromosomal sites have been identified in yeast and humans that are bound by partial Pol III machineries (extra TFIIIC sites - ETC; chromosome organizing clamps - COC). These ETCs/COC as well as Pol III genes possess the ability to act as boundary elements that restrict spreading of heterochromatin.

  3. Mediator, TATA-binding Protein, and RNA Polymerase II Contribute to Low Histone Occupancy at Active Gene Promoters in Yeast*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansari, Suraiya A.; Paul, Emily; Sommer, Sebastian; Lieleg, Corinna; He, Qiye; Daly, Alexandre Z.; Rode, Kara A.; Barber, Wesley T.; Ellis, Laura C.; LaPorta, Erika; Orzechowski, Amanda M.; Taylor, Emily; Reeb, Tanner; Wong, Jason; Korber, Philipp; Morse, Randall H.

    2014-01-01

    Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in eukaryotes requires the Mediator complex, and often involves chromatin remodeling and histone eviction at active promoters. Here we address the role of Mediator in recruitment of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex and its role, along with components of the preinitiation complex (PIC), in histone eviction at inducible and constitutively active promoters in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that recruitment of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex to the induced CHA1 promoter, as well as its association with several constitutively active promoters, depends on the Mediator complex but is independent of Mediator at the induced MET2 and MET6 genes. Although transcriptional activation and histone eviction at CHA1 depends on Swi/Snf, Swi/Snf recruitment is not sufficient for histone eviction at the induced CHA1 promoter. Loss of Swi/Snf activity does not affect histone occupancy of several constitutively active promoters; in contrast, higher histone occupancy is seen at these promoters in Mediator and PIC component mutants. We propose that an initial activator-dependent, nucleosome remodeling step allows PIC components to outcompete histones for occupancy of promoter sequences. We also observe reduced promoter association of Mediator and TATA-binding protein in a Pol II (rpb1-1) mutant, indicating mutually cooperative binding of these components of the transcription machinery and indicating that it is the PIC as a whole whose binding results in stable histone eviction. PMID:24727477

  4. Sustained activation of STAT5 is essential for chromatin remodeling and maintenance of mammary-specific function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Ren; Nelson, Celeste M.; Muschler, John L.; Veiseh, Mandana; Vonderhaar, Barbara K.; Bissell, Mina J.

    2009-06-03

    Epithelial cells, once dissociated and placed in two-dimensional (2D) cultures, rapidly lose tissue-specific functions. We showed previously that in addition to prolactin, signaling by laminin-111 was necessary to restore functional differentiation of mammary epithelia. Here, we elucidate two additional aspects of laminin-111 action. We show that in 2D cultures, the prolactin receptor is basolaterally localized and physically segregated from its apically placed ligand. Detachment of the cells exposes the receptor to ligation by prolactin leading to signal transducers and activators of transcription protein 5 (STAT5) activation, but only transiently and not sufficiently for induction of milk protein expression. We show that laminin-111 reorganizes mammary cells into polarized acini, allowing both the exposure of the prolactin receptor and sustained activation of STAT5. The use of constitutively active STAT5 constructs showed that the latter is necessary and sufficient for chromatin reorganization and {beta}-casein transcription. These results underscore the crucial role of continuous laminin signaling and polarized tissue architecture in maintenance of transcription factor activation, chromatin organization, and tissue-specific gene expression.

  5. HAMLET interacts with histones and chromatin in tumor cell nuclei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Düringer, Caroline; Hamiche, Ali; Gustafsson, Lotta; Kimura, Hiroshi; Svanborg, Catharina

    2003-10-24

    HAMLET is a folding variant of human alpha-lactalbumin in an active complex with oleic acid. HAMLET selectively enters tumor cells, accumulates in their nuclei and induces apoptosis-like cell death. This study examined the interactions of HAMLET with nuclear constituents and identified histones as targets. HAMLET was found to bind histone H3 strongly and to lesser extent histones H4 and H2B. The specificity of these interactions was confirmed using BIAcore technology and chromatin assembly assays. In vivo in tumor cells, HAMLET co-localized with histones and perturbed the chromatin structure; HAMLET was found associated with chromatin in an insoluble nuclear fraction resistant to salt extraction. In vitro, HAMLET bound strongly to histones and impaired their deposition on DNA. We conclude that HAMLET interacts with histones and chromatin in tumor cell nuclei and propose that this interaction locks the cells into the death pathway by irreversibly disrupting chromatin organization.

  6. Deoxyribonuclease probing of sea urchin embryo chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landsman, D.

    1983-01-01

    The role that the sea urchin, Parechinus angulosus, embryo and sperm histone variants plays in chromatin structure has been investigated. Chromatin structure has been determined at different levels of resolution in sperm and in developing embryos using micrococcal nuclease, pancreatic deoxyribonuclease (DNase I) and restriction endonucleases. Micrococcal nuclease and restriction endonuclease digestions of sea urchin gastrula chromatin have been analysed and it is shown that it is not possible to isolate large polynucleosomal chromatin complexes which are soluble in low ionic strength buffers. The repeat length for sperm is significantly larger than blastula and gastrula repeat lengths whereas blastula and gastrula repeat lengths are not significantly different. Nucleosomal core particles have been isolated from early blastula, gastrula and sperm of sea urchins. After DNase I digestion of 5'-labelled core particles the rate constants of cutting of the DNA at the susceptible sites on these core particles have been determined. The DNase I digestion kinetics of blastula and gastrula core particles are similar whereas sperm core particles are digested at a slower rate, mainly at the sites which are closest to the ends of the core particle DNA

  7. Retroviruses Hijack Chromatin Loops to Drive Oncogene Expression and Highlight the Chromatin Architecture around Proto-Oncogenic Loci

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pattison, Jillian M.; Wright, Jason B.; Cole, Michael D.

    2015-01-01

    The majority of the genome consists of intergenic and non-coding DNA sequences shown to play a major role in different gene regulatory networks. However, the specific potency of these distal elements as well as how these regions exert function across large genomic distances remains unclear. To address these unresolved issues, we closely examined the chromatin architecture around proto-oncogenic loci in the mouse and human genomes to demonstrate a functional role for chromatin looping in distal gene regulation. Using cell culture models, we show that tumorigenic retroviral integration sites within the mouse genome occur near existing large chromatin loops and that this chromatin architecture is maintained within the human genome as well. Significantly, as mutagenesis screens are not feasible in humans, we demonstrate a way to leverage existing screens in mice to identify disease relevant human enhancers and expose novel disease mechanisms. For instance, we characterize the epigenetic landscape upstream of the human Cyclin D1 locus to find multiple distal interactions that contribute to the complex cis-regulation of this cell cycle gene. Furthermore, we characterize a novel distal interaction upstream of the Cyclin D1 gene which provides mechanistic evidence for the abundant overexpression of Cyclin D1 occurring in multiple myeloma cells harboring a pathogenic translocation event. Through use of mapped retroviral integrations and translocation breakpoints, our studies highlight the importance of chromatin looping in oncogene expression, elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms crucial for distal cis-regulation, and in one particular instance, explain how a translocation event drives tumorigenesis through upregulation of a proto-oncogene. PMID:25799187

  8. BET domain co-regulators in obesity, inflammation and cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belkina, Anna C; Denis, Gerald V

    2012-06-22

    The bromodomain is a highly conserved motif of 110 amino acids that is bundled into four anti-parallel α-helices and found in proteins that interact with chromatin, such as transcription factors, histone acetylases and nucleosome remodelling complexes. Bromodomain proteins are chromatin 'readers'; they recruit chromatin-regulating enzymes, including 'writers' and 'erasers' of histone modification, to target promoters and to regulate gene expression. Conventional wisdom held that complexes involved in chromatin dynamics are not 'druggable' targets. However, small molecules that inhibit bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins have been described. We examine these developments and discuss the implications for small molecule epigenetic targeting of chromatin networks in cancer.

  9. Role of the BAHD1 Chromatin-Repressive Complex in Placental Development and Regulation of Steroid Metabolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goran Lakisic

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available BAHD1 is a vertebrate protein that promotes heterochromatin formation and gene repression in association with several epigenetic regulators. However, its physiological roles remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that ablation of the Bahd1 gene results in hypocholesterolemia, hypoglycemia and decreased body fat in mice. It also causes placental growth restriction with a drop of trophoblast glycogen cells, a reduction of fetal weight and a high neonatal mortality rate. By intersecting transcriptome data from murine Bahd1 knockout (KO placentas at stages E16.5 and E18.5 of gestation, Bahd1-KO embryonic fibroblasts, and human cells stably expressing BAHD1, we also show that changes in BAHD1 levels alter expression of steroid/lipid metabolism genes. Biochemical analysis of the BAHD1-associated multiprotein complex identifies MIER proteins as novel partners of BAHD1 and suggests that BAHD1-MIER interaction forms a hub for histone deacetylases and methyltransferases, chromatin readers and transcription factors. We further show that overexpression of BAHD1 leads to an increase of MIER1 enrichment on the inactive X chromosome (Xi. In addition, BAHD1 and MIER1/3 repress expression of the steroid hormone receptor genes ESR1 and PGR, both playing important roles in placental development and energy metabolism. Moreover, modulation of BAHD1 expression in HEK293 cells triggers epigenetic changes at the ESR1 locus. Together, these results identify BAHD1 as a core component of a chromatin-repressive complex regulating placental morphogenesis and body fat storage and suggest that its dysfunction may contribute to several human diseases.

  10. Transcriptional reprogramming of gene expression in bovine somatic cell chromatin transfer embryos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Page Grier P

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Successful reprogramming of a somatic genome to produce a healthy clone by somatic cells nuclear transfer (SCNT is a rare event and the mechanisms involved in this process are poorly defined. When serial or successive rounds of cloning are performed, blastocyst and full term development rates decline even further with the increasing rounds of cloning. Identifying the "cumulative errors" could reveal the epigenetic reprogramming blocks in animal cloning. Results Bovine clones from up to four generations of successive cloning were produced by chromatin transfer (CT. Using Affymetrix bovine microarrays we determined that the transcriptomes of blastocysts derived from the first and the fourth rounds of cloning (CT1 and CT4 respectively have undergone an extensive reprogramming and were more similar to blastocysts derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF than to the donor cells used for the first and the fourth rounds of chromatin transfer (DC1 and DC4 respectively. However a set of transcripts in the cloned embryos showed a misregulated pattern when compared to IVF embryos. Among the genes consistently upregulated in both CT groups compared to the IVF embryos were genes involved in regulation of cytoskeleton and cell shape. Among the genes consistently upregulated in IVF embryos compared to both CT groups were genes involved in chromatin remodelling and stress coping. Conclusion The present study provides a data set that could contribute in our understanding of epigenetic errors in somatic cell chromatin transfer. Identifying "cumulative errors" after serial cloning could reveal some of the epigenetic reprogramming blocks shedding light on the reprogramming process, important for both basic and applied research.

  11. Statistical-mechanical lattice models for protein-DNA binding in chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teif, Vladimir B; Rippe, Karsten

    2010-01-01

    Statistical-mechanical lattice models for protein-DNA binding are well established as a method to describe complex ligand binding equilibria measured in vitro with purified DNA and protein components. Recently, a new field of applications has opened up for this approach since it has become possible to experimentally quantify genome-wide protein occupancies in relation to the DNA sequence. In particular, the organization of the eukaryotic genome by histone proteins into a nucleoprotein complex termed chromatin has been recognized as a key parameter that controls the access of transcription factors to the DNA sequence. New approaches have to be developed to derive statistical-mechanical lattice descriptions of chromatin-associated protein-DNA interactions. Here, we present the theoretical framework for lattice models of histone-DNA interactions in chromatin and investigate the (competitive) DNA binding of other chromosomal proteins and transcription factors. The results have a number of applications for quantitative models for the regulation of gene expression.

  12. The BRCA1 Ubiquitin ligase function sets a new trend for remodelling in DNA repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Densham, Ruth M; Morris, Joanna R

    2017-03-04

    The protein product of the breast and ovarian cancer gene, BRCA1, is part of an obligate heterodimer with BARD1. Together these RING bearing proteins act as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Several functions have been attributed to BRCA1 that contribute to genome integrity but which of these, if any, require this enzymatic function was unclear. Here we review recent studies clarifying the role of BRCA1 E3 ubiquitin ligase in DNA repair. Perhaps the most surprising finding is the narrow range of BRCA1 functions this activity relates to. Remarkably ligase activity promotes chromatin remodelling and 53BP1 positioning through the remodeller SMARCAD1, but the activity is dispensable for the cellular survival in response to cisplatin or replication stressing agents. Implications for therapy response and tumor susceptibility are discussed.

  13. Models of chromatin spatial organisation in the cell nucleus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicodemi, Mario

    2014-03-01

    In the cell nucleus chromosomes have a complex architecture serving vital functional purposes. Recent experiments have started unveiling the interaction map of DNA sites genome-wide, revealing different levels of organisation at different scales. The principles, though, which orchestrate such a complex 3D structure remain still mysterious. I will overview the scenario emerging from some classical polymer physics models of the general aspect of chromatin spatial organisation. The available experimental data, which can be rationalised in a single framework, support a picture where chromatin is a complex mixture of differently folded regions, self-organised across spatial scales according to basic physical mechanisms. I will also discuss applications to specific DNA loci, e.g. the HoxB locus, where models informed with biological details, and tested against targeted experiments, can help identifying the determinants of folding.

  14. Deleting HDAC3 Rescues Long-Term Memory Impairments Induced by Disruption of the Neuron-Specific Chromatin Remodeling Subunit BAF53b

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shu, Guanhua; Kramár, Enikö A.; López, Alberto J.; Huynh, Grace; Wood, Marcelo A.; Kwapis, Janine L.

    2018-01-01

    Multiple epigenetic mechanisms, including histone acetylation and nucleosome remodeling, are known to be involved in long-term memory formation. Enhancing histone acetylation by deleting histone deacetylases, like HDAC3, typically enhances long-term memory formation. In contrast, disrupting nucleosome remodeling by blocking the neuron-specific…

  15. The global relationship between chromatin physical topology, fractal structure, and gene expression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Almassalha, Luay M; Tiwari, A; Ruhoff, P T

    2017-01-01

    in an empty space, but in a highly complex, interrelated, and dense nanoenvironment that profoundly influences chemical interactions. We explored the relationship between the physical nanoenvironment of chromatin and gene transcription in vitro. We analytically show that changes in the fractal dimension, D...... show that the increased heterogeneity of physical structure of chromatin due to increase in fractal dimension correlates with increased heterogeneity of gene networks. These findings indicate that the higher order folding of chromatin topology may act as a molecular-pathway independent code regulating...

  16. [Mechanisms of genoprotective action of a phytoecdysteroid drug(BTK-8L) in chromatin damage by tetrachloromethane].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gubskiĭ, Iu I; Levitskiĭ, E L; Kholodova, Iu D; Goriushko, A G; Primak, R G; Vistunova, I E; Sachenko, L G

    1993-01-01

    Hepatoprotective action of prophylactic injection of aqueous solution of preparation BTK-8L from plant ecdysteroids to experimental animals with the liver damage by tetrachloromethane was revealed. This effect at least partially was connected with the genoprotective action of the given preparation. As a result, normalization of free radical chromatin lipid peroxidation reaction, modified at the intoxication, as well as partial correction of physical and chemical properties of chromatin protein-lipid complex were those molecular mechanisms of genoprotective action of BTK-8L, which were manifested by the influence of the preparation on such indices which characterized the depth structure of the complex as microviscosity and energy transfer from the protein to the lipid probe. Investigation of the interaction of the preparation with chromatin fractions in vitro and comparison of this interaction with the analogous process in model systems allowed revealing determinative participation of chromatin proteins and lipids in the given process. The preparation interacted more intensively with the active chromatin fraction, which contained a more marked protein-lipid complex, as comparing to the repressed one. Injection of the preparation also normalized such indices as relation between the chromatine fractions and protein/DNA ratio in them. On the contrary, injection of the alcoholic solution of the preparation to experimental animals, aggravated genotoxic tetrachloromethane action.

  17. Large-scale Comparative Study of Hi-C-based Chromatin 3D Structure Modeling Methods

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Cheng

    2018-01-01

    Chromatin is a complex polymer molecule in eukaryotic cells, primarily consisting of DNA and histones. Many works have shown that the 3D folding of chromatin structure plays an important role in DNA expression. The recently proposed Chro- mosome

  18. Chromatin is wonderful stuff.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Driel, R.

    2007-01-01

    Chromatin molecules have properties that set them aside from all other biomacromolecules in the cell. (i) Chromosomes, which are single chromatin molecules, are the largest macromolecules in eukaryotic cells. (ii) Chromatin molecules carry the cell's genetic and epigenetic information and all

  19. Mediator, TATA-binding protein, and RNA polymerase II contribute to low histone occupancy at active gene promoters in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansari, Suraiya A; Paul, Emily; Sommer, Sebastian; Lieleg, Corinna; He, Qiye; Daly, Alexandre Z; Rode, Kara A; Barber, Wesley T; Ellis, Laura C; LaPorta, Erika; Orzechowski, Amanda M; Taylor, Emily; Reeb, Tanner; Wong, Jason; Korber, Philipp; Morse, Randall H

    2014-05-23

    Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in eukaryotes requires the Mediator complex, and often involves chromatin remodeling and histone eviction at active promoters. Here we address the role of Mediator in recruitment of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex and its role, along with components of the preinitiation complex (PIC), in histone eviction at inducible and constitutively active promoters in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that recruitment of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex to the induced CHA1 promoter, as well as its association with several constitutively active promoters, depends on the Mediator complex but is independent of Mediator at the induced MET2 and MET6 genes. Although transcriptional activation and histone eviction at CHA1 depends on Swi/Snf, Swi/Snf recruitment is not sufficient for histone eviction at the induced CHA1 promoter. Loss of Swi/Snf activity does not affect histone occupancy of several constitutively active promoters; in contrast, higher histone occupancy is seen at these promoters in Mediator and PIC component mutants. We propose that an initial activator-dependent, nucleosome remodeling step allows PIC components to outcompete histones for occupancy of promoter sequences. We also observe reduced promoter association of Mediator and TATA-binding protein in a Pol II (rpb1-1) mutant, indicating mutually cooperative binding of these components of the transcription machinery and indicating that it is the PIC as a whole whose binding results in stable histone eviction. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  20. histone H3 predominantly mark the pericentromeric chromatin

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    SANTOSH KUMAR SHARMA

    packaging of eukaryotic DNA in nucleoprotein complex known as .... The plant material used in the present study has ... materials (root tips/flower buds) were fixed in PHEMES ..... fications that mark active chromatin, while there are no data.

  1. Proteomic Analysis of the Mediator Complex Interactome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uthe, Henriette; Vanselow, Jens T; Schlosser, Andreas

    2017-02-27

    Here we present the most comprehensive analysis of the yeast Mediator complex interactome to date. Particularly gentle cell lysis and co-immunopurification conditions allowed us to preserve even transient protein-protein interactions and to comprehensively probe the molecular environment of the Mediator complex in the cell. Metabolic 15 N-labeling thereby enabled stringent discrimination between bona fide interaction partners and nonspecifically captured proteins. Our data indicates a functional role for Mediator beyond transcription initiation. We identified a large number of Mediator-interacting proteins and protein complexes, such as RNA polymerase II, general transcription factors, a large number of transcriptional activators, the SAGA complex, chromatin remodeling complexes, histone chaperones, highly acetylated histones, as well as proteins playing a role in co-transcriptional processes, such as splicing, mRNA decapping and mRNA decay. Moreover, our data provides clear evidence, that the Mediator complex interacts not only with RNA polymerase II, but also with RNA polymerases I and III, and indicates a functional role of the Mediator complex in rRNA processing and ribosome biogenesis.

  2. Intracytoplasmic maturation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcription complexes determines their capacity to integrate into chromatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kashanchi Fatah

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The early events of the HIV-1 life cycle include entry of the viral core into target cell, assembly of the reverse transcription complex (RTCs performing reverse transcription, its transformation into integration-competent complexes called pre-integration complexes (PICs, trafficking of complexes into the nucleus, and finally integration of the viral DNA into chromatin. Molecular details and temporal organization of these processes remain among the least investigated and most controversial problems in the biology of HIV. Results To quantitatively evaluate maturation and nuclear translocation of the HIV-1 RTCs, nucleoprotein complexes isolated from the nucleus (nRTC and cytoplasm (cRTC of HeLa cells infected with MLV Env-pseudotyped HIV-1 were analyzed by real-time PCR. While most complexes completed reverse transcription in the cytoplasm, some got into the nucleus before completing DNA synthesis. The HIV-specific RNA complexes could get into the nucleus when reverse transcription was blocked by reverse transcriptase inhibitor, although nuclear import of RNA complexes was less efficient than of DNA-containing RTCs. Analysis of the RTC nuclear import in synchronized cells infected in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle showed enrichment in the nuclei of RTCs containing incomplete HIV-1 DNA compared to non-synchronized cells, where RTCs with complete reverse transcripts prevailed. Immunoprecipitation assays identified viral proteins IN, Vpr, MA, and cellular Ini1 and PML associated with both cRTCs and nRTCs, whereas CA was detected only in cRTCs and RT was diminished in nRTCs. Cytoplasmic maturation of the complexes was associated with increased immunoreactivity with anti-Vpr and anti-IN antibodies, and decreased reactivity with antibodies to RT. Both cRTCs and nRTCs carried out endogenous reverse transcription reaction in vitro. In contrast to cRTCs, in vitro completion of reverse transcription in nRTCs did not increase their

  3. Chromatin replication and epigenome maintenance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alabert, Constance; Groth, Anja

    2012-01-01

    Stability and function of eukaryotic genomes are closely linked to chromatin structure and organization. During cell division the entire genome must be accurately replicated and the chromatin landscape reproduced on new DNA. Chromatin and nuclear structure influence where and when DNA replication...... initiates, whereas the replication process itself disrupts chromatin and challenges established patterns of genome regulation. Specialized replication-coupled mechanisms assemble new DNA into chromatin, but epigenome maintenance is a continuous process taking place throughout the cell cycle. If DNA...

  4. Chromatinization of the KSHV Genome During the KSHV Life Cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uppal, Timsy [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, 1664 N Virginia Street, MS 320, Reno, NV 89557 (United States); Jha, Hem C. [Department of Microbiology and the Tumor Virology Program of the Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 201E Johnson Pavilion, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Verma, Subhash C. [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, 1664 N Virginia Street, MS 320, Reno, NV 89557 (United States); Robertson, Erle S., E-mail: erle@mail.med.upenn.edu [Department of Microbiology and the Tumor Virology Program of the Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 201E Johnson Pavilion, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States)

    2015-01-14

    Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) belongs to the gamma herpesvirus family and is the causative agent of various lymphoproliferative diseases in humans. KSHV, like other herpesviruses, establishes life-long latent infection with the expression of a limited number of viral genes. Expression of these genes is tightly regulated by both the viral and cellular factors. Recent advancements in identifying the expression profiles of viral transcripts, using tilling arrays and next generation sequencing have identified additional coding and non-coding transcripts in the KSHV genome. Determining the functions of these transcripts will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms utilized by KSHV in altering cellular pathways involved in promoting cell growth and tumorigenesis. Replication of the viral genome is critical in maintaining the existing copies of the viral episomes during both latent and lytic phases of the viral life cycle. The replication of the viral episome is facilitated by viral components responsible for recruiting chromatin modifying enzymes and replication factors for altering the chromatin complexity and replication initiation functions, respectively. Importantly, chromatin modification of the viral genome plays a crucial role in determining whether the viral genome will persist as latent episome or undergo lytic reactivation. Additionally, chromatinization of the incoming virion DNA, which lacks chromatin structure, in the target cells during primary infection, helps in establishing latent infection. Here, we discuss the recent advancements on our understating of KSHV genome chromatinization and the consequences of chromatin modifications on viral life cycle.

  5. Chromatinization of the KSHV Genome During the KSHV Life Cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uppal, Timsy; Jha, Hem C.; Verma, Subhash C.; Robertson, Erle S.

    2015-01-01

    Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) belongs to the gamma herpesvirus family and is the causative agent of various lymphoproliferative diseases in humans. KSHV, like other herpesviruses, establishes life-long latent infection with the expression of a limited number of viral genes. Expression of these genes is tightly regulated by both the viral and cellular factors. Recent advancements in identifying the expression profiles of viral transcripts, using tilling arrays and next generation sequencing have identified additional coding and non-coding transcripts in the KSHV genome. Determining the functions of these transcripts will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms utilized by KSHV in altering cellular pathways involved in promoting cell growth and tumorigenesis. Replication of the viral genome is critical in maintaining the existing copies of the viral episomes during both latent and lytic phases of the viral life cycle. The replication of the viral episome is facilitated by viral components responsible for recruiting chromatin modifying enzymes and replication factors for altering the chromatin complexity and replication initiation functions, respectively. Importantly, chromatin modification of the viral genome plays a crucial role in determining whether the viral genome will persist as latent episome or undergo lytic reactivation. Additionally, chromatinization of the incoming virion DNA, which lacks chromatin structure, in the target cells during primary infection, helps in establishing latent infection. Here, we discuss the recent advancements on our understating of KSHV genome chromatinization and the consequences of chromatin modifications on viral life cycle

  6. HIC1 interacts with a specific subunit of SWI/SNF complexes, ARID1A/BAF250A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Rechem, Capucine; Boulay, Gaylor; Leprince, Dominique

    2009-01-01

    HIC1, a tumor suppressor gene epigenetically silenced in many human cancers encodes a transcriptional repressor involved in regulatory loops modulating p53-dependent and E2F1-dependent cell survival and stress responses. HIC1 is also implicated in growth control since it recruits BRG1, one of the two alternative ATPases (BRM or BRG1) of SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes to repress transcription of E2F1 in quiescent fibroblasts. Here, through yeast two-hybrid screening, we identify ARID1A/BAF250A, as a new HIC1 partner. ARID1A/BAF250A is one of the two mutually exclusive ARID1-containing subunits of SWI/SNF complexes which define subsets of complexes endowed with anti-proliferative properties. Co-immunoprecipitation assays in WI38 fibroblasts and in BRG1-/- SW13 cells showed that endogenous HIC1 and ARID1A proteins interact in a BRG1-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HIC1 does not interact with BRM. Finally, sequential chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-reChIP) experiments demonstrated that HIC1 represses E2F1 through the recruitment of anti-proliferative SWI/SNF complexes containing ARID1A.

  7. Mediator and p300/CBP-Steroid Receptor Coactivator Complexes Have Distinct Roles, but Function Synergistically, during Estrogen Receptor α-Dependent Transcription with Chromatin Templates

    OpenAIRE

    Acevedo, Mari Luz; Kraus, W. Lee

    2003-01-01

    Ligand-dependent transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors involves the recruitment of various coactivators to the promoters of hormone-regulated genes assembled into chromatin. Nuclear receptor coactivators include histone acetyltransferase complexes, such as p300/CBP-steroid receptor coactivator (SRC), as well as the multisubunit mediator complexes (“Mediator”), which may help recruit RNA polymerase II to the promoter. We have used a biochemical approach, including an in vitro chromat...

  8. Histone modifications influence mediator interactions with chromatin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xuefeng; Zhang, Yongqiang; Bjornsdottir, Gudrun; Liu, Zhongle; Quan, Amy; Costanzo, Michael; Dávila López, Marcela; Westholm, Jakub Orzechowski; Ronne, Hans; Boone, Charles; Gustafsson, Claes M.; Myers, Lawrence C.

    2011-01-01

    The Mediator complex transmits activation signals from DNA bound transcription factors to the core transcription machinery. Genome wide localization studies have demonstrated that Mediator occupancy not only correlates with high levels of transcription, but that the complex also is present at transcriptionally silenced locations. We provide evidence that Mediator localization is guided by an interaction with histone tails, and that this interaction is regulated by their post-translational modifications. A quantitative, high-density genetic interaction map revealed links between Mediator components and factors affecting chromatin structure, especially histone deacetylases. Peptide binding assays demonstrated that pure wild-type Mediator forms stable complexes with the tails of Histone H3 and H4. These binding assays also showed Mediator—histone H4 peptide interactions are specifically inhibited by acetylation of the histone H4 lysine 16, a residue critical in transcriptional silencing. Finally, these findings were validated by tiling array analysis that revealed a broad correlation between Mediator and nucleosome occupancy in vivo, but a negative correlation between Mediator and nucleosomes acetylated at histone H4 lysine 16. Our studies show that chromatin structure and the acetylation state of histones are intimately connected to Mediator localization. PMID:21742760

  9. Chromatin Flavors: Chromatin composition and domain organization in Drosophila melanogaster

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.G. van Bemmel (Joke)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractChromatin was originally identified by W. Flemming in 1882 as not much more than the stainable substance of the cell nucleus. Flemming named this substance according to the Greek word “chroma”, meaning color. In 1911 chromatin was characterized as proteins, named histones, that

  10. H4 replication-dependent diacetylation and Hat1 promote S-phase chromatin assembly in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ejlassi-Lassallette, Aïda; Mocquard, Eloïse; Arnaud, Marie-Claire; Thiriet, Christophe

    2011-01-01

    While specific posttranslational modification patterns within the H3 and H4 tail domains are associated with the S-phase, their actual functions in replication-dependent chromatin assembly have not yet been defined. Here we used incorporation of trace amounts of recombinant proteins into naturally synchronous macroplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum to examine the function of H3 and H4 tail domains in replication-coupled chromatin assembly. We found that the H3/H4 complex lacking the H4 tail domain was not efficiently recovered in nuclei, whereas depletion of the H3 tail domain did not impede nuclear import but chromatin assembly failed. Furthermore, our results revealed that the proper pattern of acetylation on the H4 tail domain is required for nuclear import and chromatin assembly. This is most likely due to binding of Hat1, as coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed Hat1 associated with predeposition histones in the cytoplasm and with replicating chromatin. These results suggest that the type B histone acetyltransferase assists in shuttling the H3/H4 complex from cytoplasm to the replication forks. PMID:21118997

  11. Heterogeneous chromatin target model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Makoto

    1996-01-01

    The higher order structure of the entangled chromatin fibers in a chromosome plays a key role in molecular control mechanism involved in chromosome mutation due to ionizing radiations or chemical mutagens. The condensed superstructure of chromatin is not so rigid and regular as has been postulated in general. We have proposed a rheological explanation for the flexible network system ('chromatin network') that consists of the fluctuating assembly of nucleosome clusters linked with supertwisting DNA in a chromatin fiber ('Supertwisting Particulate Model'). We have proposed a 'Heterosensitive Target Model' for cellular radiosensitivity that is a modification of 'Heterogeneous Target Model'. The heterogeneity of chromatin target is derived from the highly condensed organization of chromatin segments consist of unstable and fragile sites in the fluctuating assembly of nucleosome clusters, namely 'supranucleosomal particles' or 'superbeads'. The models have been principally supported by our electron microscopic experiments employing 'surface - spreading whole - mount technique' since 1967. However, some deformation and artifacts in the chromatin structure are inevitable with these electron microscopic procedures. On the contrary, the 'atomic force microscope (AFM)' can be operated in liquid as well as in the air. A living specimen can be examined without any preparative procedures. Micromanipulation of the isolated chromosome is also possible by the precise positional control of a cantilever on the nanometer scale. The living human chromosomes were submerged in a solution of culture medium and observed by AFM using a liquid immersion cell. The surface - spreading whole - mount technique was applicable for this observation. The particulate chromatin segments of nucleosome clusters were clearly observed within mitotic human chromosomes in a living hydrated condition. These findings support the heterogeneity of chromatin target in a living cell. (J.P.N.)

  12. The actin family protein ARP6 contributes to the structure and the function of the nucleolus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitamura, Hiroshi; Matsumori, Haruka; Kalendova, Alzbeta; Hozak, Pavel; Goldberg, Ilya G; Nakao, Mitsuyoshi; Saitoh, Noriko; Harata, Masahiko

    2015-08-21

    The actin family members, consisting of actin and actin-related proteins (ARPs), are essential components of chromatin remodeling complexes. ARP6, one of the nuclear ARPs, is part of the Snf-2-related CREB-binding protein activator protein (SRCAP) chromatin remodeling complex, which promotes the deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z into the chromatin. In this study, we showed that ARP6 influences the structure and the function of the nucleolus. ARP6 is localized in the central region of the nucleolus, and its knockdown induced a morphological change in the nucleolus. We also found that in the presence of high concentrations of glucose ARP6 contributed to the maintenance of active ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription by placing H2A.Z into the chromatin. In contrast, under starvation, ARP6 was required for cell survival through the repression of rDNA transcription independently of H2A.Z. These findings reveal novel pleiotropic roles for the actin family in nuclear organization and metabolic homeostasis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Chromatin replication and histone dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alabert, Constance; Jasencakova, Zuzana; Groth, Anja

    2017-01-01

    Inheritance of the DNA sequence and its proper organization into chromatin is fundamental for genome stability and function. Therefore, how specific chromatin structures are restored on newly synthesized DNA and transmitted through cell division remains a central question to understand cell fate...... choices and self-renewal. Propagation of genetic information and chromatin-based information in cycling cells entails genome-wide disruption and restoration of chromatin, coupled with faithful replication of DNA. In this chapter, we describe how cells duplicate the genome while maintaining its proper...... organization into chromatin. We reveal how specialized replication-coupled mechanisms rapidly assemble newly synthesized DNA into nucleosomes, while the complete restoration of chromatin organization including histone marks is a continuous process taking place throughout the cell cycle. Because failure...

  14. Distributed probing of chromatin structure in vivo reveals pervasive chromatin accessibility for expressed and non-expressed genes during tissue differentiation in C. elegans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sha Ky

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tissue differentiation is accompanied by genome-wide changes in the underlying chromatin structure and dynamics, or epigenome. By controlling when, where, and what regulatory factors have access to the underlying genomic DNA, the epigenome influences the cell's transcriptome and ultimately its function. Existing genomic methods for analyzing cell-type-specific changes in chromatin generally involve two elements: (i a source for purified cells (or nuclei of distinct types, and (ii a specific treatment that partitions or degrades chromatin by activity or structural features. For many cell types of great interest, such assays are limited by our inability to isolate the relevant cell populations in an organism or complex tissue containing an intertwined mixture of other cells. This limitation has confined available knowledge of chromatin dynamics to a narrow range of biological systems (cell types that can be sorted/separated/dissected in large numbers and tissue culture models or to amalgamations of diverse cell types (tissue chunks, whole organisms. Results Transgene-driven expression of DNA/chromatin modifying enzymes provides one opportunity to query chromatin structures in expression-defined cell subsets. In this work we combine in vivo expression of a bacterial DNA adenine methyltransferase (DAM with high throughput sequencing to sample tissue-specific chromatin accessibility on a genome-wide scale. We have applied the method (DALEC: Direct Asymmetric Ligation End Capture towards mapping a cell-type-specific view of genome accessibility as a function of differentiated state. Taking advantage of C. elegans strains expressing the DAM enzyme in diverse tissues (body wall muscle, gut, and hypodermis, our efforts yield a genome-wide dataset measuring chromatin accessibility at each of 538,000 DAM target sites in the C. elegans (diploid genome. Conclusions Validating the DALEC mapping results, we observe a strong association

  15. Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Deficiency Prevents Neointima Formation Through Chromatin Silencing of E2F1 Target Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endorf, Elizabeth B; Qing, Hua; Aono, Jun; Terami, Naoto; Doyon, Geneviève; Hyzny, Eric; Jones, Karrie L; Findeisen, Hannes M; Bruemmer, Dennis

    2017-02-01

    Aberrant proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) in response to injury induces pathological vascular remodeling during atherosclerosis and neointima formation. Telomerase is rate limiting for tissue renewal and cell replication; however, the physiological role of telomerase in vascular diseases remains to be determined. The goal of the present study was to determine whether telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) affects proliferative vascular remodeling and to define the molecular mechanism by which TERT supports SMC proliferation. We first demonstrate high levels of TERT expression in replicating SMC of atherosclerotic and neointimal lesions. Using a model of guidewire-induced arterial injury, we demonstrate decreased neointima formation in TERT-deficient mice. Studies in SMC isolated from TERT-deficient and TERT overexpressing mice with normal telomere length established that TERT is necessary and sufficient for cell proliferation. TERT deficiency did not induce a senescent phenotype but resulted in G1 arrest albeit hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein. This proliferative arrest was associated with stable silencing of the E2F1-dependent S-phase gene expression program and not reversed by ectopic overexpression of E2F1. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation and accessibility assays revealed that TERT is recruited to E2F1 target sites and promotes chromatin accessibility for E2F1 by facilitating the acquisition of permissive histone modifications. These data indicate a previously unrecognized role for TERT in neointima formation through epigenetic regulation of proliferative gene expression in SMC. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

  16. Nascent chromatin capture proteomics determines chromatin dynamics during DNA replication and identifies unknown fork components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alabert, Constance; Bukowski-Wills, Jimi-Carlo; Lee, Sung-Po

    2014-01-01

    To maintain genome function and stability, DNA sequence and its organization into chromatin must be duplicated during cell division. Understanding how entire chromosomes are copied remains a major challenge. Here, we use nascent chromatin capture (NCC) to profile chromatin proteome dynamics during...... replication in human cells. NCC relies on biotin-dUTP labelling of replicating DNA, affinity purification and quantitative proteomics. Comparing nascent chromatin with mature post-replicative chromatin, we provide association dynamics for 3,995 proteins. The replication machinery and 485 chromatin factors...... such as CAF-1, DNMT1 and SUV39h1 are enriched in nascent chromatin, whereas 170 factors including histone H1, DNMT3, MBD1-3 and PRC1 show delayed association. This correlates with H4K5K12diAc removal and H3K9me1 accumulation, whereas H3K27me3 and H3K9me3 remain unchanged. Finally, we combine NCC enrichment...

  17. The architects of crenarchaeal chromatin : A biophysical characterization of chromatin proteins from Sulfolobus solfataricus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Driessen, Rosalie Paula Catharina

    2014-01-01

    Understanding of chromatin organization and compaction in Archaea is currently limited. The genome of several megabasepairs long is folded by a set of small chromatin proteins to fit into the micron-sized cell. A first step in understanding archaeal chromatin organization is to study the action of

  18. To spread or not to spread - chromatin modifications in response to DNA damage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Altmeyer, M.; Lukas, J.

    2013-01-01

    Chromatin modifications in response to DNA damage are vital for genome integrity. Multiple proteins and pathways required to generate specialized chromatin domains around DNA lesions have been identified and the increasing amount of information calls for unifying concepts that would allow us...... to grasp the ever-increasing complexity. This review aims at contributing to this trend by focusing on feed-forward and feedback mechanisms, which in mammalian cells determine the extent of chromatin modifications after DNA damage. We highlight the emerging notion that the nodal points of these highly...... dynamic pathways operate in a rate-limiting mode, whose deregulation can disrupt physiological boundaries between damaged and undamaged chromatin, dictate repair pathway choice, and determine the fate of cells exposed to genotoxic stress....

  19. Crystal Structure of the Herpesvirus Nuclear Egress Complex Provides Insights into Inner Nuclear Membrane Remodeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Although nucleo-cytoplasmic transport is typically mediated through nuclear pore complexes, herpesvirus capsids exit the nucleus via a unique vesicular pathway. Together, the conserved herpesvirus proteins pUL31 and pUL34 form the heterodimeric nuclear egress complex (NEC, which, in turn, mediates the formation of tight-fitting membrane vesicles around capsids at the inner nuclear membrane. Here, we present the crystal structure of the pseudorabies virus NEC. The structure revealed that a zinc finger motif in pUL31 and an extensive interaction network between the two proteins stabilize the complex. Comprehensive mutational analyses, characterized both in situ and in vitro, indicated that the interaction network is not redundant but rather complementary. Fitting of the NEC crystal structure into the recently determined cryoEM-derived hexagonal lattice, formed in situ by pUL31 and pUL34, provided details on the molecular basis of NEC coat formation and inner nuclear membrane remodeling.

  20. A new and improved algorithm for the quantification of chromatin condensation from microscopic data shows decreased chromatin condensation in regenerating axolotl limb cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julian Sosnik

    Full Text Available The nuclear landscape plays an important role in the regulation of tissue and positional specific genes in embryonic and developing cells. Changes in this landscape can be dynamic, and are associated with the differentiation of cells during embryogenesis, and the de-differentiation of cells during induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC formation and in many cancers. However, tools to quantitatively characterize these changes are limited, especially in the in vivo context, where numerous tissue types are present and cells are arranged in multiple layers. Previous tools have been optimized for the monolayer nature of cultured cells. Therefore, we present a new algorithm to quantify the condensation of chromatin in two in vivo systems. We first developed this algorithm to quantify changes in chromatin compaction and validated it in differentiating spermatids in zebrafish testes. Our algorithm successfully detected the typical increase in chromatin compaction as these cells differentiate. We then employed the algorithm to quantify the changes that occur in amphibian limb cells as they participate in a regenerative response. We observed that the chromatin in the limb cells de-compacts as they contribute to the regenerating organ. We present this new tool as an open sourced software that can be readily accessed and optimized to quantify chromatin compaction in complex multi-layered samples.

  1. Micro- and nanoscale devices for the investigation of epigenetics and chromatin dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar, Carlos A.; Craighead, Harold G.

    2013-10-01

    Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint on which life is based and transmitted, but the way in which chromatin -- a dynamic complex of nucleic acids and proteins -- is packaged and behaves in the cellular nucleus has only begun to be investigated. Epigenetic modifications sit 'on top of' the genome and affect how DNA is compacted into chromatin and transcribed into ribonucleic acid (RNA). The packaging and modifications around the genome have been shown to exert significant influence on cellular behaviour and, in turn, human development and disease. However, conventional techniques for studying epigenetic or conformational modifications of chromosomes have inherent limitations and, therefore, new methods based on micro- and nanoscale devices have been sought. Here, we review the development of these devices and explore their use in the study of DNA modifications, chromatin modifications and higher-order chromatin structures.

  2. Macrogenomic engineering via modulation of the scaling of chromatin packing density.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almassalha, Luay M; Bauer, Greta M; Wu, Wenli; Cherkezyan, Lusik; Zhang, Di; Kendra, Alexis; Gladstein, Scott; Chandler, John E; VanDerway, David; Seagle, Brandon-Luke L; Ugolkov, Andrey; Billadeau, Daniel D; O'Halloran, Thomas V; Mazar, Andrew P; Roy, Hemant K; Szleifer, Igal; Shahabi, Shohreh; Backman, Vadim

    2017-11-01

    Many human diseases result from the dysregulation of the complex interactions between tens to thousands of genes. However, approaches for the transcriptional modulation of many genes simultaneously in a predictive manner are lacking. Here, through the combination of simulations, systems modelling and in vitro experiments, we provide a physical regulatory framework based on chromatin packing-density heterogeneity for modulating the genomic information space. Because transcriptional interactions are essentially chemical reactions, they depend largely on the local physical nanoenvironment. We show that the regulation of the chromatin nanoenvironment allows for the predictable modulation of global patterns in gene expression. In particular, we show that the rational modulation of chromatin density fluctuations can lead to a decrease in global transcriptional activity and intercellular transcriptional heterogeneity in cancer cells during chemotherapeutic responses to achieve near-complete cancer cell killing in vitro. Our findings represent a 'macrogenomic engineering' approach to modulating the physical structure of chromatin for whole-scale transcriptional modulation.

  3. Chromatin modifications and the DNA damage response to ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Rakesh; Horikoshi, Nobuo; Singh, Mayank; Gupta, Arun; Misra, Hari S.; Albuquerque, Kevin; Hunt, Clayton R.; Pandita, Tej K.

    2013-01-01

    In order to survive, cells have evolved highly effective repair mechanisms to deal with the potentially lethal DNA damage produced by exposure to endogenous as well as exogenous agents. Ionizing radiation exposure induces highly lethal DNA damage, especially DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), that is sensed by the cellular machinery and then subsequently repaired by either of two different DSB repair mechanisms: (1) non-homologous end joining, which re-ligates the broken ends of the DNA and (2) homologous recombination, that employs an undamaged identical DNA sequence as a template, to maintain the fidelity of DNA repair. Repair of DSBs must occur within the natural context of the cellular DNA which, along with specific proteins, is organized to form chromatin, the overall structure of which can impede DNA damage site access by repair proteins. The chromatin complex is a dynamic structure and is known to change as required for ongoing cellular processes such as gene transcription or DNA replication. Similarly, during the process of DNA damage sensing and repair, chromatin needs to undergo several changes in order to facilitate accessibility of the repair machinery. Cells utilize several factors to modify the chromatin in order to locally open up the structure to reveal the underlying DNA sequence but post-translational modification of the histone components is one of the primary mechanisms. In this review, we will summarize chromatin modifications by the respective chromatin modifying factors that occur during the DNA damage response.

  4. Transcriptional regulation by histone modifications: towards a theory of chromatin re-organization during stem cell differentiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Binder, Hans; Steiner, Lydia; Przybilla, Jens; Rohlf, Thimo; Prohaska, Sonja; Galle, Jörg

    2013-01-01

    Chromatin-related mechanisms, as e.g. histone modifications, are known to be involved in regulatory switches within the transcriptome. Only recently, mathematical models of these mechanisms have been established. So far they have not been applied to genome-wide data. We here introduce a mathematical model of transcriptional regulation by histone modifications and apply it to data of trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and 27 (H3K27me3) in mouse pluripotent and lineage-committed cells. The model describes binding of protein complexes to chromatin which are capable of reading and writing histone marks. Molecular interactions of the complexes with DNA and modified histones create a regulatory switch of transcriptional activity. The regulatory states of the switch depend on the activity of histone (de-) methylases, the strength of complex-DNA-binding and the number of nucleosomes capable of cooperatively contributing to complex-binding. Our model explains experimentally measured length distributions of modified chromatin regions. It suggests (i) that high CpG-density facilitates recruitment of the modifying complexes in embryonic stem cells and (ii) that re-organization of extended chromatin regions during lineage specification into neuronal progenitor cells requires targeted de-modification. Our approach represents a basic step towards multi-scale models of transcriptional control during development and lineage specification. (paper)

  5. Merkel cell polyomavirus recruits MYCL to the EP400 complex to promote oncogenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingwei Cheng

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC frequently contains integrated copies of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA that express a truncated form of Large T antigen (LT and an intact Small T antigen (ST. While LT binds RB and inactivates its tumor suppressor function, it is less clear how ST contributes to MCC tumorigenesis. Here we show that ST binds specifically to the MYC homolog MYCL (L-MYC and recruits it to the 15-component EP400 histone acetyltransferase and chromatin remodeling complex. We performed a large-scale immunoprecipitation for ST and identified co-precipitating proteins by mass spectrometry. In addition to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A subunits, we identified MYCL and its heterodimeric partner MAX plus the EP400 complex. Immunoprecipitation for MAX and EP400 complex components confirmed their association with ST. We determined that the ST-MYCL-EP400 complex binds together to specific gene promoters and activates their expression by integrating chromatin immunoprecipitation with sequencing (ChIP-seq and RNA-seq. MYCL and EP400 were required for maintenance of cell viability and cooperated with ST to promote gene expression in MCC cell lines. A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen confirmed the requirement for MYCL and EP400 in MCPyV-positive MCC cell lines. We demonstrate that ST can activate gene expression in a EP400 and MYCL dependent manner and this activity contributes to cellular transformation and generation of induced pluripotent stem cells.

  6. Merkel cell polyomavirus recruits MYCL to the EP400 complex to promote oncogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Jingwei; Park, Donglim Esther; Berrios, Christian; White, Elizabeth A; Arora, Reety; Yoon, Rosa; Branigan, Timothy; Xiao, Tengfei; Westerling, Thomas; Federation, Alexander; Zeid, Rhamy; Strober, Benjamin; Swanson, Selene K; Florens, Laurence; Bradner, James E; Brown, Myles; Howley, Peter M; Padi, Megha; Washburn, Michael P; DeCaprio, James A

    2017-10-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) frequently contains integrated copies of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA that express a truncated form of Large T antigen (LT) and an intact Small T antigen (ST). While LT binds RB and inactivates its tumor suppressor function, it is less clear how ST contributes to MCC tumorigenesis. Here we show that ST binds specifically to the MYC homolog MYCL (L-MYC) and recruits it to the 15-component EP400 histone acetyltransferase and chromatin remodeling complex. We performed a large-scale immunoprecipitation for ST and identified co-precipitating proteins by mass spectrometry. In addition to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) subunits, we identified MYCL and its heterodimeric partner MAX plus the EP400 complex. Immunoprecipitation for MAX and EP400 complex components confirmed their association with ST. We determined that the ST-MYCL-EP400 complex binds together to specific gene promoters and activates their expression by integrating chromatin immunoprecipitation with sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA-seq. MYCL and EP400 were required for maintenance of cell viability and cooperated with ST to promote gene expression in MCC cell lines. A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen confirmed the requirement for MYCL and EP400 in MCPyV-positive MCC cell lines. We demonstrate that ST can activate gene expression in a EP400 and MYCL dependent manner and this activity contributes to cellular transformation and generation of induced pluripotent stem cells.

  7. Histone chaperone networks shaping chromatin function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hammond, Colin; Strømme, Caroline Bianchi; Huang, Hongda

    2017-01-01

    and fate, which affects all chromosomal processes, including gene expression, chromosome segregation and genome replication and repair. Here, we review the distinct structural and functional properties of the expanding network of histone chaperones. We emphasize how chaperones cooperate in the histone...... chaperone network and via co-chaperone complexes to match histone supply with demand, thereby promoting proper nucleosome assembly and maintaining epigenetic information by recycling modified histones evicted from chromatin....

  8. Analysis of Mcm2-7 chromatin binding during anaphase and in the transition to quiescence in fission yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Namdar, Mandana; Kearsey, Stephen E.

    2006-01-01

    Mcm2-7 proteins are generally considered to function as a heterohexameric complex, providing helicase activity for the elongation step of DNA replication. These proteins are loaded onto replication origins in M-G1 phase in a process termed licensing or pre-replicative complex formation. It is likely that Mcm2-7 proteins are loaded onto chromatin simultaneously as a pre-formed hexamer although some studies suggest that subcomplexes are recruited sequentially. To analyze this process in fission yeast, we have compared the levels and chromatin binding of Mcm2-7 proteins during the fission yeast cell cycle. Mcm subunits are present at approximately 1 x 10 4 molecules/cell and are bound with approximately equal stoichiometry on chromatin in G1/S phase cells. Using a single cell assay, we have correlated the timing of chromatin association of individual Mcm subunits with progression through mitosis. This showed that Mcm2, 4 and 7 associate with chromatin at about the same stage of anaphase, suggesting that licensing involves the simultaneous binding of these subunits. We also examined Mcm2-7 chromatin association when cells enter a G0-like quiescent state. Chromatin binding is lost in this transition in a process that does not require DNA replication or the selective degradation of specific subunits

  9. ATF1 Modulates the Heat Shock Response by Regulating the Stress-Inducible Heat Shock Factor 1 Transcription Complex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takii, Ryosuke; Fujimoto, Mitsuaki; Tan, Ke; Takaki, Eiichi; Hayashida, Naoki; Nakato, Ryuichiro; Shirahige, Katsuhiko

    2014-01-01

    The heat shock response is an evolutionally conserved adaptive response to high temperatures that controls proteostasis capacity and is regulated mainly by an ancient heat shock factor (HSF). However, the regulation of target genes by the stress-inducible HSF1 transcription complex has not yet been examined in detail in mammalian cells. In the present study, we demonstrated that HSF1 interacted with members of the ATF1/CREB family involved in metabolic homeostasis and recruited them on the HSP70 promoter in response to heat shock. The HSF1 transcription complex, including the chromatin-remodeling factor BRG1 and lysine acetyltransferases p300 and CREB-binding protein (CBP), was formed in a manner that was dependent on the phosphorylation of ATF1. ATF1-BRG1 promoted the establishment of an active chromatin state and HSP70 expression during heat shock, whereas ATF1-p300/CBP accelerated the shutdown of HSF1 DNA-binding activity during recovery from acute stress, possibly through the acetylation of HSF1. Furthermore, ATF1 markedly affected the resistance to heat shock. These results revealed the unanticipated complexity of the primitive heat shock response mechanism, which is connected to metabolic adaptation. PMID:25312646

  10. Sequence-specific targeting of dosage compensation in Drosophila favors an active chromatin context.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Artyom A Alekseyenko

    Full Text Available The Drosophila MSL complex mediates dosage compensation by increasing transcription of the single X chromosome in males approximately two-fold. This is accomplished through recognition of the X chromosome and subsequent acetylation of histone H4K16 on X-linked genes. Initial binding to the X is thought to occur at "entry sites" that contain a consensus sequence motif ("MSL recognition element" or MRE. However, this motif is only ∼2 fold enriched on X, and only a fraction of the motifs on X are initially targeted. Here we ask whether chromatin context could distinguish between utilized and non-utilized copies of the motif, by comparing their relative enrichment for histone modifications and chromosomal proteins mapped in the modENCODE project. Through a comparative analysis of the chromatin features in male S2 cells (which contain MSL complex and female Kc cells (which lack the complex, we find that the presence of active chromatin modifications, together with an elevated local GC content in the surrounding sequences, has strong predictive value for functional MSL entry sites, independent of MSL binding. We tested these sites for function in Kc cells by RNAi knockdown of Sxl, resulting in induction of MSL complex. We show that ectopic MSL expression in Kc cells leads to H4K16 acetylation around these sites and a relative increase in X chromosome transcription. Collectively, our results support a model in which a pre-existing active chromatin environment, coincident with H3K36me3, contributes to MSL entry site selection. The consequences of MSL targeting of the male X chromosome include increase in nucleosome lability, enrichment for H4K16 acetylation and JIL-1 kinase, and depletion of linker histone H1 on active X-linked genes. Our analysis can serve as a model for identifying chromatin and local sequence features that may contribute to selection of functional protein binding sites in the genome.

  11. Chromatin Structure in Cell Differentiation, Aging and Cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Kheradmand Kia (Sima)

    2009-01-01

    textabstractChromatin is the structure that the eukaryotic genome is packaged into, allowing over a metre of DNA to fit into the small volume of the nucleus. It is composed of DNA and proteins, most of which are histones. This DNA-protein complex is the template for a number of essential cell

  12. Effect of hyperthermia on replicating chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warters, R.L.; Roti Roti, J.L.

    1981-01-01

    The extent of heat-induced structural alterations in chromatin containing nascent (pulse-labeled) DNA was assayed using the enzyme micrococcal nuclease. The basic nucleosome structure in nascent and mature chromatin of S-phase cells appeared unaltered for up to 16 hr after exposure to hyperthermic temperatures as high as 48 0 C for 15 min. However, the rate of nuclease digestion of DNA in both nascent and mature chromatin is inhibited following exposure to hyperthermic temperatures. In unheated cells, pulse-labeled nascent DNA matured into mature chromatin structure with a half-time of 2.5 min. The half-time for the maturation of pulse-labeled DNA from nascent into mature chromatin increased in a linear manner as a function of increasing temperature of exposure with constant heating time at temperatures above 43 0 C. Both the reduced nuclease digestibility of nascent DNA and the increased time for chromatin structural changes could be due to the increased protein mass of chromatin following hyperthermia

  13. Chromatin maturation depends on continued DNA-replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlaeger, E.J.; Puelm, W.; Knippers, R.

    1983-01-01

    The structure of [ 3 H]thymidine pulse-labeled chromatin in lymphocytes differs from that of non-replicating chromatin by several operational criteria which are related to the higher nuclease sensitivity of replicating chromatin. These structural features of replicating chromatin rapidly disappear when the [ 3 H]thymidine pulse is followed by a chase in the presence of an excess of non-radioactive thymidine. However, when the rate of DNA replication is reduced, as in cycloheximide-treated lymphocytes, chromatin maturation is retarded. No chromatin maturation is observed when nuclei from pulse-labeled lymphocytes are incubated in vitro in the absence of DNA precursors. In contrast, when these nuclei are incubated under conditions known to be optimal for DNA replication, the structure of replicating chromatin is efficiently converted to that of 'mature', non-replicating chromatin. The authors conclude that the properties of nascent DNA and/or the distance from the replication fork are important factors in chromatin maturation. (Auth.)

  14. The Chromatin Scaffold Protein SAFB1 Renders Chromatin Permissive for DNA Damage Signaling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Altmeyer, Matthias; Toledo Lazaro, Luis Ignacio; Gudjonsson, Thorkell

    2013-01-01

    Although the general relevance of chromatin modifications for genotoxic stress signaling, cell-cycle checkpoint activation, and DNA repair is well established, how these modifications reach initial thresholds in order to trigger robust responses remains largely unexplored. Here, we identify...... the chromatin-associated scaffold attachment factor SAFB1 as a component of the DNA damage response and show that SAFB1 cooperates with histone acetylation to allow for efficient γH2AX spreading and genotoxic stress signaling. SAFB1 undergoes a highly dynamic exchange at damaged chromatin in a poly......(ADP-ribose)-polymerase 1- and poly(ADP-ribose)-dependent manner and is required for unperturbed cell-cycle checkpoint activation and guarding cells against replicative stress. Altogether, our data reveal that transient recruitment of an architectural chromatin component is required in order to overcome physiological...

  15. Highly stable loading of Mcm proteins onto chromatin in living cells requires replication to unload

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuipers, Marjorie A.; Stasevich, Timothy J.; Sasaki, Takayo; Wilson, Korey A.; Hazelwood, Kristin L.; McNally, James G.; Davidson, Michael W.

    2011-01-01

    The heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance protein complex (Mcm2-7) functions as the eukaryotic helicase during DNA replication. Mcm2-7 loads onto chromatin during early G1 phase but is not converted into an active helicase until much later during S phase. Hence, inactive Mcm complexes are presumed to remain stably bound from early G1 through the completion of S phase. Here, we investigated Mcm protein dynamics in live mammalian cells. We demonstrate that Mcm proteins are irreversibly loaded onto chromatin cumulatively throughout G1 phase, showing no detectable exchange with a gradually diminishing soluble pool. Eviction of Mcm requires replication; during replication arrest, Mcm proteins remained bound indefinitely. Moreover, the density of immobile Mcms is reduced together with chromatin decondensation within sites of active replication, which provides an explanation for the lack of colocalization of Mcm with replication fork proteins. These results provide in vivo evidence for an exceptionally stable lockdown mechanism to retain all loaded Mcm proteins on chromatin throughout prolonged cell cycles. PMID:21220507

  16. N-Butyrate alters chromatin accessibility to DNA repair enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, P.J.

    1986-01-01

    Current evidence suggests that the complex nature of mammalian chromatin can result in the concealment of DNA damage from repair enzymes and their co-factors. Recently it has been proposed that the acetylation of histone proteins in chromatin may provide a surveillance system whereby damaged regions of DNA become exposed due to changes in chromatin accessibility. This hypothesis has been tested by: (i) using n-butyrate to induce hyperacetylation in human adenocarcinoma (HT29) cells; (ii) monitoring the enzymatic accessibility of chromatin in permeabilised cells; (iii) measuring u.v. repair-associated nicking of DNA in intact cells and (iv) determining the effects of n-butyrate on cellular sensitivity to DNA damaging agents. The results indicate that the accessibility of chromatin to Micrococcus luteus u.v. endonuclease is enhanced by greater than 2-fold in n-butyrate-treated cells and that there is a corresponding increase in u.v. repair incision rates in intact cells exposed to the drug. Non-toxic levels of n-butyrate induce a block to G1 phase transit and there is a significant growth delay on removal of the drug. Resistance of HT29 cells to u.v.-radiation and adriamycin is enhanced in n-butyrate-treated cells whereas X-ray sensitivity is increased. Although changes in the responses of cells to DNA damaging agents must be considered in relation to the effects of n-butyrate on growth rate and cell-cycle distribution, the results are not inconsistent with the proposal that increased enzymatic-accessibility/repair is biologically favourable for the resistance of cells to u.v.-radiation damage. Overall the results support the suggested operation of a histone acetylation-based chromatin surveillance system in human cells

  17. Premitotic assembly of human CENPs -T and -W switches centromeric chromatin to a mitotic state.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Prendergast

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Centromeres are differentiated chromatin domains, present once per chromosome, that direct segregation of the genome in mitosis and meiosis by specifying assembly of the kinetochore. They are distinct genetic loci in that their identity in most organisms is determined not by the DNA sequences they are associated with, but through specific chromatin composition and context. The core nucleosomal protein CENP-A/cenH3 plays a primary role in centromere determination in all species and directs assembly of a large complex of associated proteins in vertebrates. While CENP-A itself is stably transmitted from one generation to the next, the nature of the template for centromere replication and its relationship to kinetochore function are as yet poorly understood. Here, we investigate the assembly and inheritance of a histone fold complex of the centromere, the CENP-T/W complex, which is integrated with centromeric chromatin in association with canonical histone H3 nucleosomes. We have investigated the cell cycle regulation, timing of assembly, generational persistence, and requirement for function of CENPs -T and -W in the cell cycle in human cells. The CENP-T/W complex assembles through a dynamic exchange mechanism in late S-phase and G2, is required for mitosis in each cell cycle and does not persist across cell generations, properties reciprocal to those measured for CENP-A. We propose that the CENP-A and H3-CENP-T/W nucleosome components of the centromere are specialized for centromeric and kinetochore activities, respectively. Segregation of the assembly mechanisms for the two allows the cell to switch between chromatin configurations that reciprocally support the replication of the centromere and its conversion to a mitotic state on postreplicative chromatin.

  18. Methyl CpG level at distal part of heat-shock protein promoter HSP70 exhibits epigenetic memory for heat stress by modulating recruitment of POU2F1-associated nucleosome-remodeling deacetylase (NuRD) complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kisliouk, Tatiana; Cramer, Tomer; Meiri, Noam

    2017-05-01

    Depending on its stringency, exposure to heat in early life leads to either resilience or vulnerability to heat stress later in life. We hypothesized that epigenetic alterations in genes belonging to the cell proteostasis pathways are attributed to long-term responses to heat stress. Epigenetic regulation of the mRNA expression of the molecular chaperone heat-shock protein (HSP) 70 (HSPA2) was evaluated in the chick hypothalamus during the critical period of thermal-control establishment on day 3 post-hatch and during heat challenge on day 10. Both the level and duration of HSP70 expression during heat challenge a week after heat conditioning were more pronounced in chicks conditioned under harsh versus mild temperature. Analyzing different segments of the promoter in vitro indicated that methylation of a distal part altered its transcriptional activity. In parallel, DNA-methylation level of this segment in vivo was higher in harsh- compared to mild-heat-conditioned chicks. Hypermethylation of the HSP70 promoter in high-temperature-conditioned chicks was accompanied by a reduction in both POU Class 2 Homeobox 1 (POU2F1) binding and recruitment of the nucleosome remodeling deacetylase (NuRD) chromatin-remodeling complex. As a result, histone H3 acetylation levels at the HSP70 promoter were higher in harsh-temperature-conditioned chicks than in their mild-heat-conditioned counterparts. These results suggest that methylation level of a distal part of the HSP70 promoter and POU2F1 recruitment may reflect heat-stress-related epigenetic memory and may be useful in differentiating between individuals that are resilient or vulnerable to stress. © 2017 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  19. Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics for the Analysis of Chromatin Structure and Dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Soldi

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Chromatin is a highly structured nucleoprotein complex made of histone proteins and DNA that controls nearly all DNA-dependent processes. Chromatin plasticity is regulated by different associated proteins, post-translational modifications on histones (hPTMs and DNA methylation, which act in a concerted manner to enforce a specific “chromatin landscape”, with a regulatory effect on gene expression. Mass Spectrometry (MS has emerged as a powerful analytical strategy to detect histone PTMs, revealing interplays between neighbouring PTMs and enabling screens for their readers in a comprehensive and quantitative fashion. Here we provide an overview of the recent achievements of state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based proteomics for the detailed qualitative and quantitative characterization of histone post-translational modifications, histone variants, and global interactomes at specific chromatin regions. This synopsis emphasizes how the advances in high resolution MS, from “Bottom Up” to “Top Down” analysis, together with the uptake of quantitative proteomics methods by chromatin biologists, have made MS a well-established method in the epigenetics field, enabling the acquisition of original information, highly complementary to that offered by more conventional, antibody-based, assays.

  20. LINE retrotransposon RNA is an essential structural and functional epigenetic component of a core neocentromeric chromatin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anderly C Chueh

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We have previously identified and characterized the phenomenon of ectopic human centromeres, known as neocentromeres. Human neocentromeres form epigenetically at euchromatic chromosomal sites and are structurally and functionally similar to normal human centromeres. Recent studies have indicated that neocentromere formation provides a major mechanism for centromere repositioning, karyotype evolution, and speciation. Using a marker chromosome mardel(10 containing a neocentromere formed at the normal chromosomal 10q25 region, we have previously mapped a 330-kb CENP-A-binding domain and described an increased prevalence of L1 retrotransposons in the underlying DNA sequences of the CENP-A-binding clusters. Here, we investigated the potential role of the L1 retrotransposons in the regulation of neocentromere activity. Determination of the transcriptional activity of a panel of full-length L1s (FL-L1s across a 6-Mb region spanning the 10q25 neocentromere chromatin identified one of the FL-L1 retrotransposons, designated FL-L1b and residing centrally within the CENP-A-binding clusters, to be transcriptionally active. We demonstrated the direct incorporation of the FL-L1b RNA transcripts into the CENP-A-associated chromatin. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the FL-L1b RNA transcripts led to a reduction in CENP-A binding and an impaired mitotic function of the 10q25 neocentromere. These results indicate that LINE retrotransposon RNA is a previously undescribed essential structural and functional component of the neocentromeric chromatin and that retrotransposable elements may serve as a critical epigenetic determinant in the chromatin remodelling events leading to neocentromere formation.

  1. The SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling gene AtCHR12 mediates temporary growth arrest in Arabidopsis thaliana upon perceiving environmental stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mlynarova, L.; Nap, J.P.H.; Bisseling, T.

    2007-01-01

    One of the earliest responses of plants to environmental stress is establishing a temporary growth arrest that allows adaptation to adverse conditions. The response to abiotic stress requires the modulation of gene expression, which may be mediated by the alteration of chromatin structures. This

  2. Chromatin dynamics in genome stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nair, Nidhi; Shoaib, Muhammad; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard

    2017-01-01

    Genomic DNA is compacted into chromatin through packaging with histone and non-histone proteins. Importantly, DNA accessibility is dynamically regulated to ensure genome stability. This is exemplified in the response to DNA damage where chromatin relaxation near genomic lesions serves to promote...... access of relevant enzymes to specific DNA regions for signaling and repair. Furthermore, recent data highlight genome maintenance roles of chromatin through the regulation of endogenous DNA-templated processes including transcription and replication. Here, we review research that shows the importance...... of chromatin structure regulation in maintaining genome integrity by multiple mechanisms including facilitating DNA repair and directly suppressing endogenous DNA damage....

  3. Large-scale Comparative Study of Hi-C-based Chromatin 3D Structure Modeling Methods

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Cheng

    2018-05-17

    Chromatin is a complex polymer molecule in eukaryotic cells, primarily consisting of DNA and histones. Many works have shown that the 3D folding of chromatin structure plays an important role in DNA expression. The recently proposed Chro- mosome Conformation Capture technologies, especially the Hi-C assays, provide us an opportunity to study how the 3D structures of the chromatin are organized. Based on the data from Hi-C experiments, many chromatin 3D structure modeling methods have been proposed. However, there is limited ground truth to validate these methods and no robust chromatin structure alignment algorithms to evaluate the performance of these methods. In our work, we first made a thorough literature review of 25 publicly available population Hi-C-based chromatin 3D structure modeling methods. Furthermore, to evaluate and to compare the performance of these methods, we proposed a novel data simulation method, which combined the population Hi-C data and single-cell Hi-C data without ad hoc parameters. Also, we designed a global and a local alignment algorithms to measure the similarity between the templates and the chromatin struc- tures predicted by different modeling methods. Finally, the results from large-scale comparative tests indicated that our alignment algorithms significantly outperform the algorithms in literature.

  4. UV-induced structural changes in chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, H.; Zimmer, C.; Vengerov, Yu.Yu.

    1985-01-01

    UV-induced structural alterations of chromatin were studied by means of CD, electron microscopic, and gel electrophoretic measurements. The results indicate that chromatin undergoes serious structural changes after irradiation even at very low fluences. In the low fluence range the structural transitions from the higher ordered chromatin structure to the unfolded state occur without detectable changes in the content of histone H1 and of the core histones. Histone H1 disappears only at fluences above 10 kJ/m 2 . Furthermore, DNA in chromatin is much more sensitive against UV-irradiation and shows a higher degree of strand scission relative to free DNA. While fragmentation in free DNA occurs at fluences above 15 kJ/m 2 , it occurs even at 5.5 kJ/m 2 in the case of chromatin. The biological meaning of the observed UV-induced structural alterations of chromatin is discussed. (author)

  5. Neutron-scattering studies of chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bradbury, E.M.; Baldwin, J.P.; Carpenter, B.G.; Hjelm, R.P.; Hancock, R.; Ibel, K.

    1976-01-01

    It is clear that a knowledge of the basic molecular structure of chromatin is a prerequisite for any progress toward an understanding of chromosome organization. With a two-component system, protein and nucleic acid, neutrons have a particularly powerful application to studies of the spatial arrangements of these components because of the ability, by contrast matching with H 2 O-D 2 O mixtures, to obtain neutron-scattering data on the individual components. With this approach it has been shown that the neutron diffraction of chromatin is consistent with a ''beads on a string'' model in which the bead consists of a protein core with DNA coiled on the outside. However, because chromatin is a gel and gives limited structural data, confirmation of such a model requires extension of the neutron studies by deuteration of specific chromatin components and the isolation of chromatin subunits. Although these studies are not complete, the neutron results so far obtained support the subunit model described above

  6. Chromatin challenges during DNA replication and repair

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Groth, Anja; Rocha, Walter; Verreault, Alain

    2007-01-01

    Inheritance and maintenance of the DNA sequence and its organization into chromatin are central for eukaryotic life. To orchestrate DNA-replication and -repair processes in the context of chromatin is a challenge, both in terms of accessibility and maintenance of chromatin organization. To meet...... the challenge of maintenance, cells have evolved efficient nucleosome-assembly pathways and chromatin-maturation mechanisms that reproduce chromatin organization in the wake of DNA replication and repair. The aim of this Review is to describe how these pathways operate and to highlight how the epigenetic...... landscape may be stably maintained even in the face of dramatic changes in chromatin structure....

  7. Selective recruitment of nuclear factors to productively replicating herpes simplex virus genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dembowski, Jill A; DeLuca, Neal A

    2015-05-01

    Much of the HSV-1 life cycle is carried out in the cell nucleus, including the expression, replication, repair, and packaging of viral genomes. Viral proteins, as well as cellular factors, play essential roles in these processes. Isolation of proteins on nascent DNA (iPOND) was developed to label and purify cellular replication forks. We adapted aspects of this method to label viral genomes to both image, and purify replicating HSV-1 genomes for the identification of associated proteins. Many viral and cellular factors were enriched on viral genomes, including factors that mediate DNA replication, repair, chromatin remodeling, transcription, and RNA processing. As infection proceeded, packaging and structural components were enriched to a greater extent. Among the more abundant proteins that copurified with genomes were the viral transcription factor ICP4 and the replication protein ICP8. Furthermore, all seven viral replication proteins were enriched on viral genomes, along with cellular PCNA and topoisomerases, while other cellular replication proteins were not detected. The chromatin-remodeling complexes present on viral genomes included the INO80, SWI/SNF, NURD, and FACT complexes, which may prevent chromatinization of the genome. Consistent with this conclusion, histones were not readily recovered with purified viral genomes, and imaging studies revealed an underrepresentation of histones on viral genomes. RNA polymerase II, the mediator complex, TFIID, TFIIH, and several other transcriptional activators and repressors were also affinity purified with viral DNA. The presence of INO80, NURD, SWI/SNF, mediator, TFIID, and TFIIH components is consistent with previous studies in which these complexes copurified with ICP4. Therefore, ICP4 is likely involved in the recruitment of these key cellular chromatin remodeling and transcription factors to viral genomes. Taken together, iPOND is a valuable method for the study of viral genome dynamics during infection and

  8. Relaxed selection against accidental binding of transcription factors with conserved chromatin contexts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babbitt, G A

    2010-10-15

    The spurious (or nonfunctional) binding of transcription factors (TF) to the wrong locations on DNA presents a formidable challenge to genomes given the relatively low ceiling for sequence complexity within the short lengths of most binding motifs. The high potential for the occurrence of random motifs and subsequent nonfunctional binding of many transcription factors should theoretically lead to natural selection against the occurrence of spurious motif throughout the genome. However, because of the active role that chromatin can influence over eukaryotic gene regulation, it may also be expected that many supposed spurious binding sites could escape purifying selection if (A) they simply occur in regions of high nucleosome occupancy or (B) their surrounding chromatin was dynamically involved in their identity and function. We compared nucleosome occupancy and the presence/absence of functionally conserved chromatin context to the strength of selection against spurious binding of various TF binding motifs in Saccharomyces yeast. While we find no direct relationship with nucleosome occupancy, we find strong evidence that transcription factors spatially associated with evolutionarily conserved chromatin states are under relaxed selection against accidental binding. Transcription factors (with/without) a conserved chromatin context were found to occur on average, (87.7%/49.3%) of their expected frequencies. Functional binding motifs with conserved chromatin contexts were also significantly shorter in length and more often clustered. These results indicate a role of chromatin context dependency in relaxing selection against spurious binding in nearly half of all TF binding motifs throughout the yeast genome. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. A chromatin insulator driving three-dimensional Polycomb response element (PRE) contacts and Polycomb association with the chromatin fiber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Comet, Itys; Schuettengruber, Bernd; Sexton, Tom

    2011-01-01

    to insulate genes from regulatory elements or to take part in long-distance interactions. Using a high-resolution chromatin conformation capture (H3C) method, we show that the Drosophila gypsy insulator behaves as a conformational chromatin border that is able to prohibit contacts between a Polycomb response...... element (PRE) and a distal promoter. On the other hand, two spaced gypsy elements form a chromatin loop that is able to bring an upstream PRE in contact with a downstream gene to mediate its repression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) profiles of the Polycomb protein and its associated H3K27me3...... histone mark reflect this insulator-dependent chromatin conformation, suggesting that Polycomb action at a distance can be organized by local chromatin topology....

  10. Spectroscopic study of fast-neutron-irradiated chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radu, L.; Gazdaru, D.; Constantinescu, B.

    2004-01-01

    The effects produced by fast neutrons (0-100 Gy) on chromatin structure were analyzed by (i) [ 1 H]-NMR spectroscopy, (ii) time resolved spectroscopy, and (iii) fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Two types of chromatin were tested: (i) a chromatin from a normal tissue (liver of Wistar rats) and (ii) a chromatin from a tumoral tissue (Guerin limphotrope epithelioma, a rat solid tumor). The fast-neutron action on chromatin determines greater values of the [ 1 H]-NMR transverse relaxation time, indicating a more injured structure. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements show that the relative contribution of the excited state lifetime of bound ethidium bromide to chromatin DNA diminishes with increasing irradiation doses. This reflects the damage that occurs in DNA structure: production of single- and double-strand breaks due to sugar and base modifications. By the FRET method, the distance between dansyl chloride and acridine orange coupled at chromatin was determined. This distance increases upon fast-neutron action. The radiosensitivity of the tumor tissue chromatin seems higher than that of the normal tissue chromatin, probably because of its higher (loose) euchromatin/(compact) heterochromatin ratio. As the values of the physical parameters analyzed are specific for a determined dose, the establishment of these parameters may constitute a criterion for the microdosimetry of chromatin radiolesions produced by fast neutrons. (author)

  11. Spectroscopic study of fast-neutron-irradiated chromatin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radu, L. [V. Babes National Inst., Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Bucharest (Romania)]. E-mail: serbanradu@pcnet.ro; Gazdaru, D. [Bucharest Univ., Dept. of Biophysics, Physics Faculty, Bucharest (Romania); Constantinescu, B. [H. Hulubei National Inst., Dept. of Cyclotron, Bucharest (Romania)

    2004-02-01

    The effects produced by fast neutrons (0-100 Gy) on chromatin structure were analyzed by (i) [{sup 1}H]-NMR spectroscopy, (ii) time resolved spectroscopy, and (iii) fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Two types of chromatin were tested: (i) a chromatin from a normal tissue (liver of Wistar rats) and (ii) a chromatin from a tumoral tissue (Guerin limphotrope epithelioma, a rat solid tumor). The fast-neutron action on chromatin determines greater values of the [{sup 1}H]-NMR transverse relaxation time, indicating a more injured structure. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements show that the relative contribution of the excited state lifetime of bound ethidium bromide to chromatin DNA diminishes with increasing irradiation doses. This reflects the damage that occurs in DNA structure: production of single- and double-strand breaks due to sugar and base modifications. By the FRET method, the distance between dansyl chloride and acridine orange coupled at chromatin was determined. This distance increases upon fast-neutron action. The radiosensitivity of the tumor tissue chromatin seems higher than that of the normal tissue chromatin, probably because of its higher (loose) euchromatin/(compact) heterochromatin ratio. As the values of the physical parameters analyzed are specific for a determined dose, the establishment of these parameters may constitute a criterion for the microdosimetry of chromatin radiolesions produced by fast neutrons. (author)

  12. The Arabidopsis SWI/SNF protein BAF60 mediates seedling growth control by modulating DNA accessibility

    KAUST Repository

    Jé gu, Teddy; Veluchamy, Alaguraj; Ramirez Prado, Juan Sebastian; Rizzi-Paillet, Charley; Perez, Magalie; Lhomme, Anaï s; Latrasse, David; Coleno, Emeline; Vicaire, Serge; Legras, Sté phanie; Jost, Bernard; Rougé e, Martin; Barneche, Fredy; Bergounioux, Catherine; Crespi, Martin; Mahfouz, Magdy M.; Hirt, Heribert; Raynaud, Cé cile; Benhamed, Moussa

    2017-01-01

    Plant adaptive responses to changing environments involve complex molecular interplays between intrinsic and external signals. Whilst much is known on the signaling components mediating diurnal, light, and temperature controls on plant development, their influence on chromatin-based transcriptional controls remains poorly explored.In this study we show that a SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler subunit, BAF60, represses seedling growth by modulating DNA accessibility of hypocotyl cell size regulatory genes. BAF60 binds nucleosome-free regions of multiple G box-containing genes, opposing in cis the promoting effect of the photomorphogenic and thermomorphogenic regulator Phytochrome Interacting Factor 4 (PIF4) on hypocotyl elongation. Furthermore, BAF60 expression level is regulated in response to light and daily rhythms.These results unveil a short path between a chromatin remodeler and a signaling component to fine-tune plant morphogenesis in response to environmental conditions.

  13. The Arabidopsis SWI/SNF protein BAF60 mediates seedling growth control by modulating DNA accessibility

    KAUST Repository

    Jégu, Teddy

    2017-06-15

    Plant adaptive responses to changing environments involve complex molecular interplays between intrinsic and external signals. Whilst much is known on the signaling components mediating diurnal, light, and temperature controls on plant development, their influence on chromatin-based transcriptional controls remains poorly explored.In this study we show that a SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler subunit, BAF60, represses seedling growth by modulating DNA accessibility of hypocotyl cell size regulatory genes. BAF60 binds nucleosome-free regions of multiple G box-containing genes, opposing in cis the promoting effect of the photomorphogenic and thermomorphogenic regulator Phytochrome Interacting Factor 4 (PIF4) on hypocotyl elongation. Furthermore, BAF60 expression level is regulated in response to light and daily rhythms.These results unveil a short path between a chromatin remodeler and a signaling component to fine-tune plant morphogenesis in response to environmental conditions.

  14. Structural chromatin organization as a factor determining the rate of chromatin endonucleolysis in irradiated and intact thymocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryabchenko, N.I.; Ivannik, B.P.

    1987-01-01

    A study was made of chromatin endonucleolysis in hypotonized thymocytes incubating in digestive buffers containing different concentrations of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and mercaptoethanol. Inhibition of endonucleolysis by univalent cation during the first 20 min of incubation was followed by intensive chromatin degradation. A decrease in free potassium content retarded chromatin degradation and enhanced the inhibiting effect of the univalent cations. The regularities of changes in the rate of chromatin endonucleolysis in different digestive buffers were similar with both exposed and intact thymocytes

  15. Noncoding transcription by alternative rna polymerases dynamically regulates an auxin-driven chromatin loop

    KAUST Repository

    Ariel, Federico D.; Jé gu, Teddy; Latrasse, David; Romero-Barrios, Natali; Christ, Auré lie; Benhamed, Moussa; Crespi, Martí n D.

    2014-01-01

    The eukaryotic epigenome is shaped by the genome topology in three-dimensional space. Dynamic reversible variations in this epigenome structure directly influence the transcriptional responses to developmental cues. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA) APOLO is transcribed by RNA polymerases II and V in response to auxin, a phytohormone controlling numerous facets of plant development. This dual APOLO transcription regulates the formation of a chromatin loop encompassing the promoter of its neighboring gene PID, a key regulator of polar auxin transport. Altering APOLO expression affects chromatin loop formation, whereas RNA-dependent DNA methylation, active DNA demethylation, and Polycomb complexes control loop dynamics. This dynamic chromatin topology determines PID expression patterns. Hence, the dual transcription of a lincRNA influences local chromatin topology and directs dynamic auxin-controlled developmental outputs on neighboring genes. This mechanism likely underscores the adaptive success of plants in diverse environments and may be widespread in eukaryotes. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

  16. Noncoding transcription by alternative rna polymerases dynamically regulates an auxin-driven chromatin loop

    KAUST Repository

    Ariel, Federico D.

    2014-08-01

    The eukaryotic epigenome is shaped by the genome topology in three-dimensional space. Dynamic reversible variations in this epigenome structure directly influence the transcriptional responses to developmental cues. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA) APOLO is transcribed by RNA polymerases II and V in response to auxin, a phytohormone controlling numerous facets of plant development. This dual APOLO transcription regulates the formation of a chromatin loop encompassing the promoter of its neighboring gene PID, a key regulator of polar auxin transport. Altering APOLO expression affects chromatin loop formation, whereas RNA-dependent DNA methylation, active DNA demethylation, and Polycomb complexes control loop dynamics. This dynamic chromatin topology determines PID expression patterns. Hence, the dual transcription of a lincRNA influences local chromatin topology and directs dynamic auxin-controlled developmental outputs on neighboring genes. This mechanism likely underscores the adaptive success of plants in diverse environments and may be widespread in eukaryotes. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

  17. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Linker Histone—Hho1p Maintains Chromatin Loop Organization during Ageing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katya Uzunova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Intricate, dynamic, and absolutely unavoidable ageing affects cells and organisms through their entire lifetime. Driven by diverse mechanisms all leading to compromised cellular functions and finally to death, this process is a challenge for researchers. The molecular mechanisms, the general rules that it follows, and the complex interplay at a molecular and cellular level are yet little understood. Here, we present our results showing a connection between the linker histones, the higher-order chromatin structures, and the process of chronological lifespan of yeast cells. By deleting the gene for the linker histone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae we have created a model for studying the role of chromatin structures mainly at its most elusive and so far barely understood higher-order levels of compaction in the processes of yeast chronological lifespan. The mutant cells demonstrated controversial features showing slower growth than the wild type combined with better survival during the whole process. The analysis of the global chromatin organization during different time points demonstrated certain loss of the upper levels of chromatin compaction in the cells without linker histone. The results underlay the importance of this histone for the maintenance of the chromatin loop structures during ageing.

  18. Hippocampal dendritic spines remodeling and fear memory are modulated by GABAergic signaling within the basolateral amygdala complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giachero, Marcelo; Calfa, Gaston D; Molina, Victor A

    2015-05-01

    GABAergic signaling in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) plays a crucial role on the modulation of the stress influence on fear memory. Moreover, accumulating evidence suggests that the dorsal hippocampus (DH) is a downstream target of BLA neurons in contextual fear. Given that hippocampal structural plasticity is proposed to provide a substrate for the storage of long-term memories, the main aim of this study is to evaluate the modulation of GABA neurotransmission in the BLA on spine density in the DH following stress on contextual fear learning. The present findings show that prior stressful experience promoted contextual fear memory and enhanced spine density in the DH. Intra-BLA infusion of midazolam, a positive modulator of GABAa sites, prevented the facilitating influence of stress on both fear retention and hippocampal dendritic spine remodeling. Similarly to the stress-induced effects, the blockade of GABAa sites within the BLA ameliorated fear memory emergence and induced structural remodeling in the DH. These findings suggest that GABAergic transmission in BLA modulates the structural changes in DH associated to the influence of stress on fear memory. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Interphase Chromosome Conformation and Chromatin-Chromatin Interactions in Human Epithelial Cells Cultured Under Different Gravity Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ye; Wong, Michael; Hada, Megumi; Wu, Honglu

    2015-01-01

    Microgravity has been shown to alter global gene expression patterns and protein levels both in cultured cells and animal models. It has been suggested that the packaging of chromatin fibers in the interphase nucleus is closely related to genome function, and the changes in transcriptional activity are tightly correlated with changes in chromatin folding. This study explores the changes of chromatin conformation and chromatin-chromatin interactions in the simulated microgravity environment, and investigates their correlation to the expression of genes located at different regions of the chromosome. To investigate the folding of chromatin in interphase under various culture conditions, human epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and lymphocytes were fixed in the G1 phase. Interphase chromosomes were hybridized with a multicolor banding in situ hybridization (mBAND) probe for chromosome 3 which distinguishes six regions of the chromosome as separate colors. After images were captured with a laser scanning confocal microscope, the 3-dimensional structure of interphase chromosome 3 was reconstructed at multi-mega base pair scale. In order to determine the effects of microgravity on chromosome conformation and orientation, measures such as distance between homologous pairs, relative orientation of chromosome arms about a shared midpoint, and orientation of arms within individual chromosomes were all considered as potentially impacted by simulated microgravity conditions. The studies revealed non-random folding of chromatin in interphase, and suggested an association of interphase chromatin folding with radiation-induced chromosome aberration hotspots. Interestingly, the distributions of genes with expression changes over chromosome 3 in cells cultured under microgravity environment are apparently clustered on specific loci and chromosomes. This data provides important insights into how mammalian cells respond to microgravity at molecular level.

  20. Chromatin meets its organizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodnar, Megan S; Spector, David L

    2013-06-06

    Chromatin organization and gene-gene interactions are critical components of carrying out developmental programs. Phillips-Cremins et al. identify a series of unexpected architectural proteins that work in a combinatorial manner to functionally organize chromatin in a cell-type-specific manner at the submegabase-length scale. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Investigation of histone H4 hyperacetylation dynamics in the 5S rRNA genes family by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burlibașa, Liliana; Suciu, Ilinca

    2015-12-01

    Oogenesis is a critical event in the formation of female gamete, whose role in development is to transfer genomic information to the next generation. During this process, the gene expression pattern changes dramatically concomitant with genome remodelling, while genomic information is stably maintained. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of H4 acetylation of the oocyte and somatic 5S rRNA genes in Triturus cristatus, using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP). Our findings suggest that some epigenetic mechanisms such as histone acetylation could be involved in the transcriptional regulation of 5S rRNA gene families.

  2. Combgap Promotes Ovarian Niche Development and Chromatin Association of EcR-Binding Regions in BR-C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hitrik, Anna; Popliker, Malka; Gancz, Dana; Mukamel, Zohar; Lifshitz, Aviezer; Schwartzman, Omer; Tanay, Amos; Gilboa, Lilach

    2016-11-01

    The development of niches for tissue-specific stem cells is an important aspect of stem cell biology. Determination of niche size and niche numbers during organogenesis involves precise control of gene expression. How this is achieved in the context of a complex chromatin landscape is largely unknown. Here we show that the nuclear protein Combgap (Cg) supports correct ovarian niche formation in Drosophila by controlling ecdysone-Receptor (EcR)- mediated transcription and long-range chromatin contacts in the broad locus (BR-C). Both cg and BR-C promote ovarian growth and the development of niches for germ line stem cells. BR-C levels were lower when Combgap was either reduced or over-expressed, indicating an intricate regulation of the BR-C locus by Combgap. Polytene chromosome stains showed that Cg co-localizes with EcR, the major regulator of BR-C, at the BR-C locus and that EcR binding to chromatin was sensitive to changes in Cg levels. Proximity ligation assay indicated that the two proteins could reside in the same complex. Finally, chromatin conformation analysis revealed that EcR-bound regions within BR-C, which span ~30 KBs, contacted each other. Significantly, these contacts were stabilized in an ecdysone- and Combgap-dependent manner. Together, these results highlight Combgap as a novel regulator of chromatin structure that promotes transcription of ecdysone target genes and ovarian niche formation.

  3. Sirtuins: Molecular Traffic Lights in the Crossroad of Oxidative Stress, Chromatin Remodeling, and Transcription

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramkumar Rajendran

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Transcription is regulated by acetylation/deacetylation reactions of histone and nonhistone proteins mediated by enzymes called KATs and HDACs, respectively. As a major mechanism of transcriptional regulation, protein acetylation is a key controller of physiological processes such as cell cycle, DNA damage response, metabolism, apoptosis, and autophagy. The deacetylase activity of class III histone deacetylases or sirtuins depends on the presence of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and therefore, their function is closely linked to cellular energy consumption. This activity of sirtuins connects the modulation of chromatin dynamics and transcriptional regulation under oxidative stress to cellular lifespan, glucose homeostasis, inflammation, and multiple aging-related diseases including cancer. Here we provide an overview of the recent developments in relation to the diverse biological activities associated with sirtuin enzymes and stress responsive transcription factors, DNA damage, and oxidative stress and relate the involvement of sirtuins in the regulation of these processes to oncogenesis. Since the majority of the molecular mechanisms implicated in these pathways have been described for Sirt1, this sirtuin family member is more extensively presented in this paper.

  4. Targeted resequencing of regulatory regions at schizophrenia risk loci: Role of rare functional variants at chromatin repressive states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Peñas, Javier; Amigo, Jorge; Santomé, Luis; Sobrino, Beatriz; Brenlla, Julio; Agra, Santiago; Paz, Eduardo; Páramo, Mario; Carracedo, Ángel; Arrojo, Manuel; Costas, Javier

    2016-07-01

    There is mounting evidence that regulatory variation plays an important role in genetic risk for schizophrenia. Here, we specifically search for regulatory variants at risk by sequencing promoter regions of twenty-three genes implied in schizophrenia by copy number variant or genome-wide association studies. After strict quality control, a total of 55,206bp per sample were analyzed in 526 schizophrenia cases and 516 controls from Galicia, NW Spain, using the Applied Biosystems SOLiD System. Variants were filtered based on frequency from public databases, chromatin states from the RoadMap Epigenomics Consortium at tissues relevant for schizophrenia, such as fetal brain, mid-frontal lobe, and angular gyrus, and prediction of functionality from RegulomeDB. The proportion of rare variants at polycomb repressive chromatin state at relevant tissues was higher in cases than in controls. The proportion of rare variants with predicted regulatory role was significantly higher in cases than in controls (P=0.0028, OR=1.93, 95% C.I.=1.23-3.04). Combination of information from both sources led to the identification of an excess of carriers of rare variants with predicted regulatory role located at polycomb repressive chromatin state at relevant tissues in cases versus controls (P=0.0016, OR=19.34, 95% C.I.=2.45-2495.26). The variants are located at two genes affected by the 17q12 copy number variant, LHX1 and HNF1B. These data strongly suggest that a specific epigenetic mechanism, chromatin remodeling by histone modification during early development, may be impaired in a subset of schizophrenia patients, in agreement with previous data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Histone modifications in response to DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altaf, Mohammed; Saksouk, Nehme; Cote, Jacques

    2007-01-01

    The packaging of the eukaryotic genome into highly condensed chromatin makes it inaccessible to the factors required for gene transcription, DNA replication, recombination and repair. Eukaryotes have developed intricate mechanisms to overcome this repressive barrier imposed by chromatin. Histone modifying enzymes and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes play key roles here as they regulate many nuclear processes by altering the chromatin structure. Significantly, these activities are integral to the process of DNA repair where histone modifications act as signals and landing platforms for various repair proteins. This review summarizes the recent developments in our understanding of histone modifications and their role in the maintenance of genome integrity

  6. Polymer physics predicts the effects of structural variants on chromatin architecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianco, Simona; Lupiáñez, Darío G; Chiariello, Andrea M; Annunziatella, Carlo; Kraft, Katerina; Schöpflin, Robert; Wittler, Lars; Andrey, Guillaume; Vingron, Martin; Pombo, Ana; Mundlos, Stefan; Nicodemi, Mario

    2018-05-01

    Structural variants (SVs) can result in changes in gene expression due to abnormal chromatin folding and cause disease. However, the prediction of such effects remains a challenge. Here we present a polymer-physics-based approach (PRISMR) to model 3D chromatin folding and to predict enhancer-promoter contacts. PRISMR predicts higher-order chromatin structure from genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data. Using the EPHA4 locus as a model, the effects of pathogenic SVs are predicted in silico and compared to Hi-C data generated from mouse limb buds and patient-derived fibroblasts. PRISMR deconvolves the folding complexity of the EPHA4 locus and identifies SV-induced ectopic contacts and alterations of 3D genome organization in homozygous or heterozygous states. We show that SVs can reconfigure topologically associating domains, thereby producing extensive rewiring of regulatory interactions and causing disease by gene misexpression. PRISMR can be used to predict interactions in silico, thereby providing a tool for analyzing the disease-causing potential of SVs.

  7. Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Dynamic Interactions of the Minichromosome Maintenance Complex (MCM) in the Cellular Response to Etoposide Induced DNA Damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drissi, Romain; Dubois, Marie-Line; Douziech, Mélanie; Boisvert, François-Michel

    2015-07-01

    The minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) proteins are required for processive DNA replication and are a target of S-phase checkpoints. The eukaryotic MCM complex consists of six proteins (MCM2-7) that form a heterohexameric ring with DNA helicase activity, which is loaded on chromatin to form the pre-replication complex. Upon entry in S phase, the helicase is activated and opens the DNA duplex to recruit DNA polymerases at the replication fork. The MCM complex thus plays a crucial role during DNA replication, but recent work suggests that MCM proteins could also be involved in DNA repair. Here, we employed a combination of stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics with immunoprecipitation of green fluorescent protein-tagged fusion proteins to identify proteins interacting with the MCM complex, and quantify changes in interactions in response to DNA damage. Interestingly, the MCM complex showed very dynamic changes in interaction with proteins such as Importin7, the histone chaperone ASF1, and the Chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 3 (CHD3) following DNA damage. These changes in interactions were accompanied by an increase in phosphorylation and ubiquitination on specific sites on the MCM proteins and an increase in the co-localization of the MCM complex with γ-H2AX, confirming the recruitment of these proteins to sites of DNA damage. In summary, our data indicate that the MCM proteins is involved in chromatin remodeling in response to DNA damage. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. A Long-Distance Chromatin Affair

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Denker, Annette; de Laat, Wouter

    2015-01-01

    Changes in transcription factor binding sequences result in correlated changes in chromatin composition locally and at sites hundreds of kilobases away. New studies demonstrate that this concordance is mediated via spatial chromatin interactions that constitute regulatory modules of the human

  9. The action of fast neutrons on Walker tumor chromatin in rats treated with thiotepa and lomustine cytostatics and with estradiol hormone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radu, L.; Constantinescu, B.; Gostian, O.

    1994-01-01

    Wistar rats bearing Walker carcinosarcoma were treated with thiotepa (1 mg) and lomustine (3 mg) cytostatics and with each of these cytostatics associated with estradiol hormone (0.15 mg). The extracted chromatins were subjected to fast neutrons (d(13 MeV)+Be thick target) at 30-100 Gy doses. The parameters estimated at chromatin samples were: the tyrosine and tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence, the fluorescence of chromatin - ethidium bromide complexes and thermal transition. A different and specific susceptibility to fast neutrons was observed in treated chromatin samples, when compared with controls. The chromatin acidic proteins destruction was greater in the case of estradiol - thiotepa association. (Author)

  10. Gametophyte differentiation and imprinting control in plants: Crosstalk between RBR and chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Amal J; Gruissem, Wilhelm

    2009-01-01

    The Retinoblastoma (pRb) pathway has been implicated as a convergent regulatory unit in the control of cell cycle and disease. We have shown that a crosstalk between RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED (RBR), the Arabidopsis homologue of pRb, and the genes encoding proteins of the chromatin complexes involved in DNA or histone methylation, controls gametophytic and post-fertilization differentiation events and a subset of imprinting effects. We describe here a plausible model that incorporates several components of the plant Retinoblastoma pathway, thus offering a novel paradigm that merges the traditional cell cycle and the chromatin components in the control of cell differentiation and imprinting.

  11. Biochemical and Biophysical Methods for Analysis of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 and Its Interactions with Chromatin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chassé, Maggie H.; Muthurajan, Uma M.; Clark, Nicholas J.; Kramer, Michael A.; Chakravarthy, Srinivas; Irving, Thomas; Luger, Karolin [Children; (IIT); (Colorado); (Amgen)

    2018-01-18

    Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase I (PARP-1) is a first responder to DNA damage and participates in the regulation of gene expression. The interaction of PARP-1 with chromatin and DNA is complex and involves at least two different modes of interaction. In its enzymatically inactive state, PARP-1 binds native chromatin with similar affinity as it binds free DNA ends. Automodification of PARP-1 affects interaction with chromatin and DNA to different extents. Here we describe a series of biochemical and biophysical techniques to quantify and dissect the different binding modes of PARP-1 with its various substrates. The techniques listed here allow for high throughput and quantitative measurements of the interaction of different PARP-1 constructs (inactive and automodified) with chromatin and DNA damage models.

  12. Regulation of BAZ1A and nucleosome positioning in the nucleus accumbens in response to cocaine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, HaoSheng; Damez-Werno, Diane M; Scobie, Kimberly N; Shao, Ning-Yi; Dias, Caroline; Rabkin, Jacqui; Wright, Katherine N; Mouzon, Ezekiell; Kabbaj, Mohamed; Neve, Rachael; Turecki, Gustavo; Shen, Li; Nestler, Eric J

    2017-06-14

    Chromatin regulation, in particular ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, have previously been shown to be important in the regulation of reward-related behaviors in animal models of mental illnesses. Here we demonstrate that BAZ1A, an accessory subunit of the ISWI family of chromatin remodeling complexes, is downregulated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of mice exposed repeatedly to cocaine and of cocaine-addicted humans. Viral-mediated overexpression of BAZ1A in mouse NAc reduces cocaine reward as assessed by conditioned place preference (CPP), but increases cocaine-induced locomotor activation. Furthermore, we investigate nucleosome repositioning genome-wide by conducting chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing for total H3 in NAc of control mice and after repeated cocaine administration, and find extensive nucleosome occupancy and shift changes across the genome in response to cocaine exposure. These findings implicate BAZ1A in molecular and behavioral plasticity to cocaine and offer new insight into the pathophysiology of cocaine addiction. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A transient ischemic environment induces reversible compaction of chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirmes, Ina; Szczurek, Aleksander; Prakash, Kirti; Charapitsa, Iryna; Heiser, Christina; Musheev, Michael; Schock, Florian; Fornalczyk, Karolina; Ma, Dongyu; Birk, Udo; Cremer, Christoph; Reid, George

    2015-11-05

    Cells detect and adapt to hypoxic and nutritional stress through immediate transcriptional, translational and metabolic responses. The environmental effects of ischemia on chromatin nanostructure were investigated using single molecule localization microscopy of DNA binding dyes and of acetylated histones, by the sensitivity of chromatin to digestion with DNAseI, and by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) of core and linker histones. Short-term oxygen and nutrient deprivation of the cardiomyocyte cell line HL-1 induces a previously undescribed chromatin architecture, consisting of large, chromatin-sparse voids interspersed between DNA-dense hollow helicoid structures 40-700 nm in dimension. The chromatin compaction is reversible, and upon restitution of normoxia and nutrients, chromatin transiently adopts a more open structure than in untreated cells. The compacted state of chromatin reduces transcription, while the open chromatin structure induced upon recovery provokes a transitory increase in transcription. Digestion of chromatin with DNAseI confirms that oxygen and nutrient deprivation induces compaction of chromatin. Chromatin compaction is associated with depletion of ATP and redistribution of the polyamine pool into the nucleus. FRAP demonstrates that core histones are not displaced from compacted chromatin; however, the mobility of linker histone H1 is considerably reduced, to an extent that far exceeds the difference in histone H1 mobility between heterochromatin and euchromatin. These studies exemplify the dynamic capacity of chromatin architecture to physically respond to environmental conditions, directly link cellular energy status to chromatin compaction and provide insight into the effect ischemia has on the nuclear architecture of cells.

  14. Influence of chromatin condensation on the number of direct DSB damages induced by ions studied using a Monte Carlo code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dos Santos, M.; Clairand, I.; Gruel, G.; Barquinero, J.F.; Villagrasa, C.; Incerti, S.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to evaluate the influence of the chromatin condensation on the number of direct double-strand break (DSB) damages induced by ions. Two geometries of chromosome territories containing either condensed or de-condensed chromatin were implemented as biological targets in the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation code and proton and alpha irradiation was simulated using the Geant4-DNA processes. A DBSCAN algorithm was used in order to detect energy deposition clusters that could give rise to single-strand breaks or DSBs on the DNA molecule. The results of this study show an increase in the number and complexity of DNA DSBs in condensed chromatin when compared with de-condensed chromatin. This work aims to evaluate the influence of the chromatin condensation in the number and complexity of direct DSB damages induced by proton and alpha irradiation. With the simulations of this study, the increase in the number and complexity of DSB-like clusters induced by ions in the heterochromatin when compared with euchromatin regions of the cell nucleus has been observed and quantified. These results suggest that condensed chromatin can be the location of more severe radiation-induced lesions, more difficult to repair, than de-condensed chromatin. On the other hand, it was also observed that, whatever the chromatin condensation, more possible damages are found after proton irradiation compared with alpha particles of the same LET. Nevertheless, as already remarked, this study concerns only the direct effect of ionising radiation that can be calculated from the results of the physical stage simulated with Geant4-DNA. To include indirect effects induced by radicals around the DNA molecule, the elements needed for simulating the chemical stage are being developed in the frame of the Geant4-DNA project(15, 16) and they are planned to be included in future work. With a complete calculation (direct + indirect damages) it would then be possible to estimate an energy

  15. Transcription and chromatin determinants of de novo DNA methylation timing in oocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gahurova, Lenka; Tomizawa, Shin-Ichi; Smallwood, Sébastien A; Stewart-Morgan, Kathleen R; Saadeh, Heba; Kim, Jeesun; Andrews, Simon R; Chen, Taiping; Kelsey, Gavin

    2017-01-01

    Gametogenesis in mammals entails profound re-patterning of the epigenome. In the female germline, DNA methylation is acquired late in oogenesis from an essentially unmethylated baseline and is established largely as a consequence of transcription events. Molecular and functional studies have shown that imprinted genes become methylated at different times during oocyte growth; however, little is known about the kinetics of methylation gain genome wide and the reasons for asynchrony in methylation at imprinted loci. Given the predominant role of transcription, we sought to investigate whether transcription timing is rate limiting for de novo methylation and determines the asynchrony of methylation events. Therefore, we generated genome-wide methylation and transcriptome maps of size-selected, growing oocytes to capture the onset and progression of methylation. We find that most sequence elements, including most classes of transposable elements, acquire methylation at similar rates overall. However, methylation of CpG islands (CGIs) is delayed compared with the genome average and there are reproducible differences amongst CGIs in onset of methylation. Although more highly transcribed genes acquire methylation earlier, the major transitions in the oocyte transcriptome occur well before the de novo methylation phase, indicating that transcription is generally not rate limiting in conferring permissiveness to DNA methylation. Instead, CGI methylation timing negatively correlates with enrichment for histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation and dependence on the H3K4 demethylases KDM1A and KDM1B, implicating chromatin remodelling as a major determinant of methylation timing. We also identified differential enrichment of transcription factor binding motifs in CGIs acquiring methylation early or late in oocyte growth. By combining these parameters into multiple regression models, we were able to account for about a fifth of the variation in methylation timing of CGIs. Finally

  16. Coordinating repair of oxidative DNA damage with transcription and replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, P.K.

    2003-01-01

    Transcription-coupled repair (TCR) preferentially removes DNA lesions from template strands of active genes. Defects in TCR, which acts both on lesions removed by nucleotide excision repair (NER) and on oxidative lesions removed by base excision repair (BER), underlie the fatal developmental disorder Cockayne syndrome. Although its detailed mechanism remains unknown, TCR involves recognition of a stalled RNA polymerase (RNAP), removal or remodeling of RNAP to allow access to the lesion, and recruitment of repair enzymes. At a minimum, these early steps require a non-enzymatic function of the multifunctional repair protein XPG, the CSB protein with ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity, and the TFIIH complex (including the XPB and XPD helicases) that is also required for basal transcription initiation and NER. XPG exists in the cell in a complex with TFIIH, and in vitro evidence has suggested that it interacts with CSB. To address the mechanism of TCR, we are characterizing protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions of XPG. We show that XPG preferentially binds to double-stranded DNA containing bubbles resembling in size the unpaired regions associated with transcription. Two distinct domains of XPG are required for the observed strong binding specificity and stability. XPG both interacts directly with CSB and synergistically binds with it to bubble DNA, and it strongly stimulates the bubble DNA-dependent ATPase activity of CSB. Significantly for TCR, XPG also interacts directly with RNAP II, binds both the protein and nucleic acid components (the R-loop) of a stalled RNA polymerase, and forms a ternary complex with CSB and the stalled RNAP. These results are consistent with the model that XPG and CSB jointly interact with the DNA/chromatin structure in the vicinity of the stalled transcriptional apparatus and with the transcriptional machinery itself to remodel the chromatin and either move or remodel the blocked RNA polymerase to expose the lesion

  17. [Impacts of physical exercise on remodeling and hypertrophy of skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakashita, Yoshihiro; Uchida, Takayuki; Nikawa, Takeshi

    The skeletal muscle has high sensitivity for the mechanical stress. Because it is enlarged by training, whereas it is easily withered by lack of exercise. When we exercise, skeletal muscle cells per se sense mechanical loading, and muscular remodeling and the muscular hypertrophy occur. It has been revealed that the intracellular signaling through PGC-1α participates in the remodeling of the skeletal muscle, while PGC-1α4, an isoform of PGC-1α, and the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex play important roles in muscular hypertrophy. This review describes the impact of physical exercise gives on the remodeling and hypertrophy of muscle through the signaling.

  18. Mediator-dependent Nuclear Receptor Functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei; Roeder, Robert

    2011-01-01

    As gene-specific transcription factors, nuclear hormone receptors are broadly involved in many important biological processes. Their function on target genes requires the stepwise assembly of different coactivator complexes that facilitate chromatin remodeling and subsequent preinitiation complex (PIC) formation and function. Mediator has proved to be a crucial, and general, nuclear receptor-interacting coactivator, with demonstrated functions in transcription steps ranging from chromatin remodeling to subsequent PIC formation and function. Here we discuss (i) our current understanding of pathways that nuclear receptors and other interacting cofactors employ to recruit Mediator to target gene enhancers and promoters, including conditional requirements for the strong NR-Mediator interactions mediated by the NR AF2 domain and the MED1 LXXLLL motifs and (ii) mechanisms by which Mediator acts to transmit signals from enhancer-bound nuclear receptors to the general transcription machinery at core promoters to effect PIC formation and function. PMID:21854863

  19. Radiosensitivity modulating factors: Role of PARP-1, PARP-2 and Cdk5 proteins and chromatin implication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boudra, M.T.

    2011-12-01

    The post-translational modifications of DNA repair proteins and histone remodeling factors by poly(ADP-ribose)ylation and phosphorylation are essential for the maintenance of DNA integrity and chromatin structure, and in particular in response to DNA damaging produced by ionizing radiation (IR). Amongst the proteins implicated in these two processes are the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase -1 (PARP-1) and PARP-2, and the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk5: PARP-1 and 2 are involved in DNA single strand break (SSB) repair (SSBR) and Cdk5 depletion has been linked with increased cell sensitivity to PARP inhibition. We have shown by using HeLa cells stably depleted for either CdK5 or PARP-2, that the recruitment profile of PARP-1 and XRCC-1, two proteins involved in the short-patch (SP) SSBR sub-pathway, to DNA damage sites is sub-maximal and that of PCNA, a protein involved in the long-patch (LP) repair pathway, is increased in the absence of Cdk5 and decreased in the absence of PARP-2 suggesting that both Cdk5 and PARP-2 are involved in both SSBR sub-pathways. PARP-2 and Cdk5 also impact on the poly(ADP-ribose) levels in cells as in the absence of Cdk5 a hyper-activation of PARP-1 was found and in the absence of PARP-2 a reduction in poly(ADP-ribose) glyco-hydrolase (PARG) activity was seen. However, in spite of these changes no impact on the repair of SSBs induced by IR was seen in either the Cdk5 or PARP-2 depleted cells (Cdk5 KD or PARP-2 KD cells) but, interestingly, increased radiation sensitivity in terms of cell killing was noted in the Cdk5 depleted cells. We also found that Cdk5, PARP-2 and PARG were all implicated in the regulation of the recruitment and the dissociation of the chromatin-remodeling factor ALC1 from DNA damage sites suggesting a role for these three proteins in changes in chromatin structure after DNA photo-damage. These results, taken together with the observation that PARP-1 recruitment is sub-optimal in both Cdk5 KD and PARP-2 KD cells, show that

  20. Optical tweezers stretching of chromatin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pope, L.H.; Bennink, Martin L.; Greve, Jan

    2003-01-01

    Recently significant success has emerged from exciting research involving chromatin stretching using optical tweezers. These experiments, in which a single chromatin fibre is attached by one end to a micron-sized bead held in an optical trap and to a solid surface or second bead via the other end,

  1. Matrix remodeling between cells and cellular interactions with collagen bundle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jihan; Sun, Bo

    When cells are surrounded by complex environment, they continuously probe and interact with it by applying cellular traction forces. As cells apply traction forces, they can sense rigidity of their local environment and remodel the matrix microstructure simultaneously. Previous study shows that single human carcinoma cell (MDA-MB-231) remodeled its surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) and the matrix remodeling was reversible. In this study we examined the matrix microstructure between cells and cellular interaction between them using quantitative confocal microscopy. The result shows that the matrix microstructure is the most significantly remodeled between cells consisting of aligned, and densified collagen fibers (collagen bundle)., the result shows that collagen bundle is irreversible and significantly change micromechanics of ECM around the bundle. We further examined cellular interaction with collagen bundle by analyzing dynamics of actin and talin formation along with the direction of bundle. Lastly, we analyzed dynamics of cellular protrusion and migrating direction of cells along the bundle.

  2. Radiation-induced XRCC4 association with chromatin DNA analyzed by biochemical fractionation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamdar, R.P.; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa

    2010-01-01

    XRCC4, in association with DNA ligase IV, is thought to play a critical role in the ligation of two DNA ends in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. In the present study, we captured radiation-induced chromatin-recruitment of XRCC4 by biochemical fractionation using detergent Nonidet P-40. A subpopulation of XRCC4 changed into a form that is resistant to the extraction with 0.5% Nonidet P-40-containing buffer after irradiation. This form of XRCC4 was liberated by micrococcal nuclease treatment, indicating that it had been tethered to chromatin DNA. This chromatin-recruitment of XRCC4 could be seen immediately (<0.1 hr) after irradiation and remained up to 4 hr after 20 Gy irradiation. It was seen even after irradiation of small doses, id est (i.e.), 2 Gy, but the residence of XRCC4 on chromatin was very transient after 2 Gy irradiation, returning to near normal level in 0.2-0.5 hr after irradiation. The chromatin-bound XRCC4 represented only -1% of total XRCC4 molecules even after 20 Gy irradiation and the quantitative analysis using purified protein as the reference suggested that only a few XRCC4-DNA ligase IV complexes were recruited to each DNA end. We further show that the chromatin-recruitment of XRCC4 was not attenuated by wortmannin, an inhibitor of DNA-PK, or siRNA-mediated knockdown of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), indicating that this process does not require DNA-PKcs. These results would provide us with useful experimental tools and important insights to understand the DNA repair process through NHEJ pathway. (author)

  3. A comparison of the effect of lead nitrate on rat liver chromatin, DNA and histone proteins in solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabbani-Chadegani, Azra; Abdosamadi, Sayeh; Fani, Nesa; Mohammadian, Shayesteh

    2009-06-01

    Although lead is widely recognized as a toxic substance in the environment and directly damage DNA, no studies are available on lead interaction with chromatin and histone proteins. In this work, we have examined the effect of lead nitrate on EDTA-soluble chromatin (SE chromatin), DNA and histones in solution using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, thermal denaturation and gel electrophoresis techniques. The results demonstrate that lead nitrate binds with higher affinity to chromatin than to DNA and produces an insoluble complex as monitored at 400 nm. Binding of lead to DNA decreases its Tm, increases its fluorescence intensity and exhibits hypochromicity at 210 nm which reveal that both DNA bases and the backbone participate in the lead-DNA interaction. Lead also binds strongly to histone proteins in the absence of DNA. The results suggest that although lead destabilizes DNA structure, in the chromatin, the binding of lead introduces some sort of compaction and aggregation, and the histone proteins play a key role in this aspect. This chromatin condensation, upon lead exposure, in turn may decrease fidelity of DNA, and inhibits DNA and RNA synthesis, the process that introduces lead toxicity at the chromatin level.

  4. Experiment list: SRX186705 [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available t play a role a chromatin remodeling and histone demethylation. PHF8 also bears a...a chromatin remodeling and histone demethylation. PHF8 also bears a PHD (plant homeodomain)- type zinc-finge

  5. Replicating centromeric chromatin: Spatial and temporal control of CENP-A assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nechemia-Arbely, Yael; Fachinetti, Daniele; Cleveland, Don W.

    2012-01-01

    The centromere is the fundamental unit for insuring chromosome inheritance. This complex region has a distinct type of chromatin in which histone H3 is replaced by a structurally different homologue identified in humans as CENP-A. In metazoans, specific DNA sequences are neither required nor sufficient for centromere identity. Rather, an epigenetic mark comprised of CENP-A containing chromatin is thought to be the major determinant of centromere identity. In this view, CENP-A deposition and chromatin assembly are fundamental processes for the maintenance of centromeric identity across mitotic and meiotic divisions. Several lines of evidence support CENP-A deposition in metazoans occurring at only one time in the cell cycle. Such cell cycle-dependent loading of CENP-A is found in divergent species from human to fission yeast, albeit with differences in the cell cycle point at which CENP-A is assembled. Cell cycle dependent CENP-A deposition requires multiple assembly factors for its deposition and maintenance. This review discusses the regulation of new CENP-A deposition and its relevance to centromere identity and inheritance.

  6. An inherited immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiency associated with a defect in the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kracker, Sven; Di Virgilio, Michela; Schwartzentruber, Jeremy; Cuenin, Cyrille; Forveille, Monique; Deau, Marie-Céline; McBride, Kevin M; Majewski, Jacek; Gazumyan, Anna; Seneviratne, Suranjith; Grimbacher, Bodo; Kutukculer, Necil; Herceg, Zdenko; Cavazzana, Marina; Jabado, Nada; Nussenzweig, Michel C; Fischer, Alain; Durandy, Anne

    2015-04-01

    Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination defects (CSR-D) are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by impaired production of switched immunoglobulin isotypes and normal or elevated IgM levels. They are caused by impaired T:B cooperation or intrinsic B cell defects. However, many immunoglobulin CSR-Ds are still undefined at the molecular level. This study's objective was to delineate new causes of immunoglobulin CSR-Ds and thus gain further insights into the process of immunoglobulin class-switch recombination (CSR). Exome sequencing in 2 immunoglobulin CSR-D patients identified variations in the INO80 gene. Functional experiments were performed to assess the function of INO80 on immunoglobulin CSR. We identified recessive, nonsynonymous coding variations in the INO80 gene in 2 patients affected by defective immunoglobulin CSR. Expression of wild-type INO80 in patients' fibroblastic cells corrected their hypersensitivity to high doses of γ-irradiation. In murine CH12-F3 cells, the INO80 complex accumulates at Sα and Eμ regions of the IgH locus, and downregulation of INO80 as well as its partners Reptin and Pontin impaired CSR. In addition, Reptin and Pontin were shown to interact with activation-induced cytidine deaminase. Finally, an abnormal separation of sister chromatids was observed upon INO80 downregulation in CH12-F3 cells, pinpointing its role in cohesin activity. INO80 deficiency appears to be associated with defective immunoglobulin CSR. We propose that the INO80 complex modulates cohesin function that may be required during immunoglobulin switch region synapsis. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Looking for Broken TAD Boundaries and Changes on DNA Interactions: Clinical Guide to 3D Chromatin Change Analysis in Complex Chromosomal Rearrangements and Chromothripsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yauy, Kevin; Gatinois, Vincent; Guignard, Thomas; Sati, Satish; Puechberty, Jacques; Gaillard, Jean Baptiste; Schneider, Anouck; Pellestor, Franck

    2018-01-01

    Apparition of next-generation sequencing (NGS) was a breakthrough on knowledge of genome structure. Bioinformatic tools are a key point to analyze this huge amount of data from NGS and characterize the three-dimensional organization of chromosomes. This chapter describes usage of different browsers to explore publicly available online data and to search for possible 3D chromatin changes involved during complex chromosomal rearrangements as chromothripsis. Their pathogenic impact on clinical phenotype and gene misexpression can also be evaluated with annotated databases.

  8. Structured illumination to spatially map chromatin motions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonin, Keith; Smelser, Amanda; Moreno, Naike Salvador; Holzwarth, George; Wang, Kevin; Levy, Preston; Vidi, Pierre-Alexandre

    2018-05-01

    We describe a simple optical method that creates structured illumination of a photoactivatable probe and apply this method to characterize chromatin motions in nuclei of live cells. A laser beam coupled to a diffractive optical element at the back focal plane of an excitation objective generates an array of near diffraction-limited beamlets with FWHM of 340  ±  30  nm, which simultaneously photoactivate a 7  ×  7 matrix pattern of GFP-labeled histones, with spots 1.70  μm apart. From the movements of the photoactivated spots, we map chromatin diffusion coefficients at multiple microdomains of the cell nucleus. The results show correlated motions of nearest chromatin microdomain neighbors, whereas chromatin movements are uncorrelated at the global scale of the nucleus. The method also reveals a DNA damage-dependent decrease in chromatin diffusion. The diffractive optical element instrumentation can be easily and cheaply implemented on commercial inverted fluorescence microscopes to analyze adherent cell culture models. A protocol to measure chromatin motions in nonadherent human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells is also described. We anticipate that the method will contribute to the identification of the mechanisms regulating chromatin mobility, which influences most genomic processes and may underlie the biogenesis of genomic translocations associated with hematologic malignancies. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

  9. Anti-chromatin antibodies in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Gerloni

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-chromatin antibodies (Abs in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA. Methods: IgG anti-chromatin Abs were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, in sera of 94 children with JRA (10 children with systemic, 38 with polyarticular and 46 with oligoarticular disease onset. As control group, 33 age- and-sex-matched healthy children (HC were also examined. Results: Abs to chromatin were detected in 24/94 (25,5% of children suffering from JRA. Particularly, the higher prevalence of anti-chromatin Abs has been found in children with oligoarticular (30,4% and polyarticular (23,7% onset JRA. In these groups Abs titers were significantly higher compared to systemic JRA and HC (p=0.003. Anti-chromatin Abs were observed more frequently in patients with oligoarticular disease and chronic uveitis (21,7%. Furthermore, higher levels of anti-chromatin Abs has been found in all the patients treated with anti-TNFα therapy (p<0.0001. Conclusions: our results confirm previous data about the prevalence of anti-chromatin Abs in JRA. These Abs were significantly higher in the group of patients with oligoarticular onset with past or present hystory of ocular involvement and in the group with polyarticular JRA treated with biologic therapy. A long-term follow-up study could be useful to evaluate the potential utility of these autoantibodies.

  10. Experiment list: SRX186646 [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available metalloenzymes that play a role a chromatin remodeling and histone demethylation. PHF8 also bears...mes that play a role a chromatin remodeling and histone demethylation. PHF8 also bears a PHD (plant homeodom

  11. Map of open and closed chromatin domains in Drosophila genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milon, Beatrice; Sun, Yezhou; Chang, Weizhong; Creasy, Todd; Mahurkar, Anup; Shetty, Amol; Nurminsky, Dmitry; Nurminskaya, Maria

    2014-11-18

    Chromatin compactness has been considered a major determinant of gene activity and has been associated with specific chromatin modifications in studies on a few individual genetic loci. At the same time, genome-wide patterns of open and closed chromatin have been understudied, and are at present largely predicted from chromatin modification and gene expression data. However the universal applicability of such predictions is not self-evident, and requires experimental verification. We developed and implemented a high-throughput analysis for general chromatin sensitivity to DNase I which provides a comprehensive epigenomic assessment in a single assay. Contiguous domains of open and closed chromatin were identified by computational analysis of the data, and correlated to other genome annotations including predicted chromatin "states", individual chromatin modifications, nuclear lamina interactions, and gene expression. While showing that the widely trusted predictions of chromatin structure are correct in the majority of cases, we detected diverse "exceptions" from the conventional rules. We found a profound paucity of chromatin modifications in a major fraction of closed chromatin, and identified a number of loci where chromatin configuration is opposite to that expected from modification and gene expression patterns. Further, we observed that chromatin of large introns tends to be closed even when the genes are expressed, and that a significant proportion of active genes including their promoters are located in closed chromatin. These findings reveal limitations of the existing predictive models, indicate novel mechanisms of epigenetic regulation, and provide important insights into genome organization and function.

  12. Fanconi anemia proteins localize to chromatin and the nuclear matrix in a DNA damage- and cell cycle-regulated manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, F; Moss, A; Kupfer, G M

    2001-06-29

    Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disease characterized by congenital defects, bone marrow failure, and cancer susceptibility. Cells from patients with FA exhibit genomic instability and hypersensitivity to DNA cross linking agents such as mitomycin C. Despite the identification of seven complementation groups and the cloning of six genes, the function of the encoded gene products remains elusive. The FancA (Fanconi anemia complementation group A), FancC, and FancG proteins have been detected within a nuclear complex, but no change in level, binding, or localization has been reported as a result of drug treatment or cell cycle. We show that in immunofluorescence studies, FancA appears as a non-nucleolar nuclear protein that is excluded from condensed, mitotic chromosomes. Biochemical fractionation reveals that the FA proteins are found in nuclear matrix and chromatin and that treatment with mitomycin C results in increase of the FA proteins in nuclear matrix and chromatin fractions. This induction occurs in wild-type cells and mutant FA-D (Fanconi complementation group D) cells but not in mutant FA-A cells. Immunoprecipitation of FancA protein in chromatin demonstrates the coprecipitation of FancA, FancC, and FancG, showing that the FA proteins move together as a complex. Also, fractionation of mitotic cells confirms the lack of FA proteins in chromatin or the nuclear matrix. Furthermore, phosphorylation of FancG was found to be temporally correlated with exit of the FA complex from chromosomes at mitosis. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for FA proteins in chromatin and nuclear matrix.

  13. Selective recruitment of nuclear factors to productively replicating herpes simplex virus genomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill A Dembowski

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Much of the HSV-1 life cycle is carried out in the cell nucleus, including the expression, replication, repair, and packaging of viral genomes. Viral proteins, as well as cellular factors, play essential roles in these processes. Isolation of proteins on nascent DNA (iPOND was developed to label and purify cellular replication forks. We adapted aspects of this method to label viral genomes to both image, and purify replicating HSV-1 genomes for the identification of associated proteins. Many viral and cellular factors were enriched on viral genomes, including factors that mediate DNA replication, repair, chromatin remodeling, transcription, and RNA processing. As infection proceeded, packaging and structural components were enriched to a greater extent. Among the more abundant proteins that copurified with genomes were the viral transcription factor ICP4 and the replication protein ICP8. Furthermore, all seven viral replication proteins were enriched on viral genomes, along with cellular PCNA and topoisomerases, while other cellular replication proteins were not detected. The chromatin-remodeling complexes present on viral genomes included the INO80, SWI/SNF, NURD, and FACT complexes, which may prevent chromatinization of the genome. Consistent with this conclusion, histones were not readily recovered with purified viral genomes, and imaging studies revealed an underrepresentation of histones on viral genomes. RNA polymerase II, the mediator complex, TFIID, TFIIH, and several other transcriptional activators and repressors were also affinity purified with viral DNA. The presence of INO80, NURD, SWI/SNF, mediator, TFIID, and TFIIH components is consistent with previous studies in which these complexes copurified with ICP4. Therefore, ICP4 is likely involved in the recruitment of these key cellular chromatin remodeling and transcription factors to viral genomes. Taken together, iPOND is a valuable method for the study of viral genome dynamics

  14. Polycomb group proteins in cell cycle progression and cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pasini, Diego; Bracken, Adrian P; Helin, Kristian

    2004-01-01

    Epigenetic deregulation of gene expression is emerging as key mechanism in tumorigenesis. Deregulated activity of the chromatin remodeling Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) has recently been shown to be a frequent event in human tumors. Here we discuss these findings and speculate on the role ...

  15. No-Regrets Remodeling, 2nd Edition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2013-12-01

    No-Regrets Remodeling, sponsored by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is an informative publication that walks homeowners and/or remodelers through various home remodeling projects. In addition to remodeling information, the publication provides instruction on how to incorporate energy efficiency into the remodeling process. The goal of the publication is to improve homeowner satisfaction after completing a remodeling project and to provide the homeowner with a home that saves energy and is comfortable and healthy.

  16. Chromatin-modifying proteins in cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fog, Cathrine K; Jensen, Klaus T; Lund, Anders Henrik

    2007-01-01

    -despite the fact that all cells in the organism contain the same genetic information. A large amount of data gathered over the last decades has demonstrated that deregulation of chromatin-modifying proteins is etiologically involved in the development and progression of cancer. Here we discuss how epigenetic...... alterations influence cancer development and review known cancer-associated alterations in chromatin-modifying proteins....

  17. Protein acetylation sites mediated by Schistosoma mansoni GCN5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes Maciel, Renata de; Furtado Madeiro da Costa, Rodrigo; Meirelles Bastosde Oliveira, Francisco; Rumjanek, Franklin David; Fantappie, Marcelo Rosado

    2008-01-01

    The transcriptional co-activator GCN5, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT), is part of large multimeric complexes that are required for chromatin remodeling and transcription activation. As in other eukaryotes, the DNA from the parasite Schistosome mansoni is organized into nucleosomes and the genome encodes components of chromatin-remodeling complexes. Using a series of synthetic peptides we determined that Lys-14 of histone H3 was acetylated by the recombinant SmGCN5-HAT domain. SmGCN5 was also able to acetylate schistosome non-histone proteins, such as the nuclear receptors SmRXR1 and SmNR1, and the co-activator SmNCoA-62. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of SmGCN5 protein in the nuclei of vitelline cells. Within the nucleus, SmGCN5 was found to be located in interchromatin granule clusters (IGCs), which are transcriptionally active structures. The data suggest that SmGCN5 is involved in transcription activation

  18. Chromatin Dynamics of the mouse β-globin locus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.P.C. van de Corput (Mariëtte); E. de Boer (Ernie); T.A. Knoch (Tobias); W.A. van Cappellen (Gert); M. Lesnussa (Michael); H.J.F.M.M. Eussen (Bert)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractLately it has become more clear that (subtle) changes in 3D organization of chromatin can either trigger transcription or silence genes or gene clusters. It has also been postulated that due to changes in chromatin structure, a change in chromatin accessibility of transcription factors

  19. Chromatin damage induced by fast neutrons or UV laser radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radu, L.; Constantinescu, B.; Gazdaru, D.; Mihailescu, I

    2002-07-01

    Chromatin samples from livers of Wistar rats were subjected to fast neutron irradiation in doses of 10-100 Gy or to a 248 nm excimer laser radiation, in doses of 0.5-3 MJ.m{sup -2}. The action of the radiation on chromatin was monitored by chromatin intrinsic fluorescence and fluorescence lifetimes (of bound ethidium bromide to chromatin) and by analysing fluorescence resonance energy transfer between dansyl chloride and acridine orange coupled to chromatin. For the mentioned doses of UV excimer laser radiation, the action on chromatin was more intense than in the case of fast neutrons. The same types of damage are produced by the two radiations: acidic and basic destruction of chromatin protein structure, DNA strand breaking and the increase of the distance between DNA and proteins in chromatin. (author)

  20. Chromatin damage induced by fast neutrons or UV laser radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radu, L.; Constantinescu, B.; Gazdaru, D.; Mihailescu, I.

    2002-01-01

    Chromatin samples from livers of Wistar rats were subjected to fast neutron irradiation in doses of 10-100 Gy or to a 248 nm excimer laser radiation, in doses of 0.5-3 MJ.m -2 . The action of the radiation on chromatin was monitored by chromatin intrinsic fluorescence and fluorescence lifetimes (of bound ethidium bromide to chromatin) and by analysing fluorescence resonance energy transfer between dansyl chloride and acridine orange coupled to chromatin. For the mentioned doses of UV excimer laser radiation, the action on chromatin was more intense than in the case of fast neutrons. The same types of damage are produced by the two radiations: acidic and basic destruction of chromatin protein structure, DNA strand breaking and the increase of the distance between DNA and proteins in chromatin. (author)

  1. Probing Chromatin-modifying Enzymes with Chemical Tools

    KAUST Repository

    Fischle, Wolfgang

    2016-02-04

    Chromatin is the universal template of genetic information in all eukaryotic organisms. Chemical modifications of the DNA-packaging histone proteins and the DNA bases are crucial signaling events in directing the use and readout of eukaryotic genomes. The enzymes that install and remove these chromatin modifications as well as the proteins that bind these marks govern information that goes beyond the sequence of DNA. Therefore, these so-called epigenetic regulators are intensively studied and represent promising drug targets in modern medicine. We summarize and discuss recent advances in the field of chemical biology that have provided chromatin research with sophisticated tools for investigating the composition, activity, and target sites of chromatin modifying enzymes and reader proteins.

  2. The Role of Chromatin-Associated Proteins in Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helin, Kristian; Minucci, Saverio

    2017-01-01

    The organization of the chromatin structure is essential for maintaining cell-type-specific gene expression and therefore for cell identity. This structure is highly dynamic and is regulated by a large number of chromatin-associated proteins that are required for normal development...... and differentiation. Recurrent somatic mutations have been found with high frequency in genes coding for chromatin-associated proteins in cancer, and several of these are required for cancer maintenance. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the role of chromatin-associated proteins...

  3. Compensatory Effect between Aortic Stiffening and Remodelling during Ageing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Guala

    Full Text Available The arterial tree exhibits a complex spatio-temporal wave pattern, whose healthy behaviour depends on a subtle balance between mechanical and geometrical properties. Several clinical studies demonstrated that such a balance progressively breaks down during ageing, when the aorta stiffens and remodels by increasing its diameter. These two degenerative processes however, have different impacts on the arterial wave pattern. They both tend to compensate for each other, thus reducing the detrimental effect they would have had if they had arisen individually. This remarkable compensatory mechanism is investigated by a validated multi-scale model, with the aim to elucidate how aortic stiffening and remodelling quantitatively impact the complex interplay between forward and reflected backward waves in the arterial network. We focus on the aorta and on the pressure at the ventricular-aortic interface, which epidemiological studies demonstrate to play a key role in cardiovascular diseases.

  4. Compensatory Effect between Aortic Stiffening and Remodelling during Ageing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guala, Andrea; Camporeale, Carlo; Ridolfi, Luca

    2015-01-01

    The arterial tree exhibits a complex spatio-temporal wave pattern, whose healthy behaviour depends on a subtle balance between mechanical and geometrical properties. Several clinical studies demonstrated that such a balance progressively breaks down during ageing, when the aorta stiffens and remodels by increasing its diameter. These two degenerative processes however, have different impacts on the arterial wave pattern. They both tend to compensate for each other, thus reducing the detrimental effect they would have had if they had arisen individually. This remarkable compensatory mechanism is investigated by a validated multi-scale model, with the aim to elucidate how aortic stiffening and remodelling quantitatively impact the complex interplay between forward and reflected backward waves in the arterial network. We focus on the aorta and on the pressure at the ventricular-aortic interface, which epidemiological studies demonstrate to play a key role in cardiovascular diseases.

  5. Coffin-Siris syndrome is a SWI/SNF complex disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsurusaki, Y; Okamoto, N; Ohashi, H; Mizuno, S; Matsumoto, N; Makita, Y; Fukuda, M; Isidor, B; Perrier, J; Aggarwal, S; Dalal, A B; Al-Kindy, A; Liebelt, J; Mowat, D; Nakashima, M; Saitsu, H; Miyake, N; Matsumoto, N

    2014-06-01

    Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) is a congenital disorder characterized by intellectual disability, growth deficiency, microcephaly, coarse facial features, and hypoplastic or absent fifth fingernails and/or toenails. We previously reported that five genes are mutated in CSS, all of which encode subunits of the switch/sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex: SMARCB1, SMARCA4, SMARCE1, ARID1A, and ARID1B. In this study, we examined 49 newly recruited CSS-suspected patients, and re-examined three patients who did not show any mutations (using high-resolution melting analysis) in the previous study, by whole-exome sequencing or targeted resequencing. We found that SMARCB1, SMARCA4, or ARID1B were mutated in 20 patients. By examining available parental samples, we ascertained that 17 occurred de novo. All mutations in SMARCB1 and SMARCA4 were non-truncating (missense or in-frame deletion) whereas those in ARID1B were all truncating (nonsense or frameshift deletion/insertion) in this study as in our previous study. Our data further support that CSS is a SWI/SNF complex disorder. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Reprogramming the chromatin landscape

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miranda, Tina B; Voss, Ty C; Sung, Myong-Hee

    2013-01-01

    , mechanistic details defining the cellular interactions between ER and GR are poorly understood. We investigated genome-wide binding profiles for ER and GR upon coactivation and characterized the status of the chromatin landscape. We describe a novel mechanism dictating the molecular interplay between ER...... and GR. Upon induction, GR modulates access of ER to specific sites in the genome by reorganization of the chromatin configuration for these elements. Binding to these newly accessible sites occurs either by direct recognition of ER response elements or indirectly through interactions with other factors...

  7. Chromatin dynamics resolved with force spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chien, Fan-Tso

    2011-01-01

    In eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA is organized in chromatin fibers composed of nucleosomes as structural units. A nucleosome contains 1.7 turns of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer and is connected to the adjacent nucleosomes with linker DNA. The folding of chromatin fibers effectively increases

  8. A microscopic analysis of Arabidopsis chromatin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Willemse, J.J.

    2007-01-01

    Genetic information of eukaryotic organisms is stored as DNA in the nuclei of their cells. Nuclear DNA is associated with several proteins, which together form chromatin. The most abundant chromatin proteins arehistones,they arrange the initial packaging step of the DNA. DNA

  9. PREDICTION OF CHROMATIN STATES USING DNA SEQUENCE PROPERTIES

    KAUST Repository

    Bahabri, Rihab R.

    2013-06-01

    Activities of DNA are to a great extent controlled epigenetically through the internal struc- ture of chromatin. This structure is dynamic and is influenced by different modifications of histone proteins. Various combinations of epigenetic modification of histones pinpoint to different functional regions of the DNA determining the so-called chromatin states. How- ever, the characterization of chromatin states by the DNA sequence properties remains largely unknown. In this study we aim to explore whether DNA sequence patterns in the human genome can characterize different chromatin states. Using DNA sequence motifs we built binary classifiers for each chromatic state to eval- uate whether a given genomic sequence is a good candidate for belonging to a particular chromatin state. Of four classification algorithms (C4.5, Naive Bayes, Random Forest, and SVM) used for this purpose, the decision tree based classifiers (C4.5 and Random Forest) yielded best results among those we evaluated. Our results suggest that in general these models lack sufficient predictive power, although for four chromatin states (insulators, het- erochromatin, and two types of copy number variation) we found that presence of certain motifs in DNA sequences does imply an increased probability that such a sequence is one of these chromatin states.

  10. Chromatin organization and cellular sensitivity to ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szumiel, I.; Walicka, M.

    1987-01-01

    The paper briefly describes chromatin organization in mammalian cells and reviews experimental work concerning relations between chromatin structure and accesibility of damaged DNA to repair enzymes. The ''contact effect'', the size of super-coiled DNA domains and ADP-ribosylation of chromatin proteins are discussed in relation to cellular radiosensitivity. 88 refs. (author)

  11. Infection Reveals a Modification of SIRT2 Critical for Chromatin Association

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge M. Pereira

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Sirtuin 2 is a nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase that regulates cell processes such as carcinogenesis, cell cycle, DNA damage, and infection. Subcellular localization of SIRT2 is crucial for its function but is poorly understood. Infection with the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which relocalizes SIRT2 from the cytoplasm to the chromatin, provides an ideal stimulus for the molecular study of this process. In this report, we provide a map of SIRT2 post-translational modification sites and focus on serine 25 phosphorylation. We show that infection specifically induces dephosphorylation of S25, an event essential for SIRT2 chromatin association. Furthermore, we identify a nuclear complex formed by the phosphatases PPM1A and PPM1B, with SIRT2 essential for controlling H3K18 deacetylation and SIRT2-mediated gene repression during infection and necessary for a productive Listeria infection. This study reveals a molecular mechanism regulating SIRT2 function and localization, paving the way for understanding other SIRT2-regulated cellular processes. : Sirtuins are enzymes critical for various processes, including genomic stability, metabolism, and aging. Through study of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterial pathogen that exploits SIRT2 for productive infection, Pereira et al. uncover a SIRT2 modification necessary for chromatin association and function. Keywords: chromatin, sirtuin, Listeria monocytogenes, phosphorylation, PPM1, histone acetylation, H3K18, infection, subcellular localization

  12. The AID-induced DNA damage response in chromatin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daniel, Jeremy A; Nussenzweig, André

    2013-01-01

    Chemical modifications to the DNA and histone protein components of chromatin can modulate gene expression and genome stability. Understanding the physiological impact of changes in chromatin structure remains an important question in biology. As one example, in order to generate antibody diversity...... with somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination, chromatin must be made accessible for activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-mediated deamination of cytosines in DNA. These lesions are recognized and removed by various DNA repair pathways but, if not handled properly, can lead to formation...... of oncogenic chromosomal translocations. In this review, we focus the discussion on how chromatin-modifying activities and -binding proteins contribute to the native chromatin environment in which AID-induced DNA damage is targeted and repaired. Outstanding questions remain regarding the direct roles...

  13. At the intersection of non-coding transcription, DNA repair, chromatin structure, and cellular senescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryosuke eOhsawa

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available It is well accepted that non-coding RNAs play a critical role in regulating gene expression. Recent paradigm-setting studies are now revealing that non-coding RNAs, other than microRNAs, also play intriguing roles in the maintenance of chromatin structure, in the DNA damage response, and in adult human stem cell aging. In this review, we will discuss the complex inter-dependent relationships among non-coding RNA transcription, maintenance of genomic stability, chromatin structure and adult stem cell senescence. DNA damage-induced non-coding RNAs transcribed in the vicinity of the DNA break regulate recruitment of the DNA damage machinery and DNA repair efficiency. We will discuss the correlation between non-coding RNAs and DNA damage repair efficiency and the potential role of changing chromatin structures around double-strand break sites. On the other hand, induction of non-coding RNA transcription from the repetitive Alu elements occurs during human stem cell aging and hinders efficient DNA repair causing entry into senescence. We will discuss how this fine balance between transcription and genomic instability may be regulated by the dramatic changes to chromatin structure that accompany cellular senescence.

  14. Superresolution imaging reveals structurally distinct periodic patterns of chromatin along pachytene chromosomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fournier, David; Redl, Stefan; Best, Gerrit; Borsos, Máté; Tiwari, Vijay K.; Tachibana-Konwalski, Kikuë; Ketting, René F.; Parekh, Sapun H.; Cremer, Christoph; Birk, Udo J.

    2015-01-01

    During meiosis, homologous chromosomes associate to form the synaptonemal complex (SC), a structure essential for fertility. Information about the epigenetic features of chromatin within this structure at the level of superresolution microscopy is largely lacking. We combined single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) with quantitative analytical methods to describe the epigenetic landscape of meiotic chromosomes at the pachytene stage in mouse oocytes. DNA is found to be nonrandomly distributed along the length of the SC in condensed clusters. Periodic clusters of repressive chromatin [trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine (Lys) 27 (H3K27me3)] are found at 500-nm intervals along the SC, whereas one of the ends of the SC displays a large and dense cluster of centromeric histone mark [trimethylation of histone H3 at Lys 9 (H3K9me3)]. Chromatin associated with active transcription [trimethylation of histone H3 at Lys 4 (H3K4me3)] is arranged in a radial hair-like loop pattern emerging laterally from the SC. These loops seem to be punctuated with small clusters of H3K4me3 with an average spread larger than their periodicity. Our findings indicate that the nanoscale structure of the pachytene chromosomes is constrained by periodic patterns of chromatin marks, whose function in recombination and higher order genome organization is yet to be elucidated. PMID:26561583

  15. SAF-A forms a complex with BRG1 and both components are required for RNA polymerase II mediated transcription.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dzeneta Vizlin-Hodzic

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Scaffold attachment factor A (SAF-A participates in the regulation of gene expression by organizing chromatin into transcriptionally active domains and by interacting directly with RNA polymerase II. METHODOLOGY: Here we use co-localization, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP and in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA to identify Brahma Related Gene 1 (BRG1, the ATP-driven motor of the human SWI-SNF chromatin remodeling complex, as another SAF-A interaction partner in mouse embryonic stem (mES cells. We also employ RNA interference to investigate functional aspects of the SAF-A/BRG1 interaction. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We find that endogenous SAF-A protein interacts with endogenous BRG1 protein in mES cells, and that the interaction does not solely depend on the presence of mRNA. Moreover the interaction remains intact when cells are induced to differentiate. Functional analyses reveal that dual depletion of SAF-A and BRG1 abolishes global transcription by RNA polymerase II, while the nucleolar RNA polymerase I transcription machinery remains unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that SAF-A interacts with BRG1 and that both components are required for RNA Polymerase II Mediated Transcription.

  16. Local Nucleosome Dynamics Facilitate Chromatin Accessibility in Living Mammalian Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saera Hihara

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Genome information, which is three-dimensionally organized within cells as chromatin, is searched and read by various proteins for diverse cell functions. Although how the protein factors find their targets remains unclear, the dynamic and flexible nature of chromatin is likely crucial. Using a combined approach of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, single-nucleosome imaging, and Monte Carlo computer simulations, we demonstrate local chromatin dynamics in living mammalian cells. We show that similar to interphase chromatin, dense mitotic chromosomes also have considerable chromatin accessibility. For both interphase and mitotic chromatin, we observed local fluctuation of individual nucleosomes (∼50 nm movement/30 ms, which is caused by confined Brownian motion. Inhibition of these local dynamics by crosslinking impaired accessibility in the dense chromatin regions. Our findings show that local nucleosome dynamics drive chromatin accessibility. We propose that this local nucleosome fluctuation is the basis for scanning genome information.

  17. Baculoviruses and nucleosome management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volkman, Loy E.

    2015-01-01

    Negatively-supercoiled-ds DNA molecules, including the genomes of baculoviruses, spontaneously wrap around cores of histones to form nucleosomes when present within eukaryotic nuclei. Hence, nucleosome management should be essential for baculovirus genome replication and temporal regulation of transcription, but this has not been documented. Nucleosome mobilization is the dominion of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. SWI/SNF and INO80, two of the best-studied complexes, as well as chromatin modifier TIP60, all contain actin as a subunit. Retrospective analysis of results of AcMNPV time course experiments wherein actin polymerization was blocked by cytochalasin D drug treatment implicate actin-containing chromatin modifying complexes in decatenating baculovirus genomes, shutting down host transcription, and regulating late and very late phases of viral transcription. Moreover, virus-mediated nuclear localization of actin early during infection may contribute to nucleosome management. - Highlights: • Baculoviruses have negatively-supercoiled, circular ds DNA. • Negatively-supercoiled DNA spontaneously forms nucleosomes in the nucleus. • Nucleosomes must be mobilized for replication and transcription to proceed. • Actin-containing chromatin modifiers participate in baculovirus replication

  18. Baculoviruses and nucleosome management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Volkman, Loy E., E-mail: lvolkman@berkeley.edu

    2015-02-15

    Negatively-supercoiled-ds DNA molecules, including the genomes of baculoviruses, spontaneously wrap around cores of histones to form nucleosomes when present within eukaryotic nuclei. Hence, nucleosome management should be essential for baculovirus genome replication and temporal regulation of transcription, but this has not been documented. Nucleosome mobilization is the dominion of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. SWI/SNF and INO80, two of the best-studied complexes, as well as chromatin modifier TIP60, all contain actin as a subunit. Retrospective analysis of results of AcMNPV time course experiments wherein actin polymerization was blocked by cytochalasin D drug treatment implicate actin-containing chromatin modifying complexes in decatenating baculovirus genomes, shutting down host transcription, and regulating late and very late phases of viral transcription. Moreover, virus-mediated nuclear localization of actin early during infection may contribute to nucleosome management. - Highlights: • Baculoviruses have negatively-supercoiled, circular ds DNA. • Negatively-supercoiled DNA spontaneously forms nucleosomes in the nucleus. • Nucleosomes must be mobilized for replication and transcription to proceed. • Actin-containing chromatin modifiers participate in baculovirus replication.

  19. Global chromatin fibre compaction in response to DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, Charlotte; Hayward, Richard L.; Gilbert, Nick

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► Robust KAP1 phosphorylation in response to DNA damage in HCT116 cells. ► DNA repair foci are found in soluble chromatin. ► Biophysical analysis reveals global chromatin fibre compaction after DNA damage. ► DNA damage is accompanied by rapid linker histone dephosphorylation. -- Abstract: DNA is protected by packaging it into higher order chromatin fibres, but this can impede nuclear processes like DNA repair. Despite considerable research into the factors required for signalling and repairing DNA damage, it is unclear if there are concomitant changes in global chromatin fibre structure. In human cells DNA double strand break (DSB) formation triggers a signalling cascade resulting in H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX), the rapid recruitment of chromatin associated proteins and the subsequent repair of damaged sites. KAP1 is a transcriptional corepressor and in HCT116 cells we found that after DSB formation by chemicals or ionising radiation there was a wave of, predominantly ATM dependent, KAP1 phosphorylation. Both KAP1 and phosphorylated KAP1 were readily extracted from cells indicating they do not have a structural role and γH2AX was extracted in soluble chromatin indicating that sites of damage are not attached to an underlying structural matrix. After DSB formation we did not find a concomitant change in the sensitivity of chromatin fibres to micrococcal nuclease digestion. Therefore to directly investigate higher order chromatin fibre structures we used a biophysical sedimentation technique based on sucrose gradient centrifugation to compare the conformation of chromatin fibres isolated from cells before and after DNA DSB formation. After damage we found global chromatin fibre compaction, accompanied by rapid linker histone dephosphorylation, consistent with fibres being more regularly folded or fibre deformation being stabilized by linker histones. We suggest that following DSB formation, although there is localised chromatin unfolding to

  20. Cytoplasmic chromatin triggers inflammation in senescence and cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Zhixun; Ghosh, Kanad; Vizioli, Maria Grazia; Zhu, Jiajun; Sen, Payel; Wangensteen, Kirk J; Simithy, Johayra; Lan, Yemin; Lin, Yanping; Zhou, Zhuo; Capell, Brian C; Xu, Caiyue; Xu, Mingang; Kieckhaefer, Julia E; Jiang, Tianying; Shoshkes-Carmel, Michal; Tanim, K M Ahasan Al; Barber, Glen N; Seykora, John T; Millar, Sarah E; Kaestner, Klaus H; Garcia, Benjamin A; Adams, Peter D; Berger, Shelley L

    2017-10-19

    Chromatin is traditionally viewed as a nuclear entity that regulates gene expression and silencing. However, we recently discovered the presence of cytoplasmic chromatin fragments that pinch off from intact nuclei of primary cells during senescence, a form of terminal cell-cycle arrest associated with pro-inflammatory responses. The functional significance of chromatin in the cytoplasm is unclear. Here we show that cytoplasmic chromatin activates the innate immunity cytosolic DNA-sensing cGAS-STING (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase linked to stimulator of interferon genes) pathway, leading both to short-term inflammation to restrain activated oncogenes and to chronic inflammation that associates with tissue destruction and cancer. The cytoplasmic chromatin-cGAS-STING pathway promotes the senescence-associated secretory phenotype in primary human cells and in mice. Mice deficient in STING show impaired immuno-surveillance of oncogenic RAS and reduced tissue inflammation upon ionizing radiation. Furthermore, this pathway is activated in cancer cells, and correlates with pro-inflammatory gene expression in human cancers. Overall, our findings indicate that genomic DNA serves as a reservoir to initiate a pro-inflammatory pathway in the cytoplasm in senescence and cancer. Targeting the cytoplasmic chromatin-mediated pathway may hold promise in treating inflammation-related disorders.

  1. Fragmentation of chromatin with 125I radioactive disintegrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, G.N.; Nobis, P.; Dewey, W.C.

    1976-01-01

    The DNA in Chinese hamster cells was labeled first for 3 h with [ 3 H]TdR and then for 3 h with [ 125 I]UdR. Chromatin was extracted, frozen, and stored at -30 0 C until 1.0 x 10 17 and 1.25 x 10 17 disintegrations/g of labeled DNA occurred for 125 I and 3 H, respectively. Velocity sedimentation of chromatin (DNA with associated chromosomal proteins) in neutral sucrose gradients indicated that the localized energy from the 125 I disintegrations, which gave about 1 double-strand break/disintegration plus an additional 1.3 single strand breaks, selectively fragmented the [ 125 I] chromatin into pieces smaller than the [ 3 H] chromatin. In other words, 125 I disintegrations caused much more localized damage in the chromatin labeled with 125 I than in the chromatin labeled with 3 H, and fragments induced in DNA by 125 I disintegrations were not held together by the associated chromosomal proteins. Use of this 125 I technique for studying chromosomal proteins associated with different regions in the cellular DNA is discussed. For these studies, the number of disintegrations required for fragmenting DNA molecules of different sizes is illustrated

  2. Guarding against Collateral Damage during Chromatin Transactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Altmeyer, Matthias; Lukas, Jiri

    2013-01-01

    Signal amplifications are vital for chromatin function, yet they also bear the risk of transforming into unrestrained, self-escalating, and potentially harmful responses. Examples of inbuilt limitations are emerging, revealing how chromatin transactions are confined within physiological boundaries....

  3. Combined chromatin and expression analysis reveals specific regulatory mechanisms within cytokine genes in the macrophage early immune response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Jesus Iglesias

    Full Text Available Macrophages play a critical role in innate immunity, and the expression of early response genes orchestrate much of the initial response of the immune system. Macrophages undergo extensive transcriptional reprogramming in response to inflammatory stimuli such as Lipopolysaccharide (LPS.To identify gene transcription regulation patterns involved in early innate immune responses, we used two genome-wide approaches--gene expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq analysis. We examined the effect of 2 hrs LPS stimulation on early gene expression and its relation to chromatin remodeling (H3 acetylation; H3Ac and promoter binding of Sp1 and RNA polymerase II phosphorylated at serine 5 (S5P RNAPII, which is a marker for transcriptional initiation. Our results indicate novel and alternative gene regulatory mechanisms for certain proinflammatory genes. We identified two groups of up-regulated inflammatory genes with respect to chromatin modification and promoter features. One group, including highly up-regulated genes such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF, was characterized by H3Ac, high CpG content and lack of TATA boxes. The second group, containing inflammatory mediators (interleukins and CCL chemokines, was up-regulated upon LPS stimulation despite lacking H3Ac in their annotated promoters, which were low in CpG content but did contain TATA boxes. Genome-wide analysis showed that few H3Ac peaks were unique to either +/-LPS condition. However, within these, an unpacking/expansion of already existing H3Ac peaks was observed upon LPS stimulation. In contrast, a significant proportion of S5P RNAPII peaks (approx 40% was unique to either condition. Furthermore, data indicated a large portion of previously unannotated TSSs, particularly in LPS-stimulated macrophages, where only 28% of unique S5P RNAPII peaks overlap annotated promoters. The regulation of the inflammatory response appears to occur in a very specific manner at

  4. The actin family protein ARP6 contributes to the structure and the function of the nucleolus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kitamura, Hiroshi [Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Tsutsumidori-Amamiyamachi 1-1, Aoka-ku, Sendai 981-8555 (Japan); Matsumori, Haruka [Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811 (Japan); Kalendova, Alzbeta; Hozak, Pavel [Department of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague (Czech Republic); Goldberg, Ilya G. [Image Informatics and Computational Biology Unit, Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 100, Baltimore, MD 21224 (United States); Nakao, Mitsuyoshi [Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811 (Japan); Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 102-0076 (Japan); Saitoh, Noriko [Department of Medical Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811 (Japan); Harata, Masahiko, E-mail: mharata@biochem.tohoku.ac.jp [Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Tsutsumidori-Amamiyamachi 1-1, Aoka-ku, Sendai 981-8555 (Japan)

    2015-08-21

    The actin family members, consisting of actin and actin-related proteins (ARPs), are essential components of chromatin remodeling complexes. ARP6, one of the nuclear ARPs, is part of the Snf-2-related CREB-binding protein activator protein (SRCAP) chromatin remodeling complex, which promotes the deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z into the chromatin. In this study, we showed that ARP6 influences the structure and the function of the nucleolus. ARP6 is localized in the central region of the nucleolus, and its knockdown induced a morphological change in the nucleolus. We also found that in the presence of high concentrations of glucose ARP6 contributed to the maintenance of active ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription by placing H2A.Z into the chromatin. In contrast, under starvation, ARP6 was required for cell survival through the repression of rDNA transcription independently of H2A.Z. These findings reveal novel pleiotropic roles for the actin family in nuclear organization and metabolic homeostasis. - Highlights: • ARP6, an actin related protein, is important for nucleolar function and structure. • A population of ARP6 is localized in the center of nucleolus. • Depletion of ARP6 resulted in aberrant shape of the nucleolus. • ARP6 maintains the active rDNA transcription under high glucose. • ARP6 is required for the repression of rDNA transcription under starvation.

  5. The actin family protein ARP6 contributes to the structure and the function of the nucleolus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitamura, Hiroshi; Matsumori, Haruka; Kalendova, Alzbeta; Hozak, Pavel; Goldberg, Ilya G.; Nakao, Mitsuyoshi; Saitoh, Noriko; Harata, Masahiko

    2015-01-01

    The actin family members, consisting of actin and actin-related proteins (ARPs), are essential components of chromatin remodeling complexes. ARP6, one of the nuclear ARPs, is part of the Snf-2-related CREB-binding protein activator protein (SRCAP) chromatin remodeling complex, which promotes the deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z into the chromatin. In this study, we showed that ARP6 influences the structure and the function of the nucleolus. ARP6 is localized in the central region of the nucleolus, and its knockdown induced a morphological change in the nucleolus. We also found that in the presence of high concentrations of glucose ARP6 contributed to the maintenance of active ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription by placing H2A.Z into the chromatin. In contrast, under starvation, ARP6 was required for cell survival through the repression of rDNA transcription independently of H2A.Z. These findings reveal novel pleiotropic roles for the actin family in nuclear organization and metabolic homeostasis. - Highlights: • ARP6, an actin related protein, is important for nucleolar function and structure. • A population of ARP6 is localized in the center of nucleolus. • Depletion of ARP6 resulted in aberrant shape of the nucleolus. • ARP6 maintains the active rDNA transcription under high glucose. • ARP6 is required for the repression of rDNA transcription under starvation

  6. SIRT6 stabilizes DNA-dependent protein kinase at chromatin for DNA double-strand break repair

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McCord, Ronald A; Michishita, Eriko; Hong, Tao

    2009-01-01

    -PKcs) to chromatin in response to DNA damage and stabilizes DNA-PKcs at chromatin adjacent to an induced site-specific DSB. Abrogation of these SIRT6 activities leads to impaired resolution of DSBs. Together, these findings elucidate a mechanism whereby regulation of dynamic interaction of a DNA repair factor......-dependent protein kinase) and promotes DNA DSB repair. In response to DSBs, SIRT6 associates dynamically with chromatin and is necessary for an acute decrease in global cellular acetylation levels on histone H3 Lysine 9. Moreover, SIRT6 is required for mobilization of the DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA......, and SIRT6 knockout cells exhibit genomic instability and DNA damage hypersensitivity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these defects are not fully understood. Here, we show that SIRT6 forms a macromolecular complex with the DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair factor DNA-PK (DNA...

  7. Sex-switching of the Drosophila brain by two antagonistic chromatin factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Hiroki; Sato, Kosei; Yamamoto, Daisuke

    2013-01-01

    In Drosophila melanogaster, the fruitless (fru) gene encoding BTB-Zn-finger transcription factors organizes male sexual behavior by controlling the development of sexually dimorphic neuronal circuitry. However, the molecular mechanism by which fru controls the sexual fate of neurons has been unknown. Our recent study represents a first step toward clarification of this mechanism. We have shown that: (1) Fru forms a complex with the transcriptional cofactor Bonus (Bon), which recruits either of two chromatin regulators, Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) or Heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a), to Fru-target sites; (2) the Fru-Bon complex has a masculinizing effect on single sexually-dimorphic neurons when it recruits HDAC1, whereas it has a demasculinizing effect when it recruits HP1a; (3) HDAC1 or HP1a thus recruited to Fru-target sites determines the sexual fate of single neurons in an all-or-none manner, as manipulations of HDAC1 or HP1a expression levels affect the proportion of male-typical neurons and female-typical neurons without producing neurons of intersexual characteristics. Here, we hypothesize that chromatin landscape changes induced by ecdysone surges direct the HDAC1- or HP1a-containing Fru complex to distinct targets, thereby allowing them to switch the neuronal sexual fate in the brain. PMID:23519136

  8. Comparative analysis of chromatin binding by Sex Comb on Midleg (SCM) and other polycomb group repressors at a Drosophila Hox gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liangjun; Jahren, Neal; Miller, Ellen L; Ketel, Carrie S; Mallin, Daniel R; Simon, Jeffrey A

    2010-06-01

    Sex Comb on Midleg (SCM) is a transcriptional repressor in the Polycomb group (PcG), but its molecular role in PcG silencing is not known. Although SCM can interact with Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) in vitro, biochemical studies have indicated that SCM is not a core constituent of PRC1 or PRC2. Nevertheless, SCM is just as critical for Drosophila Hox gene silencing as canonical subunits of these well-characterized PcG complexes. To address functional relationships between SCM and other PcG components, we have performed chromatin immunoprecipitation studies using cultured Drosophila Schneider line 2 (S2) cells and larval imaginal discs. We find that SCM associates with a Polycomb response element (PRE) upstream of the Ubx gene which also binds PRC1, PRC2, and the DNA-binding PcG protein Pleiohomeotic (PHO). However, SCM is retained at this Ubx PRE despite genetic disruption or knockdown of PHO, PRC1, or PRC2, suggesting that SCM chromatin targeting does not require prior association of these other PcG components. Chromatin immunoprecipitations (IPs) to test the consequences of SCM genetic disruption or knockdown revealed that PHO association is unaffected, but reduced levels of PRE-bound PRC2 and PRC1 were observed. We discuss these results in light of current models for recruitment of PcG complexes to chromatin targets.

  9. Comparative Analysis of Chromatin Binding by Sex Comb on Midleg (SCM) and Other Polycomb Group Repressors at a Drosophila Hox Gene▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liangjun; Jahren, Neal; Miller, Ellen L.; Ketel, Carrie S.; Mallin, Daniel R.; Simon, Jeffrey A.

    2010-01-01

    Sex Comb on Midleg (SCM) is a transcriptional repressor in the Polycomb group (PcG), but its molecular role in PcG silencing is not known. Although SCM can interact with Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) in vitro, biochemical studies have indicated that SCM is not a core constituent of PRC1 or PRC2. Nevertheless, SCM is just as critical for Drosophila Hox gene silencing as canonical subunits of these well-characterized PcG complexes. To address functional relationships between SCM and other PcG components, we have performed chromatin immunoprecipitation studies using cultured Drosophila Schneider line 2 (S2) cells and larval imaginal discs. We find that SCM associates with a Polycomb response element (PRE) upstream of the Ubx gene which also binds PRC1, PRC2, and the DNA-binding PcG protein Pleiohomeotic (PHO). However, SCM is retained at this Ubx PRE despite genetic disruption or knockdown of PHO, PRC1, or PRC2, suggesting that SCM chromatin targeting does not require prior association of these other PcG components. Chromatin immunoprecipitations (IPs) to test the consequences of SCM genetic disruption or knockdown revealed that PHO association is unaffected, but reduced levels of PRE-bound PRC2 and PRC1 were observed. We discuss these results in light of current models for recruitment of PcG complexes to chromatin targets. PMID:20351181

  10. Hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling: cellular and molecular mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenmark, Kurt R; Fagan, Karen A; Frid, Maria G

    2006-09-29

    Chronic hypoxic exposure induces changes in the structure of pulmonary arteries, as well as in the biochemical and functional phenotypes of each of the vascular cell types, from the hilum of the lung to the most peripheral vessels in the alveolar wall. The magnitude and the specific profile of the changes depend on the species, sex, and the developmental stage at which the exposure to hypoxia occurred. Further, hypoxia-induced changes are site specific, such that the remodeling process in the large vessels differs from that in the smallest vessels. The cellular and molecular mechanisms vary and depend on the cellular composition of vessels at particular sites along the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary vasculature, as well as on local environmental factors. Each of the resident vascular cell types (ie, endothelial, smooth muscle, adventitial fibroblast) undergo site- and time-dependent alterations in proliferation, matrix protein production, expression of growth factors, cytokines, and receptors, and each resident cell type plays a specific role in the overall remodeling response. In addition, hypoxic exposure induces an inflammatory response within the vessel wall, and the recruited circulating progenitor cells contribute significantly to the structural remodeling and persistent vasoconstriction of the pulmonary circulation. The possibility exists that the lung or lung vessels also contain resident progenitor cells that participate in the remodeling process. Thus the hypoxia-induced remodeling of the pulmonary circulation is a highly complex process where numerous interactive events must be taken into account as we search for newer, more effective therapeutic interventions. This review provides perspectives on each of the aforementioned areas.

  11. MDM2 Associates with Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 and Enhances Stemness-Promoting Chromatin Modifications Independent of p53

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wienken, Magdalena; Dickmanns, Antje; Nemajerova, Alice

    2016-01-01

    The MDM2 oncoprotein ubiquitinates and antagonizes p53 but may also carry out p53-independent functions. Here we report that MDM2 is required for the efficient generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from murine embryonic fibroblasts, in the absence of p53. Similarly, MDM2 depletion...... in the context of p53 deficiency also promoted the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and diminished clonogenic survival of cancer cells. Most of the MDM2-controlled genes also responded to the inactivation of the Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2) and its catalytic component EZH2. MDM2 physically...... associated with EZH2 on chromatin, enhancing the trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 and the ubiquitination of histone 2A at lysine 119 (H2AK119) at its target genes. Removing MDM2 simultaneously with the H2AK119 E3 ligase Ring1B/RNF2 further induced these genes and synthetically arrested cell...

  12. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Assay for the Identification of Arabidopsis Protein-DNA Interactions In Vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komar, Dorota N; Mouriz, Alfonso; Jarillo, José A; Piñeiro, Manuel

    2016-01-14

    Intricate gene regulatory networks orchestrate biological processes and developmental transitions in plants. Selective transcriptional activation and silencing of genes mediate the response of plants to environmental signals and developmental cues. Therefore, insights into the mechanisms that control plant gene expression are essential to gain a deep understanding of how biological processes are regulated in plants. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) technique described here is a procedure to identify the DNA-binding sites of proteins in genes or genomic regions of the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. The interactions with DNA of proteins of interest such as transcription factors, chromatin proteins or posttranslationally modified versions of histones can be efficiently analyzed with the ChIP protocol. This method is based on the fixation of protein-DNA interactions in vivo, random fragmentation of chromatin, immunoprecipitation of protein-DNA complexes with specific antibodies, and quantification of the DNA associated with the protein of interest by PCR techniques. The use of this methodology in Arabidopsis has contributed significantly to unveil transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that control a variety of plant biological processes. This approach allowed the identification of the binding sites of the Arabidopsis chromatin protein EBS to regulatory regions of the master gene of flowering FT. The impact of this protein in the accumulation of particular histone marks in the genomic region of FT was also revealed through ChIP analysis.

  13. The nucleosome: orchestrating DNA damage signaling and repair within chromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Poonam; Miller, Kyle M

    2016-10-01

    DNA damage occurs within the chromatin environment, which ultimately participates in regulating DNA damage response (DDR) pathways and repair of the lesion. DNA damage activates a cascade of signaling events that extensively modulates chromatin structure and organization to coordinate DDR factor recruitment to the break and repair, whilst also promoting the maintenance of normal chromatin functions within the damaged region. For example, DDR pathways must avoid conflicts between other DNA-based processes that function within the context of chromatin, including transcription and replication. The molecular mechanisms governing the recognition, target specificity, and recruitment of DDR factors and enzymes to the fundamental repeating unit of chromatin, i.e., the nucleosome, are poorly understood. Here we present our current view of how chromatin recognition by DDR factors is achieved at the level of the nucleosome. Emerging evidence suggests that the nucleosome surface, including the nucleosome acidic patch, promotes the binding and activity of several DNA damage factors on chromatin. Thus, in addition to interactions with damaged DNA and histone modifications, nucleosome recognition by DDR factors plays a key role in orchestrating the requisite chromatin response to maintain both genome and epigenome integrity.

  14. Chromatin decondensed by acetylation shows an elevated radiation response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nackerdien, Z.; Michie, J.; Boehm, L.

    1989-01-01

    V-79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts exposed to 5 mM n-sodium butyrate were irradiated with 60Co gamma rays and cell survival was determined by the cell colony assay. In a separate set of experiments the acetylated chromatin obtained from these cells was irradiated and the change of molecular weight of the DNA was evaluated by alkaline sucrose density centrifugation. At a survival level of 10(-2) to 10(-4) cells exposed to butyrate were found to be 1.3-1.4 times more radiosensitive than control cells. Exposure of isolated chromatin to 100 Gy of 60Co gamma irradiation generated 0.9 +/- 0.03 single-strand breaks (ssb) per 10 Gy per 10(8) Da and 2.0 +/- 0.3 ssb/10 Gy/10(8) Da for control and acetylated chromatin, respectively. The elevated radiation sensitivity of chromatin relaxed by acetylation is in good agreement with previous results on chromatin expanded by histone H1 depletion. Packing and accessibility of DNA in chromatin appear to be major factors which influence the radiation sensitivity. The intrinsic radiation sensitivity of chromatin in various packing states is discussed in light of the variation of radiation sensitivity of whole cells in the cell cycle which incorporates repair

  15. Transcription Through Chromatin - Dynamic Organization of Genes

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    different proteins involved in the synthesis of mRNA from the. DNA template. ... CBP - CREB Binding Protein. CHRAC. Chromatin .... nucleosomal interactions, and thereby change the chromatin structure, as per the ..... methyltransferases in gene regulation is yet to be elucidated. .... Molecular Biology and. Genetics Unit.

  16. Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) absorption spectra of chromatin and its components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodonova, N.Y.; Kiseleva, M.N.; Petrov, M.Y.; Tsyganenko, N.M.; Bubyakina, V.V.; Chikhirzhina, G.I.

    1984-01-01

    The electron absorption spectra of thin films of chromatin and chromatin components in the ultraviolet region (140-280 nm) were investigated. The absorption coefficients μ(lambda) of chromatin, nucleosomes with and without histone H1, total histones (TH), and DNA were compared. The spectra of nucleosomes differ from the sum-spectrum of DNA plus TH. The chromatin and nucleosome spectra are not similar in the spectral region of 190-160 nm. The lack of additivity of absorption coefficients at different wavelengths may be explained by different conformational changes of DNA, TH in nucleosomes and chromatin during the process of drying aqueous solutions for the preparation of thin films. The μ(lambda) values are useful for an estimate of the DNA and TH absorption in chromatin and nucleosomes in discussing UV and VUV irradiation damages. (Auth.)

  17. Callus remodelling model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miodowska, Justyna; Bielski, Jan; Kromka-Szydek, Magdalena

    2018-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to investigate the healing process of the callus using bone remodelling approach. A new mathematical model of bone remodelling is proposed including both underload and overload resorption, as well as equilibrium and bone growth states. The created model is used to predict the stress-stimulated change in the callus density. The permanent and intermittent loading programs are considered. The analyses indicate that obtaining a sufficiently high values of the callus density (and hence the elasticity) modulus is only possible using time-varying load parameters. The model predictions also show that intermittent loading program causes delayed callus healing. Understanding how mechanical conditions influence callus remodelling process may be relevant in the bone fracture treatment and initial bone loading during rehabilitation.

  18. Not just gene expression: 3D implications of chromatin modifications during sexual plant reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dukowic-Schulze, Stefanie; Liu, Chang; Chen, Changbin

    2018-01-01

    DNA methylation and histone modifications are epigenetic changes on a DNA molecule that alter the three-dimensional (3D) structure locally as well as globally, impacting chromatin looping and packaging on a larger scale. Epigenetic marks thus inform higher-order chromosome organization and placement in the nucleus. Conventional epigenetic marks are joined by chromatin modifiers like cohesins, condensins and membrane-anchoring complexes to support particularly 3D chromosome organization. The most popular consequences of epigenetic modifications are gene expression changes, but chromatin modifications have implications beyond this, particularly in actively dividing cells and during sexual reproduction. In this opinion paper, we will focus on epigenetic mechanisms and chromatin modifications during meiosis as part of plant sexual reproduction where 3D management of chromosomes and re-organization of chromatin are defining features and prime tasks in reproductive cells, not limited to modulating gene expression. Meiotic chromosome organization, pairing and synapsis of homologous chromosomes as well as distribution of meiotic double-strand breaks and resulting crossovers are presumably highly influenced by epigenetic mechanisms. Special mobile small RNAs have been described in anthers, where these so-called phasiRNAs seem to direct DNA methylation in meiotic cells. Intriguingly, many of the mentioned developmental processes make use of epigenetic changes and small RNAs in a manner other than gene expression changes. Widening our approaches and opening our mind to thinking three-dimensionally regarding epigenetics in plant development holds high promise for new discoveries and could give us a boost for further knowledge.

  19. Chromatin structure and evolution in the human genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dunlop Malcolm G

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Evolutionary rates are not constant across the human genome but genes in close proximity have been shown to experience similar levels of divergence and selection. The higher-order organisation of chromosomes has often been invoked to explain such phenomena but previously there has been insufficient data on chromosome structure to investigate this rigorously. Using the results of a recent genome-wide analysis of open and closed human chromatin structures we have investigated the global association between divergence, selection and chromatin structure for the first time. Results In this study we have shown that, paradoxically, synonymous site divergence (dS at non-CpG sites is highest in regions of open chromatin, primarily as a result of an increased number of transitions, while the rates of other traditional measures of mutation (intergenic, intronic and ancient repeat divergence as well as SNP density are highest in closed regions of the genome. Analysis of human-chimpanzee divergence across intron-exon boundaries indicates that although genes in relatively open chromatin generally display little selection at their synonymous sites, those in closed regions show markedly lower divergence at their fourfold degenerate sites than in neighbouring introns and intergenic regions. Exclusion of known Exonic Splice Enhancer hexamers has little affect on the divergence observed at fourfold degenerate sites across chromatin categories; however, we show that closed chromatin is enriched with certain classes of ncRNA genes whose RNA secondary structure may be particularly important. Conclusion We conclude that, overall, non-CpG mutation rates are lowest in open regions of the genome and that regions of the genome with a closed chromatin structure have the highest background mutation rate. This might reflect lower rates of DNA damage or enhanced DNA repair processes in regions of open chromatin. Our results also indicate that dS is a poor

  20. Extensive Variation in Chromatin States Across Humans

    KAUST Repository

    Kasowski, M.

    2013-10-17

    The majority of disease-associated variants lie outside protein-coding regions, suggesting a link between variation in regulatory regions and disease predisposition. We studied differences in chromatin states using five histone modifications, cohesin, and CTCF in lymphoblastoid lines from 19 individuals of diverse ancestry. We found extensive signal variation in regulatory regions, which often switch between active and repressed states across individuals. Enhancer activity is particularly diverse among individuals, whereas gene expression remains relatively stable. Chromatin variability shows genetic inheritance in trios, correlates with genetic variation and population divergence, and is associated with disruptions of transcription factor binding motifs. Overall, our results provide insights into chromatin variation among humans.

  1. Extensive Variation in Chromatin States Across Humans

    KAUST Repository

    Kasowski, M.; Kyriazopoulou-Panagiotopoulou, S.; Grubert, F.; Zaugg, J. B.; Kundaje, A.; Liu, Y.; Boyle, A. P.; Zhang, Q. C.; Zakharia, F.; Spacek, D. V.; Li, J.; Xie, D.; Olarerin-George, A.; Steinmetz, L. M.; Hogenesch, J. B.; Kellis, M.; Batzoglou, S.; Snyder, M.

    2013-01-01

    The majority of disease-associated variants lie outside protein-coding regions, suggesting a link between variation in regulatory regions and disease predisposition. We studied differences in chromatin states using five histone modifications, cohesin, and CTCF in lymphoblastoid lines from 19 individuals of diverse ancestry. We found extensive signal variation in regulatory regions, which often switch between active and repressed states across individuals. Enhancer activity is particularly diverse among individuals, whereas gene expression remains relatively stable. Chromatin variability shows genetic inheritance in trios, correlates with genetic variation and population divergence, and is associated with disruptions of transcription factor binding motifs. Overall, our results provide insights into chromatin variation among humans.

  2. The SETD8/PR-Set7 Methyltransferase Functions as a Barrier to Prevent Senescence-Associated Metabolic Remodeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroshi Tanaka

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Cellular senescence is an irreversible growth arrest that contributes to development, tumor suppression, and age-related conditions. Senescent cells show active metabolism compared with proliferating cells, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that the SETD8/PR-Set7 methyltransferase, which catalyzes mono-methylation of histone H4 at lysine 20 (H4K20me1, suppresses nucleolar and mitochondrial activities to prevent cellular senescence. SETD8 protein was selectively downregulated in both oncogene-induced and replicative senescence. Inhibition of SETD8 alone was sufficient to trigger senescence. Under these states, the expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs and ribosomal RNAs as well as the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK inhibitor p16INK4A was increased, with a corresponding reduction of H4K20me1 at each locus. As a result, the loss of SETD8 concurrently stimulated nucleolar function and retinoblastoma protein-mediated mitochondrial metabolism. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that SETD8 acts as a barrier to prevent cellular senescence through chromatin-mediated regulation of senescence-associated metabolic remodeling. : Tanaka et al. show that SETD8/PR-Set7 methyltransferase represses senescence-associated genes including ribosomal proteins, ribosomal RNAs, and p16INK4A by catalyzing mono-methylation of histone H4 at lysine 20. Depletion of SETD8 derepresses these genes, resulting in nucleolar and mitochondrial coactivation characteristic of senescence-associated metabolic remodeling. Keywords: SETD8/PR-Set7, H4K20 methylation, senescence-associated metabolic remodeling, nucleolus, mitochondria

  3. Causes and consequences of chromatin variation between inbred mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mona Hosseini

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Variation at regulatory elements, identified through hypersensitivity to digestion by DNase I, is believed to contribute to variation in complex traits, but the extent and consequences of this variation are poorly characterized. Analysis of terminally differentiated erythroblasts in eight inbred strains of mice identified reproducible variation at approximately 6% of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHS. Only 30% of such variable DHS contain a sequence variant predictive of site variation. Nevertheless, sequence variants within variable DHS are more likely to be associated with complex traits than those in non-variant DHS, and variants associated with complex traits preferentially occur in variable DHS. Changes at a small proportion (less than 10% of variable DHS are associated with changes in nearby transcriptional activity. Our results show that whilst DNA sequence variation is not the major determinant of variation in open chromatin, where such variants exist they are likely to be causal for complex traits.

  4. Formation of DNA-protein crosslinks in gamma-irradiated chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mee, L.K.

    1985-01-01

    Gamma-irradiation of chromatin in vitro and in vivo induces DNA-protein crosslinks which are stable to salt and detergent treatment. The efficiency of crosslink formation is 100 times greater in irradiated isolated chromatin than in chromatin irradiated in cells before isolation. Gamma-irradiation of isolated chromatin in the presence of radical scavengers shows that OH . is the most effective radical for the promotion of crosslinking whereas e/sub aq//sup -/ and O/sub 2//sup -/ are essentially ineffective. For chromatin irradiated in the cell before isolation, fewer crosslinks are formed in air than in an atmosphere of nitrogen; the greatest effect is found in cells irradiated in an atmosphere of nitrous oxide, suggesting that OH . may be involved in the formation of crosslinks in vivo. On the basis of comparing radiation-induced crosslinking in whole chromating (DNA, H1 histone, the core histones - H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 - and non-histone chromosomal proteins) and in a chromatin subunit (DNA and the core histones), the authors identified the core histones as the specific chromosomal proteins predominantly involved in crosslinking to DNA

  5. Loss of Interdependent Binding by the FoxO1 and FoxA1/A2 Forkhead Transcription Factors Culminates in Perturbation of Active Chromatin Marks and Binding of Transcriptional Regulators at Insulin-sensitive Genes*

    OpenAIRE

    Yalley, Akua; Schill, Daniel; Hatta, Mitsutoki; Johnson, Nicole; Cirillo, Lisa Ann

    2016-01-01

    FoxO1 binds to insulin response elements located in the promoters of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), activating their expression. Insulin-mediated phosphorylation of FoxO1 promotes cytoplasmic translocation, inhibiting FoxO1-mediated transactivation. We have previously demonstrated that FoxO1 opens and remodels chromatin assembled from the IGFBP1 promoter via a highly conserved winged helix motif. This finding, which established FoxO1 ...

  6. Neutron scattering studies on chromatin higher-order structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Graziano, V.; Gerchman, S.E.; Schneider, D.K.; Ramakrishnan, V. [Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (United States)

    1994-12-31

    We have been engaged in studies of the structure and condensation of chromatin into the 30nm filament using small-angle neutron scattering. We have also used deuterated histone H1 to determine its location in the chromatin 30nm filament. Our studies indicate that chromatin condenses with increasing ionic strength to a limiting structure that has a mass per unit length of 6-7 nucleosomes/11 nm. They also show that the linker histone H1/H5 is located in the interior of the chromatin filament, in a position compatible with its binding to the inner face of the nucleosome. Analysis of the mass per unit length as a function of H5 stoichiometry suggests that 5-7 contiguous nucleosomes need to have H5 bound before a stable higher order structure can exist.

  7. Neutron scattering studies on chromatin higher-order structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graziano, V.; Gerchman, S.E.; Schneider, D.K.; Ramakrishnan, V.

    1994-01-01

    We have been engaged in studies of the structure and condensation of chromatin into the 30nm filament using small-angle neutron scattering. We have also used deuterated histone H1 to determine its location in the chromatin 30nm filament. Our studies indicate that chromatin condenses with increasing ionic strength to a limiting structure that has a mass per unit length of 6-7 nucleosomes/11 nm. They also show that the linker histone H1/H5 is located in the interior of the chromatin filament, in a position compatible with its binding to the inner face of the nucleosome. Analysis of the mass per unit length as a function of H5 stoichiometry suggests that 5-7 contiguous nucleosomes need to have H5 bound before a stable higher order structure can exist

  8. Radiation-induced cell death by chromatin loss

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, I.R.; Warenius, H.M.

    1989-01-01

    A model is proposed which relates reproductive death of cells caused by radiation to loss of chromatin at cell division. This loss of chromatin can occur through chromosomal deletions or through the formation of asymmetrical chromosomal exchanges. It is proposed that smaller doses of radiation produce fewer chromatin breaks, which are more likely to be accurately repaired, compared with larger doses. Consequently, smaller doses of radiation are less efficient in causing cell death, leading to a shoulder on the cell survival curve. Experimental evidence supports this model, and the fit between the derived formula and experimental cell survival curves is good. The derived formula approximates to the linear-quadratic equation at low doses of radiation. (author)

  9. Chromatin architecture and gene expression in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willenbrock, Hanni; Ussery, David

    2004-01-01

    Two recent genome-scale analyses underscore the importance of DNA topology and chromatin structure in regulating transcription in Escherichia coli.......Two recent genome-scale analyses underscore the importance of DNA topology and chromatin structure in regulating transcription in Escherichia coli....

  10. DNA remodelling by Strict Partial Endoreplication in orchids, an original process in the plant kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Spencer C; Bourge, Mickaël; Maunoury, Nicolas; Wong, Maurice; Bianchi, Michele Wolfe; Lepers-Andrzejewski, Sandra; Besse, Pascale; Siljak-Yakovlev, Sonja; Dron, Michel; Satiat-Jeunemaître, Béatrice

    2017-04-13

    DNA remodelling during endoreplication appears to be a strong developmental characteristic in orchids. In this study, we analysed DNA content and nuclei in 41 species of orchids to further map the genome evolution in this plant family. We demonstrate that the DNA remodelling observed in 36 out of 41 orchids studied corresponds to strict partial endoreplication. Such process is developmentally regulated in each wild species studied. Cytometry data analyses allowed us to propose a model where nuclear states 2C, 4E, 8E, etc. form a series comprising a fixed proportion, the euploid genome 2C, plus 2 to 32 additional copies of a complementary part of the genome. The fixed proportion ranged from 89% of the genome in Vanilla mexicana down to 19% in V. pompona, the lowest value for all 148 orchids reported. Insterspecific hybridisation did not suppress this phenomenon. Interestingly, this process was not observed in mass-produced epiphytes. Nucleolar volumes grow with the number of endocopies present, coherent with high transcription activity in endoreplicated nuclei. Our analyses suggest species-specific chromatin rearrangement. Towards understanding endoreplication, V. planifolia constitutes a tractable system for isolating the genomic sequences that confer an advantage via endoreplication from those that apparently suffice at diploid level. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  11. Identification of Novel Proteins Co-Purifying with Cockayne Syndrome Group B (CSB Reveals Potential Roles for CSB in RNA Metabolism and Chromatin Dynamics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serena Nicolai

    Full Text Available The CSB protein, a member of the SWI/SNF ATP dependent chromatin remodeling family of proteins, plays a role in a sub-pathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER known as transcription coupled repair (TCR. CSB is frequently mutated in Cockayne syndrome group B, a segmental progeroid human autosomal recessive disease characterized by growth failure and degeneration of multiple organs. Though initially classified as a DNA repair protein, recent studies have demonstrated that the loss of CSB results in pleiotropic effects. Identification of novel proteins belonging to the CSB interactome may be useful not only for predicting the molecular basis for diverse pathological symptoms of CS-B patients but also for unraveling the functions of CSB in addition to its authentic role in DNA repair. In this study, we performed tandem affinity purification (TAP technology coupled with mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation studies to identify and characterize the proteins that potentially interact with CSB-TAP. Our approach revealed 33 proteins that were not previously known to interact with CSB. These newly identified proteins indicate potential roles for CSB in RNA metabolism involving repression and activation of transcription process and in the maintenance of chromatin dynamics and integrity.

  12. Lung tissue remodeling in the acute respiratory distress syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Souza Alba Barros de

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS is characterized by diffuse alveolar damage, and evolves progressively with three phases: exsudative, fibroproliferative, and fibrotic. In the exudative phase, there are interstitial and alveolar edemas with hyaline membrane. The fibropro­liferative phase is characterized by exudate organization and fibroelastogenesis. There is proliferation of type II pneumocytes to cover the damaged epithelial surface, followed by differentiation into type I pneumocytes. The fibroproliferative phase starts early, and its severity is related to the patient?s prognosis. The alterations observed in the phenotype of the pulmonary parenchyma cells steer the tissue remodeling towards either progressive fibrosis or the restoration of normal alveolar architecture. The fibrotic phase is characterized by abnormal and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, mainly collagen. The dynamic control of collagen deposition and degradation is regulated by metalloproteinases and their tissular regulators. The deposition of proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix of ARDS patients needs better study. The regulation of extracellular matrix remodeling, in normal conditions or in several pulmonary diseases, such as ARDS, results from a complex mechanism that integrate the transcription of elements that destroy the matrix protein and produce activation/inhibition of several cellular types of lung tissue. This review article will analyze the ECM organization in ARDS, the different pulmonary parenchyma remodeling mechanisms, and the role of cytokines in the regulation of the different matrix components during the remodeling process.

  13. Structural hierarchy of chromatin in chicken erythrocyte nuclei based on small-angle neutron scattering: Fractal nature of the large-scale chromatin organization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lebedev, D. V.; Filatov, M. V.; Kuklin, A. I.; Islamov, A. Kh.; Stellbrink, J.; Pantina, R. A.; Denisov, Yu. Yu.; Toperverg, B. P.; Isaev-Ivanov, V. V.

    2008-01-01

    The chromatin organization in chicken erythrocyte nuclei was studied by small-angle neutron scattering in the scattering-vector range from 1.5 x 10 -1 to 10 -4 A -1 with the use of the contrast-variation technique. This scattering-vector range corresponds to linear dimensions from 4 nm to 6 μm and covers the whole hierarchy of chromatin structures, from the nucleosomal structure to the entire nucleus. The results of the present study allowed the following conclusions to be drawn: (1) both the chromatin-protein structure and the structure of the nucleic acid component in chicken erythrocyte nuclei have mass-fractal properties, (2) the structure of the protein component of chromatin exhibits a fractal behavior on scales extending over two orders of magnitude, from the nucleosomal size to the size of an entire nucleus, and (3) the structure of the nucleic acid component of chromatin in chicken erythrocyte nuclei is likewise of a fractal nature and has two levels of organization or two phases with the crossover point at about 300-400 nm

  14. Gibberellin-induced change in the structure of chromatin in wheat sprouts: decrease in the accessibility of DNA in preparations of soluble chromatin to the action of EcoRII methylase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noskov, V.A.; Kintsurashvili, L.N.; Smirnova, T.A.; Manamsh'yan, T.A.; Kir'yanov, G.I.; Vanyushin, B.F.

    1986-01-01

    A method has been perfected for producing soluble chromatin from whole wheat sprouts at low ionic strength. The chromatin preparations isolated possess a native structure: they have a nucleosome organization. Under identical conditions the soluble wheat chromatin undergoes more profound degradation by DNase I and staphylococcal nuclease than the chromatin from the rat liver. The DNA contained in the isolated chromatin is capable of accepting CHnumber groups from S-[methyl- 3 H]-adenosylmethionine during incubation with DNA methylase EcoRII; not all the CC A/T GG sequences in DNA are methylated in vivo. Chromatin from gibberellin A 3 -treated wheat sprout DNA accepts 40% fewer CH 3 groups than that from the control sprouts, which is probably due to the greater compactness of the chromatin. In the case of longer incubation, the level of methylation of the chromatin falls, which may be associated with the presence of DNA-demethylating activity

  15. Replicating chromatin: a tale of histones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Groth, Anja

    2009-01-01

    Chromatin serves structural and functional roles crucial for genome stability and correct gene expression. This organization must be reproduced on daughter strands during replication to maintain proper overlay of epigenetic fabric onto genetic sequence. Nucleosomes constitute the structural...... framework of chromatin and carry information to specify higher-order organization and gene expression. When replication forks traverse the chromosomes, nucleosomes are transiently disrupted, allowing the replication machinery to gain access to DNA. Histone recycling, together with new deposition, ensures...

  16. Critical electrolyte concentration of silk gland chromatin of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis, induced using agrochemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, S A; Fermino, F; Moreira, B M T; Araujo, K F; Falco, J R P; Ruvolo-Takasusuki, M C C

    2014-09-29

    The sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis is widely known as the main pest of sugarcane crop, causing increased damage to the entire fields. Measures to control this pest involve the use of chemicals and biological control with Cotesia flavipes wasps. In this study, we evaluated the insecticides fipronil (Frontline; 0.0025%), malathion (Malatol Bio Carb; 0.4%), cipermetrina (Galgotrin; 10%), and neem oil (Natuneem; 100%) and the herbicide nicosulfuron (Sanson 40 SC; 100%) in the posterior region silk glands of 3rd- and 5th-instar D. saccharalis by studying the variation in the critical electrolyte concentration (CEC). Observations of 3rd-instar larvae indicated that malathion, cipermetrina, and neem oil induced increased chromatin condensation that may consequently disable genes. Tests with fipronil showed no alteration in chromatin condensation. With the use of nicosulfuron, there was chromatin and probable gene decompaction. In the 5th-instar larvae, the larval CEC values indicated that malathion and neem oil induced increased chromatin condensation. The CEC values for 5th-instar larvae using cipermetrina, fipronil, and nicosulfuron indicated chromatin unpacking. These observations led us to conclude that the quantity of the pesticide does not affect the mortality of these pests, can change the conformation of complexes of DNA, RNA, and protein from the posterior region of silk gland cells of D. saccharalis, activating or repressing the expression of genes related to the defense mechanism of the insect and contributing to the selection and survival of resistant individuals.

  17. Tracking the mechanical dynamics of human embryonic stem cell chromatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hinde Elizabeth

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A plastic chromatin structure has emerged as fundamental to the self-renewal and pluripotent capacity of embryonic stem (ES cells. Direct measurement of chromatin dynamics in vivo is, however, challenging as high spatiotemporal resolution is required. Here, we present a new tracking-based method which can detect high frequency chromatin movement and quantify the mechanical dynamics of chromatin in live cells. Results We use this method to study how the mechanical properties of chromatin movement in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs are modulated spatiotemporally during differentiation into cardiomyocytes (CM. Notably, we find that pluripotency is associated with a highly discrete, energy-dependent frequency of chromatin movement that we refer to as a ‘breathing’ state. We find that this ‘breathing’ state is strictly dependent on the metabolic state of the cell and is progressively silenced during differentiation. Conclusions We thus propose that the measured chromatin high frequency movements in hESCs may represent a hallmark of pluripotency and serve as a mechanism to maintain the genome in a transcriptionally accessible state. This is a result that could not have been observed without the high spatial and temporal resolution provided by this novel tracking method.

  18. Preclinical Evidence of Anti-Tumor Activity Induced by EZH2 Inhibition in Human Models of Synovial Sarcoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoshi Kawano

    Full Text Available The catalytic activities of covalent and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling are central to regulating the conformational state of chromatin and the resultant transcriptional output. The enzymes that catalyze these activities are often contained within multiprotein complexes in nature. Two such multiprotein complexes, the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2 methyltransferase and the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler have been reported to act in opposition to each other during development and homeostasis. An imbalance in their activities induced by mutations/deletions in complex members (e.g. SMARCB1 has been suggested to be a pathogenic mechanism in certain human cancers. Here we show that preclinical models of synovial sarcoma-a cancer characterized by functional SMARCB1 loss via its displacement from the SWI/SNF complex through the pathognomonic SS18-SSX fusion protein-display sensitivity to pharmacologic inhibition of EZH2, the catalytic subunit of PRC2. Treatment with tazemetostat, a clinical-stage, selective and orally bioavailable small-molecule inhibitor of EZH2 enzymatic activity reverses a subset of synovial sarcoma gene expression and results in concentration-dependent cell growth inhibition and cell death specifically in SS18-SSX fusion-positive cells in vitro. Treatment of mice bearing either a cell line or two patient-derived xenograft models of synovial sarcoma leads to dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition with correlative inhibition of trimethylation levels of the EZH2-specific substrate, lysine 27 on histone H3. These data demonstrate a dependency of SS18-SSX-positive, SMARCB1-deficient synovial sarcomas on EZH2 enzymatic activity and suggests the potential utility of EZH2-targeted drugs in these genetically defined cancers.

  19. Do chromatin changes around a nascent double strand DNA break spread spherically into linearly non-adjacent chromatin?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savic, Velibor

    2013-01-01

    In the last decade, a lot has been done in elucidating the sequence of events that occur at the nascent double strand DNA break. Nevertheless, the overall structure formed by the DNA damage response (DDR) factors around the break site, the repair focus, remains poorly understood. Although most of the data presented so far only address events that occur in chromatin in cis around the break, there are strong indications that in mammalian systems it may also occur in trans, analogous to the recent findings showing this if budding yeast. There have been attempts to address the issue but the final proof is still missing due to lack of a proper experimental system. If found to be true, the spatial distribution of DDR factors would have a major impact on the neighboring chromatin both in cis and in trans, significantly affecting local chromatin function; gene transcription and potentially other functions.

  20. Parametric study of control mechanism of cortical bone remodeling under mechanical stimulus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yanan; Qin, Qing-Hua

    2010-03-01

    The control mechanism of mechanical bone remodeling at cellular level was investigated by means of an extensive parametric study on a theoretical model described in this paper. From a perspective of control mechanism, it was found that there are several control mechanisms working simultaneously in bone remodeling which is a complex process. Typically, an extensive parametric study was carried out for investigating model parameter space related to cell differentiation and apoptosis which can describe the fundamental cell lineage behaviors. After analyzing all the combinations of 728 permutations in six model parameters, we have identified a small number of parameter combinations that can lead to physiologically realistic responses which are similar to theoretically idealized physiological responses. The results presented in the work enhanced our understanding on mechanical bone remodeling and the identified control mechanisms can help researchers to develop combined pharmacological-mechanical therapies to treat bone loss diseases such as osteoporosis.

  1. Classical and Nonclassical Estrogen Receptor Action on Chromatin Templates

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nordeen, Steven

    2000-01-01

    .... Using newly-developed approaches, I investigated mechanisms of estrogen/estrogen receptor action on chromatin templates in vitro in order to better understand the role of chromatin in steroid-regulated gene expression...

  2. Classical and Nonclassical Estrogen Receptor Action on Chromatin Templaces

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nordeen, Steve

    2001-01-01

    .... Using newly-developed approaches, I investigated mechanisms of estrogen/estrogen receptor action on chromatin templates in vitro in order to better understand the role of chromatin in steroid-regulated gene expression...

  3. QuIN: A Web Server for Querying and Visualizing Chromatin Interaction Networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asa Thibodeau

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies of the human genome have indicated that regulatory elements (e.g. promoters and enhancers at distal genomic locations can interact with each other via chromatin folding and affect gene expression levels. Genomic technologies for mapping interactions between DNA regions, e.g., ChIA-PET and HiC, can generate genome-wide maps of interactions between regulatory elements. These interaction datasets are important resources to infer distal gene targets of non-coding regulatory elements and to facilitate prioritization of critical loci for important cellular functions. With the increasing diversity and complexity of genomic information and public ontologies, making sense of these datasets demands integrative and easy-to-use software tools. Moreover, network representation of chromatin interaction maps enables effective data visualization, integration, and mining. Currently, there is no software that can take full advantage of network theory approaches for the analysis of chromatin interaction datasets. To fill this gap, we developed a web-based application, QuIN, which enables: 1 building and visualizing chromatin interaction networks, 2 annotating networks with user-provided private and publicly available functional genomics and interaction datasets, 3 querying network components based on gene name or chromosome location, and 4 utilizing network based measures to identify and prioritize critical regulatory targets and their direct and indirect interactions.QuIN's web server is available at http://quin.jax.org QuIN is developed in Java and JavaScript, utilizing an Apache Tomcat web server and MySQL database and the source code is available under the GPLV3 license available on GitHub: https://github.com/UcarLab/QuIN/.

  4. QuIN: A Web Server for Querying and Visualizing Chromatin Interaction Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibodeau, Asa; Márquez, Eladio J; Luo, Oscar; Ruan, Yijun; Menghi, Francesca; Shin, Dong-Guk; Stitzel, Michael L; Vera-Licona, Paola; Ucar, Duygu

    2016-06-01

    Recent studies of the human genome have indicated that regulatory elements (e.g. promoters and enhancers) at distal genomic locations can interact with each other via chromatin folding and affect gene expression levels. Genomic technologies for mapping interactions between DNA regions, e.g., ChIA-PET and HiC, can generate genome-wide maps of interactions between regulatory elements. These interaction datasets are important resources to infer distal gene targets of non-coding regulatory elements and to facilitate prioritization of critical loci for important cellular functions. With the increasing diversity and complexity of genomic information and public ontologies, making sense of these datasets demands integrative and easy-to-use software tools. Moreover, network representation of chromatin interaction maps enables effective data visualization, integration, and mining. Currently, there is no software that can take full advantage of network theory approaches for the analysis of chromatin interaction datasets. To fill this gap, we developed a web-based application, QuIN, which enables: 1) building and visualizing chromatin interaction networks, 2) annotating networks with user-provided private and publicly available functional genomics and interaction datasets, 3) querying network components based on gene name or chromosome location, and 4) utilizing network based measures to identify and prioritize critical regulatory targets and their direct and indirect interactions. QuIN's web server is available at http://quin.jax.org QuIN is developed in Java and JavaScript, utilizing an Apache Tomcat web server and MySQL database and the source code is available under the GPLV3 license available on GitHub: https://github.com/UcarLab/QuIN/.

  5. Interaction of HP1 and Brg1/Brm with the globular domain of histone H3 is required for HP1-mediated repression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc Lavigne

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The heterochromatin-enriched HP1 proteins play a critical role in regulation of transcription. These proteins contain two related domains known as the chromo- and the chromoshadow-domain. The chromo-domain binds histone H3 tails methylated on lysine 9. However, in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that the affinity of HP1 proteins to native methylated chromatin is relatively poor and that the opening of chromatin occurring during DNA replication facilitates their binding to nucleosomes. These observations prompted us to investigate whether HP1 proteins have additional histone binding activities, envisioning also affinity for regions potentially occluded by the nucleosome structure. We find that the chromoshadow-domain interacts with histone H3 in a region located partially inside the nucleosomal barrel at the entry/exit point of the nucleosome. Interestingly, this region is also contacted by the catalytic subunits of the human SWI/SNF complex. In vitro, efficient SWI/SNF remodeling requires this contact and is inhibited in the presence of HP1 proteins. The antagonism between SWI/SNF and HP1 proteins is also observed in vivo on a series of interferon-regulated genes. Finally, we show that SWI/SNF activity favors loading of HP1 proteins to chromatin both in vivo and in vitro. Altogether, our data suggest that HP1 chromoshadow-domains can benefit from the opening of nucleosomal structures to bind chromatin and that HP1 proteins use this property to detect and arrest unwanted chromatin remodeling.

  6. Capturing Structural Heterogeneity in Chromatin Fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekundayo, Babatunde; Richmond, Timothy J; Schalch, Thomas

    2017-10-13

    Chromatin fiber organization is implicated in processes such as transcription, DNA repair and chromosome segregation, but how nucleosomes interact to form higher-order structure remains poorly understood. We solved two crystal structures of tetranucleosomes with approximately 11-bp DNA linker length at 5.8 and 6.7 Å resolution. Minimal intramolecular nucleosome-nucleosome interactions result in a fiber model resembling a flat ribbon that is compatible with a two-start helical architecture, and that exposes histone and DNA surfaces to the environment. The differences in the two structures combined with electron microscopy reveal heterogeneous structural states, and we used site-specific chemical crosslinking to assess the diversity of nucleosome-nucleosome interactions through identification of structure-sensitive crosslink sites that provide a means to characterize fibers in solution. The chromatin fiber architectures observed here provide a basis for understanding heterogeneous chromatin higher-order structures as they occur in a genomic context. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Nuclear visions enhanced: chromatin structure, organization and dynamics

    OpenAIRE

    Meshorer, Eran; Herrmann, Harald; Raška, Ivan

    2011-01-01

    The EMBO Workshop on ‘Chromatin Structure, Organization and Dynamics' took place in April 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic. Participants presented data on the generation of models of the genome, working to correlate changes in the organization of chromatin with the functional state of the genome.

  8. RNA is an integral component of chromatin that contributes to its structural organization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Rodríguez-Campos

    Full Text Available Chromatin structure is influenced by multiples factors, such as pH, temperature, nature and concentration of counterions, post-translational modifications of histones and binding of structural non-histone proteins. RNA is also known to contribute to the regulation of chromatin structure as chromatin-induced gene silencing was shown to depend on the RNAi machinery in S. pombe, plants and Drosophila. Moreover, both in Drosophila and mammals, dosage compensation requires the contribution of specific non-coding RNAs. However, whether RNA itself plays a direct structural role in chromatin is not known. Here, we report results that indicate a general structural role for RNA in eukaryotic chromatin. RNA is found associated to purified chromatin prepared from chicken liver, or cultured Drosophila S2 cells, and treatment with RNase A alters the structural properties of chromatin. Our results indicate that chromatin-associated RNAs, which account for 2%-5% of total chromatin-associated nucleic acids, are polyA(- and show a size similar to that of the DNA contained in the corresponding chromatin fragments. Chromatin-associated RNA(s are not likely to correspond to nascent transcripts as they are also found bound to chromatin when cells are treated with alpha-amanitin. After treatment with RNase A, chromatin fragments of molecular weight >3.000 bp of DNA showed reduced sedimentation through sucrose gradients and increased sensitivity to micrococcal nuclease digestion. This structural transition, which is observed both at euchromatic and heterochromatic regions, proceeds without loss of histone H1 or any significant change in core-histone composition and integrity.

  9. Hi-C Chromatin Interaction Networks Predict Co-expression in the Mouse Cortex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulsman, Marc; Lelieveldt, Boudewijn P. F.; de Ridder, Jeroen; Reinders, Marcel

    2015-01-01

    The three dimensional conformation of the genome in the cell nucleus influences important biological processes such as gene expression regulation. Recent studies have shown a strong correlation between chromatin interactions and gene co-expression. However, predicting gene co-expression from frequent long-range chromatin interactions remains challenging. We address this by characterizing the topology of the cortical chromatin interaction network using scale-aware topological measures. We demonstrate that based on these characterizations it is possible to accurately predict spatial co-expression between genes in the mouse cortex. Consistent with previous findings, we find that the chromatin interaction profile of a gene-pair is a good predictor of their spatial co-expression. However, the accuracy of the prediction can be substantially improved when chromatin interactions are described using scale-aware topological measures of the multi-resolution chromatin interaction network. We conclude that, for co-expression prediction, it is necessary to take into account different levels of chromatin interactions ranging from direct interaction between genes (i.e. small-scale) to chromatin compartment interactions (i.e. large-scale). PMID:25965262

  10. Contribution of Topological Domains and Loop Formation to 3D Chromatin Organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vuthy Ea

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Recent investigations on 3D chromatin folding revealed that the eukaryote genomes are both highly compartmentalized and extremely dynamic. This review presents the most recent advances in topological domains’ organization of the eukaryote genomes and discusses the relationship to chromatin loop formation. CTCF protein appears as a central factor of these two organization levels having either a strong insulating role at TAD borders, or a weaker architectural role in chromatin loop formation. TAD borders directly impact on chromatin dynamics by restricting contacts within specific genomic portions thus confining chromatin loop formation within TADs. We discuss how sub-TAD chromatin dynamics, constrained into a recently described statistical helix conformation, can produce functional interactions by contact stabilization.

  11. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using Drosophila tissue

    OpenAIRE

    Tran, Vuong; Gan, Qiang; Chen, Xin

    2012-01-01

    Epigenetics remains a rapidly developing field that studies how the chromatin state contributes to differential gene expression in distinct cell types at different developmental stages. Epigenetic regulation contributes to a broad spectrum of biological processes, including cellular differentiation during embryonic development and homeostasis in adulthood. A critical strategy in epigenetic studies is to examine how various histone modifications and chromatin factors regulate gene expression. ...

  12. Remodeling of nuclear architecture by the thiodioxoxpiperazine metabolite chaetocin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Illner, Doris; Zinner, Roman; Handtke, Violet; Rouquette, Jacques; Strickfaden, Hilmar [Biozentrum, Department of Biology II (Chair of Anthropology and Human Genetics), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Martinsried (Germany); Lanctot, Christian [Biozentrum, Department of Biology II (Chair of Anthropology and Human Genetics), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Martinsried (Germany); Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology, Charles University Prague (Czech Republic); Conrad, Marcus; Seiler, Alexander [Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumor Genetics, Marchioninistr. 25, 81377 Munich (Germany); Imhof, Axel [Adolf Butenandt Institute, Department of Molecular Biology (Germany); Munich Center for Integrated Protein Sciences (CIPSM), 81377 Munich (Germany); Cremer, Thomas [Biozentrum, Department of Biology II (Chair of Anthropology and Human Genetics), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Martinsried (Germany); Munich Center for Integrated Protein Sciences (CIPSM), 81377 Munich (Germany); Cremer, Marion, E-mail: Marion.Cremer@lrz.uni-muenchen.de [Biozentrum, Department of Biology II (Chair of Anthropology and Human Genetics), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Grosshadernerstrasse 2, 82152 Martinsried (Germany)

    2010-06-10

    Extensive changes of higher order chromatin arrangements can be observed during prometaphase, terminal cell differentiation and cellular senescence. Experimental systems where major reorganization of nuclear architecture can be induced under defined conditions, may help to better understand the functional implications of such changes. Here, we report on profound chromatin reorganization in fibroblast nuclei by chaetocin, a thiodioxopiperazine metabolite. Chaetocin induces strong condensation of chromosome territories separated by a wide interchromatin space largely void of DNA. Cell viability is maintained irrespective of this peculiar chromatin phenotype. Cell cycle markers, histone signatures, and tests for cellular senescence and for oxidative stress indicate that chaetocin induced chromatin condensation/clustering (CICC) represents a distinct entity among nuclear phenotypes associated with condensed chromatin. The territorial organization of entire chromosomes is maintained in CICC nuclei; however, the conventional nuclear architecture harboring gene-dense chromatin in the nuclear interior and gene-poor chromatin at the nuclear periphery is lost. Instead gene-dense and transcriptionally active chromatin is shifted to the periphery of individual condensed chromosome territories where nascent RNA becomes highly enriched around their outer surface. This chromatin reorganization makes CICC nuclei an attractive model system to study this border zone as a distinct compartment for transcription. Induction of CICC is fully inhibited by thiol-dependent antioxidants, but is not related to the production of reactive oxygen species. Our results suggest that chaetocin functionally impairs the thioredoxin (Trx) system, which is essential for deoxynucleotide synthesis, but in addition involved in a wide range of cellular functions. The mechanisms involved in CICC formation remain to be fully explored.

  13. Remodeling of nuclear architecture by the thiodioxoxpiperazine metabolite chaetocin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Illner, Doris; Zinner, Roman; Handtke, Violet; Rouquette, Jacques; Strickfaden, Hilmar; Lanctot, Christian; Conrad, Marcus; Seiler, Alexander; Imhof, Axel; Cremer, Thomas; Cremer, Marion

    2010-01-01

    Extensive changes of higher order chromatin arrangements can be observed during prometaphase, terminal cell differentiation and cellular senescence. Experimental systems where major reorganization of nuclear architecture can be induced under defined conditions, may help to better understand the functional implications of such changes. Here, we report on profound chromatin reorganization in fibroblast nuclei by chaetocin, a thiodioxopiperazine metabolite. Chaetocin induces strong condensation of chromosome territories separated by a wide interchromatin space largely void of DNA. Cell viability is maintained irrespective of this peculiar chromatin phenotype. Cell cycle markers, histone signatures, and tests for cellular senescence and for oxidative stress indicate that chaetocin induced chromatin condensation/clustering (CICC) represents a distinct entity among nuclear phenotypes associated with condensed chromatin. The territorial organization of entire chromosomes is maintained in CICC nuclei; however, the conventional nuclear architecture harboring gene-dense chromatin in the nuclear interior and gene-poor chromatin at the nuclear periphery is lost. Instead gene-dense and transcriptionally active chromatin is shifted to the periphery of individual condensed chromosome territories where nascent RNA becomes highly enriched around their outer surface. This chromatin reorganization makes CICC nuclei an attractive model system to study this border zone as a distinct compartment for transcription. Induction of CICC is fully inhibited by thiol-dependent antioxidants, but is not related to the production of reactive oxygen species. Our results suggest that chaetocin functionally impairs the thioredoxin (Trx) system, which is essential for deoxynucleotide synthesis, but in addition involved in a wide range of cellular functions. The mechanisms involved in CICC formation remain to be fully explored.

  14. Role of Flightless-I (Drosophila) homolog in the transcription activation of type I collagen gene mediated by transforming growth factor beta

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, Mi-Sun; Jeong, Kwang Won, E-mail: kwjeong@gachon.ac.kr

    2014-11-21

    Highlights: • FLII activates TGFβ-mediated expression of COL1A2 gene. • TGFβ induces the association of FLII with SMAD3 and BRG1 in A549 cells. • FLII is required for the recruitment of SWI/SNF complex and chromatin accessibility to COL1A2 promoter. - Abstract: Flightless-I (Drosophila) homolog (FLII) is a nuclear receptor coactivator that is known to interact with other transcriptional regulators such as the SWI/SNF complex, an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, at the promoter or enhancer region of estrogen receptor (ER)-α target genes. However, little is known about the role of FLII during transcription initiation in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ)/SMAD-dependent signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that FLII functions as a coactivator in the expression of type I collagen gene induced by TGFβ in A549 cells. FLII activates the reporter gene driven by COL1A2 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. Co-expression of GRIP1, CARM1, or p300 did not show any synergistic activation of transcription. Furthermore, the level of COL1A2 expression correlated with the endogenous level of FLII mRNA level. Depletion of FLII resulted in a reduction of TGFβ-induced expression of COL1A2 gene. In contrast, over-expression of FLII caused an increase in the endogenous expression of COL1A2. We also showed that FLII is associated with Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) as well as SMAD in A549 cells. Notably, the recruitment of BRG1 to the COL1A2 promoter region was decreased in FLII-depleted A549 cells, suggesting that FLII is required for TGFβ-induced chromatin remodeling, which is carried out by the SWI/SNF complex. Furthermore, formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments revealed that depletion of FLII caused a reduction in chromatin accessibility at the COL1A2 promoter. These results suggest that FLII plays a critical role in TGFβ/SMAD-mediated transcription of the COL1A2 gene

  15. Nucleolar chromatin organization at different activities of soybean root meristematic cell nucleoli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stępiński, Dariusz

    2013-06-01

    Nucleolar chromatin, including nucleolus-associated chromatin as well as active and inactive condensed ribosomal DNA (rDNA) chromatin, derives mostly from secondary constrictions known as nucleolus organizer regions containing rDNA genes on nucleolus-forming chromosomes. This chromatin may occupy different nucleolar positions being in various condensation states which may imply different rDNA transcriptional competence. Sections of nucleoli originating from root meristematic cells of soybean seedlings grown at 25 °C (the control), then subjected to chilling stress (10 °C), and next transferred again to 25 °C (the recovery) were used to measure profile areas occupied by nucleolar condensed chromatin disclosed with sodium hydroxide methylation-acetylation plus uranyl acetate technique. The biggest total area of condensed chromatin was found in the nucleoli of chilled plants, while the smallest was found in those of recovered plants in relation to the amounts of chromatin in the control nucleoli. The condensed nucleolar chromatin, in the form of different-sized and different-shaped clumps, was mainly located in fibrillar centers. One can suppose that changes of condensed rDNA chromatin amounts might be a mechanism controlling the number of transcriptionally active rDNA genes as the nucleoli of plants grown under these experimental conditions show different transcriptional activity and morphology.

  16. Mechanisms of action of sacubitril/valsartan on cardiac remodeling: a systems biology approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iborra-Egea, Oriol; Gálvez-Montón, Carolina; Roura, Santiago; Perea-Gil, Isaac; Prat-Vidal, Cristina; Soler-Botija, Carolina; Bayes-Genis, Antoni

    2017-01-01

    Sacubitril/Valsartan, proved superiority over other conventional heart failure management treatments, but its mechanisms of action remains obscure. In this study, we sought to explore the mechanistic details for Sacubitril/Valsartan in heart failure and post-myocardial infarction remodeling, using an in silico, systems biology approach. Myocardial transcriptome obtained in response to myocardial infarction in swine was analyzed to address post-infarction ventricular remodeling. Swine transcriptome hits were mapped to their human equivalents using Reciprocal Best (blast) Hits, Gene Name Correspondence, and InParanoid database. Heart failure remodeling was studied using public data available in gene expression omnibus (accession GSE57345, subseries GSE57338), processed using the GEO2R tool. Using the Therapeutic Performance Mapping System technology, dedicated mathematical models trained to fit a set of molecular criteria, defining both pathologies and including all the information available on Sacubitril/Valsartan, were generated. All relationships incorporated into the biological network were drawn from public resources (including KEGG, REACTOME, INTACT, BIOGRID, and MINT). An artificial neural network analysis revealed that Sacubitril/Valsartan acts synergistically against cardiomyocyte cell death and left ventricular extracellular matrix remodeling via eight principal synergistic nodes. When studying each pathway independently, Valsartan was found to improve cardiac remodeling by inhibiting members of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein family, while Sacubitril attenuated cardiomyocyte cell death, hypertrophy, and impaired myocyte contractility by inhibiting PTEN. The complex molecular mechanisms of action of Sacubitril/Valsartan upon post-myocardial infarction and heart failure cardiac remodeling were delineated using a systems biology approach. Further, this dataset provides pathophysiological rationale for the use of Sacubitril/Valsartan to prevent post

  17. Chromatin compaction by condensin I, intra-kinetochore stretch and tension, and anaphase onset, in collective spindle assembly checkpoint interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsson, Leif

    2014-01-01

    The control mechanism in mitosis and meiosis by which cells decide to inhibit or allow segregation, the so-called spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), increases the fidelity of chromosome segregation. It acts like a clockwork mechanism which measures time in units of stable attachments of microtubules (MTs) to kinetochores (the order parameter). Stable MT–kinetochore attachments mediate poleward forces and ‘unstable’ attachments, acting alone or together with motor proteins on kinetochores via chromosomes, antipoleward forces. Stable and unstable attachments could be separated, and the non-equilibrium integrated MT mediated force acting on stably attached kinetochores was derived in a collective interaction (Matsson 2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 502101), in which kinetochores were treated as rigid protein complexes. As forces and tension in that model became equally distributed in all bioriented sister chromatid (SC) pairs, segregation was inhibited without need of a ‘wait-anaphase’ signal. In this generalization, the kinetochore is divided into an inner chromatin proximal complex and an outer MT proximal complex, and the integrated MT mediated force is divided into an integrated poleward and an integrated antipoleward force. The model also describes the collective interaction of condensin I with chromatin, which together with the MT mediated dynamics yields the putative in vivo tension in kinetochores and centromeric and pericentromeric chromatin, as a non-linear function of the order parameter. Supported by the compaction force and an increased stiffness in chromatin towards the end of metaphase, the two opposing integrated MT mediated poleward forces, together with metaphase oscillations, induce a swift and synchronized anaphase onset by first increasing the intra-kinetochore stretch. This increase lowers the SAC energy threshold, making a cleavage by separase of all cohesin tethering SC pairs in anaphase energetically possible, thereby reducing the

  18. Chromatin regulation at the frontier of synthetic biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keung, Albert J.; Joung, J. Keith; Khalil, Ahmad S.; Collins, James J.

    2016-01-01

    As synthetic biology approaches are extended to diverse applications throughout medicine, biotechnology and basic biological research, there is an increasing need to engineer yeast, plant and mammalian cells. Eukaryotic genomes are regulated by the diverse biochemical and biophysical states of chromatin, which brings distinct challenges, as well as opportunities, over applications in bacteria. Recent synthetic approaches, including `epigenome editing', have allowed the direct and functional dissection of many aspects of physiological chromatin regulation. These studies lay the foundation for biomedical and biotechnological engineering applications that could take advantage of the unique combinatorial and spatiotemporal layers of chromatin regulation to create synthetic systems of unprecedented sophistication. PMID:25668787

  19. Cytogenetic abnormality in man, wider implications of theories of sex chromatin origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MILES, C P

    1962-01-01

    Female nuclei may be identified by means of sex chromatin. In general the number of sex chromatin bodies is one less than the number of X chromosomes. An exception to this rule is a case of sex chromatin-positive XO Turner's syndrome. This case suggests the possibility of sex chromatin-positive XY males, and it may be evidence for chromosomal differentiation.

  20. The Chromatin Regulator Brpf1 Regulates Embryo Development and Cell Proliferation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Linya; Yan, Kezhi; Zou, Jinfeng; Zhao, Hong; Bertos, Nicholas R.; Park, Morag; Wang, Edwin; Yang, Xiang-Jiao

    2015-01-01

    With hundreds of chromatin regulators identified in mammals, an emerging issue is how they modulate biological and pathological processes. BRPF1 (bromodomain- and PHD finger-containing protein 1) is a unique chromatin regulator possessing two PHD fingers, one bromodomain and a PWWP domain for recognizing multiple histone modifications. In addition, it binds to the acetyltransferases MOZ, MORF, and HBO1 (also known as KAT6A, KAT6B, and KAT7, respectively) to promote complex formation, restrict substrate specificity, and enhance enzymatic activity. We have recently showed that ablation of the mouse Brpf1 gene causes embryonic lethality at E9.5. Here we present systematic analyses of the mutant animals and demonstrate that the ablation leads to vascular defects in the placenta, yolk sac, and embryo proper, as well as abnormal neural tube closure. At the cellular level, Brpf1 loss inhibits proliferation of embryonic fibroblasts and hematopoietic progenitors. Molecularly, the loss reduces transcription of a ribosomal protein L10 (Rpl10)-like gene and the cell cycle inhibitor p27, and increases expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p16 and a novel protein homologous to Scp3, a synaptonemal complex protein critical for chromosome association and embryo survival. These results uncover a crucial role of Brpf1 in controlling mouse embryo development and regulating cellular and gene expression programs. PMID:25773539

  1. Tandem Affinity Purification Approach Coupled to Mass Spectrometry to Identify Post-translational Modifications of Histones Associated with Chromatin-Binding Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, Sophie; Robin, Philippe; Ait-Si-Ali, Slimane

    2017-01-01

    Protein purification by tandem affinity purification (TAP)-tag coupled to mass spectrometry analysis is usually used to reveal protein complex composition. Here we describe a TAP-tag purification of chromatin-bound proteins along with associated nucleosomes, which allow exhaustive identification of protein partners. Moreover, this method allows exhaustive identification of the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of the associated histones. Thus, in addition to partner characterization, this approach reveals the associated epigenetic landscape that can shed light on the function and properties of the studied chromatin-bound protein.

  2. Intradialytic Hypotension and Cardiac Remodeling: A Vicious Cycle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Ter Chao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Hemodynamic instability during hemodialysis is a common but often underestimated issue in the nephrologist practice. Intradialytic hypotension, namely, a decrease of systolic or mean blood pressure to a certain level, prohibits the safe and smooth achievement of ultrafiltration and solute removal goal in chronic dialysis patients. Studies have elucidated the potential mechanisms involved in the development of Intradialytic hypotension, including excessive ultrafiltration and loss of compensatory mechanisms for blood pressure maintenance. Cardiac remodeling could also be one important piece of the puzzle. In this review, we intend to discuss the role of cardiac remodeling, including left ventricular hypertrophy, in the development of Intradialytic hypotension. In addition, we will also provide evidence that a bidirectional relationship might exist between Intradialytic hypotension and left ventricular hypertrophy in chronic dialysis patients. A more complete understanding of the complex interactions in between could assist the readers in formulating potential solutions for the reduction of both phenomena.

  3. Small chromosomal regions position themselves autonomously according to their chromatin class.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van de Werken, Harmen J G; Haan, Josien C; Feodorova, Yana; Bijos, Dominika; Weuts, An; Theunis, Koen; Holwerda, Sjoerd J B; Meuleman, Wouter; Pagie, Ludo; Thanisch, Katharina; Kumar, Parveen; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Marynen, Peter; van Steensel, Bas; Voet, Thierry; de Laat, Wouter; Solovei, Irina; Joffe, Boris

    2017-06-01

    The spatial arrangement of chromatin is linked to the regulation of nuclear processes. One striking aspect of nuclear organization is the spatial segregation of heterochromatic and euchromatic domains. The mechanisms of this chromatin segregation are still poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the link between the primary genomic sequence and chromatin domains. We analyzed the spatial intranuclear arrangement of a human artificial chromosome (HAC) in a xenospecific mouse background in comparison to an orthologous region of native mouse chromosome. The two orthologous regions include segments that can be assigned to three major chromatin classes according to their gene abundance and repeat repertoire: (1) gene-rich and SINE-rich euchromatin; (2) gene-poor and LINE/LTR-rich heterochromatin; and (3) gene-depleted and satellite DNA-containing constitutive heterochromatin. We show, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 4C-seq technologies, that chromatin segments ranging from 0.6 to 3 Mb cluster with segments of the same chromatin class. As a consequence, the chromatin segments acquire corresponding positions in the nucleus irrespective of their chromosomal context, thereby strongly suggesting that this is their autonomous property. Interactions with the nuclear lamina, although largely retained in the HAC, reveal less autonomy. Taken together, our results suggest that building of a functional nucleus is largely a self-organizing process based on mutual recognition of chromosome segments belonging to the major chromatin classes. © 2017 van de Werken et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  4. Restoring chromatin after replication: How new and old histone marks come together

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jasencakova, Zusana; Groth, Anja

    2010-01-01

    In dividing cells genome stability and function rely on faithful transmission of both DNA sequence and its organization into chromatin. In the course of DNA replication chromatin undergoes transient genome-wide disruption followed by restoration on new DNA. This involves tight coordination of DNA...... replication and chromatin assembly processes in time and space. Dynamic recycling and de novo deposition of histones are fundamental for chromatin restoration. Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are thought to have a causal role in establishing distinct chromatin structures. Here we discuss PTMs...... present on new and parental histones and how they influence genome stability and restoration of epigenetically defined domains. Newly deposited histones must change their signature in the process of chromatin restoration, this may occur in a step-wise fashion involving replication-coupled processes...

  5. Interaction of a common painkiller piroxicam and copper-piroxicam with chromatin causes structural alterations accompanied by modulation at the epigenomic/genomic level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goswami, Sathi; Sanyal, Sulagna; Chakraborty, Payal; Das, Chandrima; Sarkar, Munna

    2017-08-01

    NSAIDs are the most common class of painkillers and anti-inflammatory agents. They also show other functions like chemoprevention and chemosuppression for which they act at the protein but not at the genome level since they are mostly anions at physiological pH, which prohibit their approach to the poly-anionic DNA. Complexing the drugs with bioactive metal obliterate their negative charge and allow them to bind to the DNA, thereby, opening the possibility of genome level interaction. To test this hypothesis, we present the interaction of a traditional NSAID, Piroxicam and its copper complex with core histone and chromatin. Spectroscopy, DLS, and SEM studies were applied to see the effect of the interaction on the structure of histone/chromatin. This was coupled with MTT assay, immunoblot analysis, confocal microscopy, micro array analysis and qRT-PCR. The interaction of Piroxicam and its copper complex with histone/chromatin results in structural alterations. Such structural alterations can have different biological manifestations, but to test our hypothesis, we have focused only on the accompanied modulations at the epigenomic/genomic level. The complex, showed alteration of key epigenetic signatures implicated in transcription in the global context, although Piroxicam caused no significant changes. We have correlated such alterations caused by the complex with the changes in global gene expression and validated the candidate gene expression alterations. Our results provide the proof of concept that DNA binding ability of the copper complexes of a traditional NSAID, opens up the possibility of modulations at the epigenomic/genomic level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Mechanism of chromatin degradation in thymocytes of irradiated rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zotova, R.N.; Umanskij, S.R.; Tokarskaya, V.I.

    1983-01-01

    A biphase change in poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activity of the thymocyte chromatin was observed after 10 Gy irradiation of rats: during the first minutes the incorporation of 14 C-NAD increased by 40% then started decreasing to make 110, 60 and 35% after 1, 2 and 3 h, respectively. Irradiation of rat thymus chromatin in vitro sharply decreased poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activity. The possible role of changes in the poly (ADP-ribose) synthesis in the activation of nuclear Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease and in the postirradiation degradation of the thymocyte chromatin is discussed

  7. Histone deacetylases (HDACs and brain function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claude-Henry Volmar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Modulation of gene expression is a constant and necessary event for mammalian brain function. An important way of regulating gene expression is through the remodeling of chromatin, the complex of DNA, and histone proteins around which DNA wraps. The “histone code hypothesis” places histone post-translational modifications as a significant part of chromatin remodeling to regulate transcriptional activity. Acetylation of histones by histone acetyl transferases and deacetylation by histone deacetylases (HDACs at lysine residues are the most studied histone post-translational modifications in cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we review the literature regarding the role of HDACs in brain function. Among the roles of HDACs in the brain, studies show that they participate in glial lineage development, learning and memory, neuropsychiatric diseases, and even rare neurologic diseases. Most HDACs can be targeted with small molecules. However, additional brain-penetrant specific inhibitors with high central nervous system exposure are needed to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between individual HDACs and brain-associated diseases.

  8. Human CDT1 associates with CDC7 and recruits CDC45 to chromatin during S phase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ballabeni, Andrea; Zamponi, Raffaela; Caprara, Greta

    2009-01-01

    The initiation of DNA replication is a tightly controlled process that involves the formation of distinct complexes at origins of DNA replication at specific periods of the cell cycle. Pre-Replicative Complexes are formed during telophase and early G1. They rearrange at the start of S phase to form...... pre-Initiation Complexes, which are a prerequisite for DNA replication. The CDT1 protein is required for the formation of the pre-Replicative Complexes. Here we show that human CDT1 associates with the CDC7 kinase and recruits CDC45 to chromatin. Moreover, we show that the amount of CDT1 bound...

  9. RISC-mediated control of selected chromatin regulators stabilizes ground state pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandolfini, Luca; Luzi, Ettore; Bressan, Dario; Ucciferri, Nadia; Bertacchi, Michele; Brandi, Rossella; Rocchiccioli, Silvia; D'Onofrio, Mara; Cremisi, Federico

    2016-05-06

    Embryonic stem cells are intrinsically unstable and differentiate spontaneously if they are not shielded from external stimuli. Although the nature of such instability is still controversial, growing evidence suggests that protein translation control may play a crucial role. We performed an integrated analysis of RNA and proteins at the transition between naïve embryonic stem cells and cells primed to differentiate. During this transition, mRNAs coding for chromatin regulators are specifically released from translational inhibition mediated by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). This suggests that, prior to differentiation, the propensity of embryonic stem cells to change their epigenetic status is hampered by RNA interference. The expression of these chromatin regulators is reinstated following acute inactivation of RISC and it correlates with loss of stemness markers and activation of early cell differentiation markers in treated embryonic stem cells. We propose that RISC-mediated inhibition of specific sets of chromatin regulators is a primary mechanism for preserving embryonic stem cell pluripotency while inhibiting the onset of embryonic developmental programs.

  10. Dual function of Swc5 in SWR remodeling ATPase activation and histone H2A eviction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Lu; Luk, Ed

    2017-09-29

    The chromatin remodeler SWR deposits histone H2A.Z at promoters and other regulatory sites via an ATP-driven histone exchange reaction that replaces nucleosomal H2A with H2A.Z. Simultaneous binding of SWR to both H2A nucleosome and free H2A.Z induces SWR ATPase activity and engages the histone exchange mechanism. Swc5 is a conserved subunit of the 14-polypeptide SWR complex that is required for the histone exchange reaction, but its molecular role is unknown. We found that Swc5, although not required for substrate binding, is required for SWR ATPase stimulation, suggesting that Swc5 is required to couple substrate recognition to ATPase activation. A biochemical complementation assay was developed to show that a unique, conserved domain at the C-terminus of Swc5, called Bucentaur (BCNT), is essential for the histone exchange activity of SWR, whereas an acidic region at the N-terminus is required for optimal SWR function. In vitro studies showed the acidic N-terminus of Swc5 preferentially binds to the H2A-H2B dimer and exhibits histone chaperone activity. We propose that an auxiliary function of Swc5 in SWR is to assist H2A ejection as H2A.Z is inserted into the nucleosome. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  11. Cytology of DNA Replication Reveals Dynamic Plasticity of Large-Scale Chromatin Fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xiang; Zhironkina, Oxana A; Cherepanynets, Varvara D; Strelkova, Olga S; Kireev, Igor I; Belmont, Andrew S

    2016-09-26

    In higher eukaryotic interphase nuclei, the 100- to >1,000-fold linear compaction of chromatin is difficult to reconcile with its function as a template for transcription, replication, and repair. It is challenging to imagine how DNA and RNA polymerases with their associated molecular machinery would move along the DNA template without transient decondensation of observed large-scale chromatin "chromonema" fibers [1]. Transcription or "replication factory" models [2], in which polymerases remain fixed while DNA is reeled through, are similarly difficult to conceptualize without transient decondensation of these chromonema fibers. Here, we show how a dynamic plasticity of chromatin folding within large-scale chromatin fibers allows DNA replication to take place without significant changes in the global large-scale chromatin compaction or shape of these large-scale chromatin fibers. Time-lapse imaging of lac-operator-tagged chromosome regions shows no major change in the overall compaction of these chromosome regions during their DNA replication. Improved pulse-chase labeling of endogenous interphase chromosomes yields a model in which the global compaction and shape of large-Mbp chromatin domains remains largely invariant during DNA replication, with DNA within these domains undergoing significant movements and redistribution as they move into and then out of adjacent replication foci. In contrast to hierarchical folding models, this dynamic plasticity of large-scale chromatin organization explains how localized changes in DNA topology allow DNA replication to take place without an accompanying global unfolding of large-scale chromatin fibers while suggesting a possible mechanism for maintaining epigenetic programming of large-scale chromatin domains throughout DNA replication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. MDM2 Associates with Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 and Enhances Stemness-Promoting Chromatin Modifications Independent of p53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wienken, Magdalena; Dickmanns, Antje; Nemajerova, Alice; Kramer, Daniela; Najafova, Zeynab; Weiss, Miriam; Karpiuk, Oleksandra; Kassem, Moustapha; Zhang, Yanping; Lozano, Guillermina; Johnsen, Steven A; Moll, Ute M; Zhang, Xin; Dobbelstein, Matthias

    2016-01-07

    The MDM2 oncoprotein ubiquitinates and antagonizes p53 but may also carry out p53-independent functions. Here we report that MDM2 is required for the efficient generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from murine embryonic fibroblasts, in the absence of p53. Similarly, MDM2 depletion in the context of p53 deficiency also promoted the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and diminished clonogenic survival of cancer cells. Most of the MDM2-controlled genes also responded to the inactivation of the Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2) and its catalytic component EZH2. MDM2 physically associated with EZH2 on chromatin, enhancing the trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 and the ubiquitination of histone 2A at lysine 119 (H2AK119) at its target genes. Removing MDM2 simultaneously with the H2AK119 E3 ligase Ring1B/RNF2 further induced these genes and synthetically arrested cell proliferation. In conclusion, MDM2 supports the Polycomb-mediated repression of lineage-specific genes, independent of p53. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Adrenocortical zonation, renewal, and remodeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjut ePihlajoki

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The adrenal cortex is divided into concentric zones. In humans the major cortical zones are the zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, and zona reticularis. The adrenal cortex is a dynamic organ in which senescent cells are replaced by newly differentiated ones. This constant renewal facilitates organ remodeling in response to physiological demand for steroids. Cortical zones can reversibly expand, contract, or alter their biochemical profiles to accommodate needs. Pools of stem/progenitor cells in the adrenal capsule, subcapsular region, and juxtamedullary region can differentiate to repopulate or expand zones. Some of these pools appear to be activated only during specific developmental windows or in response to extreme physiological demand. Senescent cells can also be replenished through direct lineage conversion; for example, cells in the zona glomerulosa can transform into cells of the zona fasciculata. Adrenocortical cell differentiation, renewal, and function are regulated by a variety of endocrine/paracrine factors including adrenocorticotropin, angiotensin II, insulin-related growth hormones, luteinizing hormone, activin, and inhibin. Additionally, zonation and regeneration of the adrenal cortex are controlled by developmental signaling pathways, such as the sonic hedgehog, delta-like homologue 1, fibroblast growth factor, and WNT/β-catenin pathways. The mechanisms involved in adrenocortical remodeling are complex and redundant so as to fulfill the offsetting goals of organ homeostasis and stress adaptation.

  14. Dynamics of Histone Tails within Chromatin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernier, Morgan; North, Justin; Page, Michael; Jaroniec, Christopher; Hammel, Christopher; Poirier, Michael

    2012-02-01

    Genetic information in humans is encoded within DNA molecules that is wrapped around histone octamer proteins and compacted into a highly conserved structural polymer, chromatin. The physical and material properties of chromatin appear to influence gene expression by altering the accessibility of proteins to the DNA. The tails of the histones are flexible domains that are thought to play a role in regulating DNA accessibility and compaction; however the molecular mechanisms for these phenomena are not understood. I will present CW-EPR studies on site directed spin labeled nucleosomes that probe the structure and dynamics of these histone tails within nucleosomes.

  15. Identification, replication and characterization of epigenetic remodelling in the aging genome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Shuxia; Christiansen, Lene; Christensen, Kaare

    Background: Aging is a complex biological process that involves numerous changes at various levels through remodelling of multiple biological processes and regulatory mechanisms including epigenetics. Recent analysis of the DNA methylome has reported large numbers of epigenetic markers associated......, and by overwhelming age-related methylation in CpG island and demethylation at shore/shelf and open sea. Biological pathway analysis showed that age-dependent methylations were especially involved in cellular signalling activities while demethylations were particularly related to functions of the extracellular matrix....... Conclusion: Extensive epigenetic remodelling in the DNA methylome could be involved in the aging process. The identified age-methylated and demethylated sites displayed differential distribution patterns over genomic regions and were involved in biological pathways closely related to aging phenotypes and age...

  16. A Role for Histone Deacetylases in the Cellular and Behavioral Mechanisms Underlying Learning and Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahgoub, Melissa; Monteggia, Lisa M.

    2014-01-01

    Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of chromatin remodeling enzymes that restrict access of transcription factors to the DNA, thereby repressing gene expression. In contrast, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) relax the chromatin structure allowing for an active chromatin state and promoting gene transcription. Accumulating data have…

  17. Activating RNAs associate with Mediator to enhance chromatin architecture and transcription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Fan; Orom, Ulf A; Cesaroni, Matteo; Beringer, Malte; Taatjes, Dylan J; Blobel, Gerd A; Shiekhattar, Ramin

    2013-02-28

    Recent advances in genomic research have revealed the existence of a large number of transcripts devoid of protein-coding potential in multiple organisms. Although the functional role for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been best defined in epigenetic phenomena such as X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting, different classes of lncRNAs may have varied biological functions. We and others have identified a class of lncRNAs, termed ncRNA-activating (ncRNA-a), that function to activate their neighbouring genes using a cis-mediated mechanism. To define the precise mode by which such enhancer-like RNAs function, we depleted factors with known roles in transcriptional activation and assessed their role in RNA-dependent activation. Here we report that depletion of the components of the co-activator complex, Mediator, specifically and potently diminished the ncRNA-induced activation of transcription in a heterologous reporter assay using human HEK293 cells. In vivo, Mediator is recruited to ncRNA-a target genes and regulates their expression. We show that ncRNA-a interact with Mediator to regulate its chromatin localization and kinase activity towards histone H3 serine 10. The Mediator complex harbouring disease- displays diminished ability to associate with activating ncRNAs. Chromosome conformation capture confirmed the presence of DNA looping between the ncRNA-a loci and its targets. Importantly, depletion of Mediator subunits or ncRNA-a reduced the chromatin looping between the two loci. Our results identify the human Mediator complex as the transducer of activating ncRNAs and highlight the importance of Mediator and activating ncRNA association in human disease.

  18. Prolactin promotes breast cancer cell migration through actin cytoskeleton remodeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priscilla Ludovico da Silva

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The role of prolactin on breast cancer development and progression is debated. Breast cancer progression largely depends on cell movement and on the ability to remodel the actin cytoskeleton. In this process, actin-binding proteins are requested to achieve fibrillar actin de-polymerization and relocation at the cell membrane. Kinases such as focal adhesion kinase (FAK are later required to form actin/vinculin-enriched structures called focal adhesion complexes, which mediate firm adhesion to the extracellular matrix. These controllers are regulated by c-Src, which forms multiprotein signaling complexes with membrane receptors and is regulated by a number of hormones, including prolactin. We here show that breast cancer cells exposed to prolactin display an elevated c-Src expression and phosphorylation. In parallel, increased moesin and FAK expression and phosphorylation are found. These molecular changes are associated to relocation to the plasma membrane of cytoskeletal actin fibers and to increased horizontal cell movement. In conclusion, prolactin regulates actin remodeling and enhances breast cancer cell movement. This finding broadens the understanding of prolactin actions on breast cancer cells, highlighting new pathways that may be relevant to on breast cancer progression.

  19. Toxic effects of lead and nickel nitrate on rat liver chromatin components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabbani-Chadegani Iii, Azra; Fani, Nesa; Abdossamadi, Sayeh; Shahmir, Nosrat

    2011-01-01

    The biological activity of heavy metals is related to their physicochemical interaction with biological receptors. In the present study, the effect of low concentrations of nickel nitrate and lead nitrate (lead nitrate to chromatin compared to nickel nitrate. Also, the binding affinity of lead nitrate to histone proteins free in solution was higher than nickel. On the basis of the results, it is concluded that lead reacts with chromatin components even at very low concentrations and induce chromatin aggregation through histone-DNA cross-links. Whereas, nickel nitrate is less effective on chromatin at low concentrations, suggesting higher toxicity of lead nitrate on chromatin compared to nickel. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Effect of triiodothyronine on rat liver chromatin protein kinase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruh, J.; Tichonicky, L.

    1976-01-01

    1) Injection of triiodothyronine to rats stimulates protein kinase activity in liver chromatin nonhistone proteins. A significant increase was found after two daily injections. A 4-fold increase was observed with the purified enzyme after eight daily injections of the hormone. No variations were observed in cytosol protein kinase activity. Electrophoretic pattern, effect of heat denaturation, effect of p-hydroxymercuribenzoate seem to indicate that the enzyme present in treated rats is not identical to the enzyme in control animals, which suggests that thyroid hormone has induced nuclear protein kinase. Diiodothyronine, 3, 3', 5'-triiodothyronine have no effect on protein kinase. 2) Chromatin non-histone proteins isolated from rats injected with triiodothyronine incorporated more 32 P when incubated with [γ- 32 P]ATP than the chromatin proteins from untreated rats. Thyroidectomy reduced the in vitro 32 P incorporation. It is suggested that some of the biological activity of thyroid hormone could be mediated through its effect on chromatin non-histone proteins. (orig.) [de

  1. FoxA1 binding to the MMTV LTR modulates chromatin structure and transcription

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmqvist, Per-Henrik; Belikov, Sergey; Zaret, Kenneth S.; Wrange, Oerjan

    2005-01-01

    Novel binding sites for the forkhead transcription factor family member Forkhead box A (FoxA), previously referred to as Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3 (HNF3), were found within the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat (MMTV LTR). The effect of FoxA1 on MMTV LTR chromatin structure, and expression was evaluated in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Mutagenesis of either of the two main FoxA binding sites showed that the distal site, -232/-221, conferred FoxA1-dependent partial inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) driven MMTV transcription. The proximal FoxA binding segment consisted of two individual FoxA sites at -57/-46 and -45/-34, respectively, that mediated an increased basal MMTV transcription. FoxA1 binding altered the chromatin structure of both the inactive- and the hormone-activated MMTV LTR. Hydroxyl radical foot printing revealed FoxA1-mediated changes in the nucleosome arrangement. Micrococcal nuclease digestion showed the hormone-dependent sub-nucleosome complex, containing ∼120 bp of DNA, to be expanded by FoxA1 binding to the proximal segment into a larger complex containing ∼200 bp. The potential function of the FoxA1-mediated expression of the MMTV provirus for maintenance of expression in different tissues is discussed

  2. Chromatin proteins and modifications as drug targets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helin, Kristian; Dhanak, Dashyant

    2013-01-01

    A plethora of groundbreaking studies have demonstrated the importance of chromatin-associated proteins and post-translational modifications of histones, proteins and DNA (so-called epigenetic modifications) for transcriptional control and normal development. Disruption of epigenetic control...... is a frequent event in disease, and the first epigenetic-based therapies for cancer treatment have been approved. A generation of new classes of potent and specific inhibitors for several chromatin-associated proteins have shown promise in preclinical trials. Although the biology of epigenetic regulation...

  3. Chromatin Dynamics in Vivo: A Game of Musical Chairs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniël P. Melters

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Histones are a major component of chromatin, the nucleoprotein complex fundamental to regulating transcription, facilitating cell division, and maintaining genome integrity in almost all eukaryotes. In addition to canonical, replication-dependent histones, replication-independent histone variants exist in most eukaryotes. In recent years, steady progress has been made in understanding how histone variants assemble, their involvement in development, mitosis, transcription, and genome repair. In this review, we will focus on the localization of the major histone variants H3.3, CENP-A, H2A.Z, and macroH2A, as well as how these variants have evolved, their structural differences, and their functional significance in vivo.

  4. The effect of higher order chromatin structure on DNA damage and repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasui, L.S.; Warters, R.L.; Higashikubo, R.

    1985-01-01

    Alterations in chromatin structure are thought to play an important role in various radiobiological end points, i.e., DNA damage, DNA damage repair and cell survival. The authors use here the isoleucine deprivation technique to decondense higher order chromatin structure and asses X-ray induced DNA damage, DNA damage repair and cell survival on cells with decondensed chromatin as compared to controls. This chromatin decondensation manifests itself as a 30 fold decrease in nuclear area occupied by heterochromatin, an increased rate of Micrococcal nuclease digestion, 15% increased ethidium bromide intercalation and an altered binding capacity of Hl histone. These chromatin/nuclear changes do not affect X-ray induced DNA damage as measured by the alkaline elution technique or cell survival but slows DNA damage repair by 2 fold. Therefore, even though the chromatin appears more accessible to DNA damage and repair processes, these particular nuclear changes do not affect the DNA damaging effects of X-rays and in addition, repair is not enhanced by the ''relaxed'' state of chromatin. It is proposed that the altered metabolic state of isoleucine deprived cells provides a less efficient system for the repair of X-ray induced DNA damage

  5. Vibrational energy relaxation: proposed pathway of fast local chromatin denaturation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harder, D.; Greinert, R.

    2002-01-01

    The molecular mechanism responsible for the a component of exchange-type chromosome aberrations, of chromosome fragmentation and of reproductive cell death is one of the unsolved issues of radiation biology. Under review is whether vibrational energy relaxation in the constitutive biopolymers of chromatin, induced by inelastic energy deposition events and mediated via highly excited vibrational states, may provide a pathway of fast local chromatin denaturation, thereby producing the severe DNA lesion able to interact chemically with other, non-damaged chromatin. (author)

  6. Critical electrolyte concentration of spermatozoal chromatin containing histone H1 variants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.R.P. Falco

    1999-06-01

    Full Text Available The critical electrolyte concentrations (CEC of sperm chromatin from animal species known or suspected to contain histone H1 variants were compared by examining the affinity of their DNA-protein complexes for toluidine blue in the presence of Mg2+. Bullfrog, sea urchin, bee and bumblebee spermatozoa were studied. The CEC for Rana catesbeiana and two sea urchin species were similar to that of histone H5-containing chromatin from chicken erythrocytes, thus confirming the biochemical and structural similarities of these DNA-protein complexes. The CEC for bees and the bumblebee, Bombus atratus, showed no particular phylogenetic relationship. We concluded that the CEC of histone H1-containing sperm cell chromatin is a useful indicator of variability in DNA-protein complexes but is of little phylogenetic value.Valores de concentração crítica de eletrólitos (CEC da cromatina de espermatozóides de espécies conhecidas ou suspeitas de apresentarem variantes da histona H1 foram comparados entre si. O objetivo foi estabelecer semelhanças ou diferenças nos complexos DNA-proteína de espermatozóides dessas espécies em nível citoquímico. A afinidade por moléculas de azul de toluidina em condições de competição com íons Mg2+ foi investigada nos espermatozóides do sapo boi e de ouriços do mar, abelhas e mamangava. Uma íntima relação entre os valores de CEC de Rana catesbeiana e de duas espécies de ouriço do mar com os da cromatina de eritrócitos de frango, que contém a histona H5, foi vista estar de acordo com certas semelhanças bioquímicas e estruturais entre seus complexos DNA-proteína. Quanto aos dados para abelhas e para a mamangava Bombus atratus, não se pôde associar a variabilidade em valores de CEC com a posição das espécies na respectiva árvore filogenética. Conclui-se, portanto, que a CEC de cromatina de espermatozóides que contêm histona H1 é um indicador útil da influência de variantes de H1 na organiza

  7. Ascl1 Coordinately Regulates Gene Expression and the Chromatin Landscape during Neurogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre A.S.F. Raposo

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The proneural transcription factor Ascl1 coordinates gene expression in both proliferating and differentiating progenitors along the neuronal lineage. Here, we used a cellular model of neurogenesis to investigate how Ascl1 interacts with the chromatin landscape to regulate gene expression when promoting neuronal differentiation. We find that Ascl1 binding occurs mostly at distal enhancers and is associated with activation of gene transcription. Surprisingly, the accessibility of Ascl1 to its binding sites in neural stem/progenitor cells remains largely unchanged throughout their differentiation, as Ascl1 targets regions of both readily accessible and closed chromatin in proliferating cells. Moreover, binding of Ascl1 often precedes an increase in chromatin accessibility and the appearance of new regions of open chromatin, associated with de novo gene expression during differentiation. Our results reveal a function of Ascl1 in promoting chromatin accessibility during neurogenesis, linking the chromatin landscape at Ascl1 target regions with the temporal progression of its transcriptional program.

  8. HACking the centromere chromatin code: insights from human artificial chromosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergmann, Jan H; Martins, Nuno M C; Larionov, Vladimir; Masumoto, Hiroshi; Earnshaw, William C

    2012-07-01

    The centromere is a specialized chromosomal region that serves as the assembly site of the kinetochore. At the centromere, CENP-A nucleosomes form part of a chromatin landscape termed centrochromatin. This chromatin environment conveys epigenetic marks regulating kinetochore formation. Recent work sheds light on the intricate relationship between centrochromatin state, the CENP-A assembly pathway and the maintenance of centromere function. Here, we review the emerging picture of how chromatin affects mammalian kinetochore formation. We place particular emphasis on data obtained from Human Artificial Chromosome (HAC) biology and the targeted engineering of centrochromatin using synthetic HACs. We discuss implications of these findings, which indicate that a delicate balance of histone modifications and chromatin state dictates both de novo centromere formation and the maintenance of centromere identity in dividing cell populations.

  9. Local changes of higher-order chromatin structure during DSB-repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falk, M; Lukasova, E; Gabrielova, B; Ondrej, V; Kozubek, S

    2008-01-01

    We show that double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced in DNA of human cells by γ-radiation arise mainly in active, gene-rich, decondensed chromatin. We demonstrate that DSBs show limited movement in living cells, occasionally resulting in their permanent clustering, which poses a risk of incorrect DNA rejoining. In addition, some DSBs remain unrepaired for several days after irradiation, forming lesions repairable only with difficulty which are hazardous for genome stability. These 'late' DSBs colocalize with heterochromatin markers (dimethylated histone H3 at lysine 9, HP1 and CENP-A proteins), despite the low density of the surrounding chromatin. This indicates that there is epigenetic silencing of loci close to unrepaired DSBs and/or stabilization of damaged decondensed chromatin loops during repair and post-repair reconstitution of chromatin structure

  10. Higher-order structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowary, P.T.; Widom, J.

    1989-01-01

    We have developed a method for partially purifying chromatin from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) to a level suitable for studies of its higher-order folding. This has required the use of yeast strains that are free of the ubiquitous yeast killer virus. Results from dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction show that the yeast chromatin undergoes a cation-dependent folding into 30-nm filaments that resemble those characteristic of higher-cell chromatin; moreover, the packing of nucleosomes within the yeast 30-nm filaments is similar to that of higher cells. These results imply that yeast has a protein or protein domain that serves the role of the histone H 1 found in higher cells; physical and genetic studies of the yeast activity could help elucidate the structure and function of H 1. Images of the yeast 30-nm filaments can be used to test crossed-linker models for 30-nm filament structure

  11. The subunits of the S-phase checkpoint complex Mrc1/Tof1/Csm3: dynamics and interdependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uzunova, Sonya Dimitrova; Zarkov, Alexander Stefanov; Ivanova, Anna Marianova; Stoynov, Stoyno Stefanov; Nedelcheva-Veleva, Marina Nedelcheva

    2014-01-01

    The S-phase checkpoint aims to prevent cells from generation of extensive single-stranded DNA that predisposes to genome instability. The S. cerevisiae complex Tof1/Csm3/Mrc1 acts to restrain the replicative MCM helicase when DNA synthesis is prohibited. Keeping the replication machinery intact allows restart of the replication fork when the block is relieved. Although the subunits of the Tof1/Csm3/Mrc1 complex are well studied, the impact of every single subunit on the triple complex formation and function needs to be established. This work studies the cellular localization and the chromatin binding of GFP-tagged subunits when the complex is intact and when a subunit is missing. We demonstrate that the complex is formed in cell nucleus, not the cytoplasm, as Tof1, Csm3 and Mrc1 enter the nucleus independently from one another. Via in situ chromatin binding assay we show that a Tof1-Csm3 dimer formation and chromatin binding is required to ensure the attachment of Mrc1 to chromatin. Our study indicates that the translocation into the nucleus is not the process to regulate the timing of chromatin association of Mrc1. We also studied the nuclear behavior of Mrc1 subunit in the process of adaptation to the presence hydroxyurea. Our results indicate that after prolonged HU incubation, cells bypass the S-phase checkpoint and proceed throughout the cell cycle. This process is accompanied by Mrc1 chromatin detachment and Rad53 dephosphorylation. In S. cerevisiae the subunits of the S-phase checkpoint complex Mrc1/Tof1/Csm3 independently enter the cell nucleus, where a Tof1-Csm3 dimer is formed to ensure the chromatin binding of Mrc1 and favor DNA replication and S-phase checkpoint fork arrest. In the process of adaptation to the presence of hydroxyurea Mrc1 is detached from chromatin and Rad53 checkpoint activity is diminished in order to allow S-phase checkpoint escape and completion of the cell cycle.

  12. Oxidative stress signaling to chromatin in health and disease

    KAUST Repository

    Kreuz, Sarah

    2016-06-20

    Oxidative stress has a significant impact on the development and progression of common human pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and neurodegenerative diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress globally influences chromatin structure, DNA methylation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic post-translational modifications of histones and DNA-binding proteins. The effects of oxidative stress on these chromatin alterations mediate a number of cellular changes, including modulation of gene expression, cell death, cell survival and mutagenesis, which are disease-driving mechanisms in human pathologies. Targeting oxidative stress-dependent pathways is thus a promising strategy for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. We summarize recent research developments connecting oxidative stress and chromatin regulation.

  13. SUMO-2 Orchestrates Chromatin Modifiers in Response to DNA Damage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hendriks, Ivo A; Treffers, Louise W; Verlaan-de Vries, Matty

    2015-01-01

    dynamically SUMOylated interaction networks of chromatin modifiers, transcription factors, DNA repair factors, and nuclear body components. SUMOylated chromatin modifiers include JARID1B/KDM5B, JARID1C/KDM5C, p300, CBP, PARP1, SetDB1, and MBD1. Whereas SUMOylated JARID1B was ubiquitylated by the SUMO......-targeted ubiquitin ligase RNF4 and degraded by the proteasome in response to DNA damage, JARID1C was SUMOylated and recruited to the chromatin to demethylate histone H3K4....

  14. Differential affinity of mammalian histone H1 somatic subtypes for DNA and chromatin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mora Xavier

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Histone H1 is involved in the formation and maintenance of chromatin higher order structure. H1 has multiple isoforms; the subtypes differ in timing of expression, extent of phosphorylation and turnover rate. In vertebrates, the amino acid substitution rates differ among subtypes by almost one order of magnitude, suggesting that each subtype might have acquired a unique function. We have devised a competitive assay to estimate the relative binding affinities of histone H1 mammalian somatic subtypes H1a-e and H1° for long chromatin fragments (30–35 nucleosomes in physiological salt (0.14 M NaCl at constant stoichiometry. Results The H1 complement of native chromatin was perturbed by adding an additional amount of one of the subtypes. A certain amount of SAR (scaffold-associated region DNA was present in the mixture to avoid precipitation of chromatin by excess H1. SAR DNA also provided a set of reference relative affinities, which were needed to estimate the relative affinities of the subtypes for chromatin from the distribution of the subtypes between the SAR and the chromatin. The amounts of chromatin, SAR and additional H1 were adjusted so as to keep the stoichiometry of perturbed chromatin similar to that of native chromatin. H1 molecules freely exchanged between the chromatin and SAR binding sites. In conditions of free exchange, H1a was the subtype of lowest affinity, H1b and H1c had intermediate affinities and H1d, H1e and H1° the highest affinities. Subtype affinities for chromatin differed by up to 19-fold. The relative affinities of the subtypes for chromatin were equivalent to those estimated for a SAR DNA fragment and a pUC19 fragment of similar length. Avian H5 had an affinity ~12-fold higher than H1e for both DNA and chromatin. Conclusion H1 subtypes freely exchange in vitro between chromatin binding sites in physiological salt (0.14 M NaCl. The large differences in relative affinity of the H1 subtypes for

  15. Temporal profiling of the chromatin proteome reveals system-wide responses to replication inhibition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khoudoli, Guennadi A; Gillespie, Peter J; Stewart, Graeme

    2008-01-01

    Although the replication, expression, and maintenance of DNA are well-studied processes, the way that they are coordinated is poorly understood. Here, we report an analysis of the changing association of proteins with chromatin (the chromatin proteome) during progression through interphase...... of the cell cycle. Sperm nuclei were incubated in Xenopus egg extracts, and chromatin-associated proteins were analyzed by mass spectrometry at different times. Approximately 75% of the proteins varied in abundance on chromatin by more than 15%, suggesting that the chromatin proteome is highly dynamic....... Proteins were then assigned to one of 12 different clusters on the basis of their pattern of chromatin association. Each cluster contained functional groups of proteins involved in different nuclear processes related to progression through interphase. We also blocked DNA replication by inhibiting either...

  16. FACT prevents the accumulation of free histones evicted from transcribed chromatin and a subsequent cell cycle delay in G1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Macarena Morillo-Huesca

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The FACT complex participates in chromatin assembly and disassembly during transcription elongation. The yeast mutants affected in the SPT16 gene, which encodes one of the FACT subunits, alter the expression of G1 cyclins and exhibit defects in the G1/S transition. Here we show that the dysfunction of chromatin reassembly factors, like FACT or Spt6, down-regulates the expression of the gene encoding the cyclin that modulates the G1 length (CLN3 in START by specifically triggering the repression of its promoter. The G1 delay undergone by spt16 mutants is not mediated by the DNA-damage checkpoint, although the mutation of RAD53, which is otherwise involved in histone degradation, enhances the cell-cycle defects of spt16-197. We reveal how FACT dysfunction triggers an accumulation of free histones evicted from transcribed chromatin. This accumulation is enhanced in a rad53 background and leads to a delay in G1. Consistently, we show that the overexpression of histones in wild-type cells down-regulates CLN3 in START and causes a delay in G1. Our work shows that chromatin reassembly factors are essential players in controlling the free histones potentially released from transcribed chromatin and describes a new cell cycle phenomenon that allows cells to respond to excess histones before starting DNA replication.

  17. Synaptic Remodeling Generates Synchronous Oscillations in the Degenerated Outer Mouse Retina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wadood eHaq

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available During neuronal degenerative diseases, neuronal microcircuits undergo severe structural alterations, leading to remodeling of synaptic connectivity. The functional consequences of such remodeling are mostly unknown. For instance, in mutant rd1 mouse retina, a common model for Retinitis Pigmentosa, rod bipolar cells (RBCs establish contacts with remnant cone photoreceptors (cones as a consequence of rod photoreceptor cell death and the resulting lack of presynaptic input. To assess the functional connectivity in the remodeled, light-insensitive outer rd1 retina, we recorded spontaneous population activity in retinal wholemounts using Ca2+ imaging and identified the participating cell types. Focusing on cones, RBCs and horizontal cells (HCs, we found that these cell types display spontaneous oscillatory activity and form synchronously active clusters. Overall activity was modulated by GABAergic inhibition from HCs. Many of the activity clusters comprised both cones and RBCs. Opposite to what is expected from the intact (wild-type cone-ON bipolar cell pathway, cone and RBC activity was positively correlated and, at least partially, mediated by glutamate transporters expressed on RBCs. Deletion of gap junctional coupling between cones reduced the number of clusters, indicating that electrical cone coupling plays a crucial role for generating the observed synchronized oscillations. In conclusion, degeneration-induced synaptic remodeling of the rd1 retina results in a complex self-sustained outer retinal oscillatory network, that complements (and potentially modulates the recently described inner retinal oscillatory network consisting of amacrine, bipolar and ganglion cells.

  18. Vasotrophic Regulation of Age-Dependent Hypoxic Cerebrovascular Remodeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silpanisong, Jinjutha; Pearce, William J.

    2015-01-01

    Hypoxia can induce functional and structural vascular remodeling by changing the expression of trophic factors to promote homeostasis. While most experimental approaches have been focused on functional remodeling, structural remodeling can reflect changes in the abundance and organization of vascular proteins that determine functional remodeling. Better understanding of age-dependent hypoxic macrovascular remodeling processes of the cerebral vasculature and its clinical implications require knowledge of the vasotrophic factors that influence arterial structure and function. Hypoxia can affect the expression of transcription factors, classical receptor tyrosine kinase factors, non-classical G-protein coupled factors, catecholamines, and purines. Hypoxia’s remodeling effects can be mediated by Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) upregulation in most vascular beds, but alterations in the expression of growth factors can also be independent of HIF. PPARγ is another transcription factor involved in hypoxic remodeling. Expression of classical receptor tyrosine kinase ligands, including vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and angiopoietins, can be altered by hypoxia which can act simultaneously to affect remodeling. Tyrosine kinase-independent factors, such as transforming growth factor, nitric oxide, endothelin, angiotensin II, catecholamines, and purines also participate in the remodeling process. This adaptation to hypoxic stress can fundamentally change with age, resulting in different responses between fetuses and adults. Overall, these mechanisms integrate to assure that blood flow and metabolic demand are closely matched in all vascular beds and emphasize the view that the vascular wall is a highly dynamic and heterogeneous tissue with multiple cell types undergoing regular phenotypic transformation. PMID:24063376

  19. Control of human adenovirus type 5 gene expression by cellular Daxx/ATRX chromatin-associated complexes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schreiner, Sabrina; Bürck, Carolin; Glass, Mandy

    2013-01-01

    to interact with ATRX. To ensure efficient viral replication, Ad5 E1B-55K protein inhibits Daxx and targets ATRX for proteasomal degradation in cooperation with early region 4 open reading frame protein 6 and cellular components of a cullin-dependent E3-ubiquitin ligase. Our studies illustrate the importance...... is the targeting factor, leading to histone deacetylase recruitment, H3.3 deposition and transcriptional repression of cellular promoters. Despite recent findings on the fundamental importance of chromatin modification in host-cell gene regulation, it remains unclear whether adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) transcription...

  20. Citrullination regulates pluripotency and histone H1 binding to chromatin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christophorou, Maria A; Castelo-Branco, Gonçalo; Halley-Stott, Richard P

    2014-01-01

    citrullination of core histones has been linked to transcriptional regulation and the DNA damage response. PADI4 (also called PAD4 or PADV), the only PADI with a nuclear localization signal, was previously shown to act in myeloid cells where it mediates profound chromatin decondensation during the innate immune...... and activating their expression. Its inhibition lowers the percentage of pluripotent cells in the early mouse embryo and significantly reduces reprogramming efficiency. Using an unbiased proteomic approach we identify linker histone H1 variants, which are involved in the generation of compact chromatin, as novel...... PADI4 substrates. Citrullination of a single arginine residue within the DNA-binding site of H1 results in its displacement from chromatin and global chromatin decondensation. Together, these results uncover a role for citrullination in the regulation of pluripotency and provide new mechanistic...

  1. EBV Latency Types Adopt Alternative Chromatin Conformations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tempera, Italo; Klichinsky, Michael; Lieberman, Paul M.

    2011-01-01

    Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) can establish latent infections with distinct gene expression patterns referred to as latency types. These different latency types are epigenetically stable and correspond to different promoter utilization. Here we explore the three-dimensional conformations of the EBV genome in different latency types. We employed Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C) assay to investigate chromatin loop formation between the OriP enhancer and the promoters that determine type I (Qp) or type III (Cp) gene expression. We show that OriP is in close physical proximity to Qp in type I latency, and to Cp in type III latency. The cellular chromatin insulator and boundary factor CTCF was implicated in EBV chromatin loop formation. Combining 3C and ChIP assays we found that CTCF is physically associated with OriP-Qp loop formation in type I and OriP-Cp loop formation in type III latency. Mutations in the CTCF binding site located at Qp disrupt loop formation between Qp and OriP, and lead to the activation of Cp transcription. Mutation of the CTCF binding site at Cp, as well as siRNA depletion of CTCF eliminates both OriP-associated loops, indicating that CTCF plays an integral role in loop formation. These data indicate that epigenetically stable EBV latency types adopt distinct chromatin architectures that depend on CTCF and mediate alternative promoter targeting by the OriP enhancer. PMID:21829357

  2. EBV latency types adopt alternative chromatin conformations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Italo Tempera

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV can establish latent infections with distinct gene expression patterns referred to as latency types. These different latency types are epigenetically stable and correspond to different promoter utilization. Here we explore the three-dimensional conformations of the EBV genome in different latency types. We employed Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C assay to investigate chromatin loop formation between the OriP enhancer and the promoters that determine type I (Qp or type III (Cp gene expression. We show that OriP is in close physical proximity to Qp in type I latency, and to Cp in type III latency. The cellular chromatin insulator and boundary factor CTCF was implicated in EBV chromatin loop formation. Combining 3C and ChIP assays we found that CTCF is physically associated with OriP-Qp loop formation in type I and OriP-Cp loop formation in type III latency. Mutations in the CTCF binding site located at Qp disrupt loop formation between Qp and OriP, and lead to the activation of Cp transcription. Mutation of the CTCF binding site at Cp, as well as siRNA depletion of CTCF eliminates both OriP-associated loops, indicating that CTCF plays an integral role in loop formation. These data indicate that epigenetically stable EBV latency types adopt distinct chromatin architectures that depend on CTCF and mediate alternative promoter targeting by the OriP enhancer.

  3. [Automated morphometric evaluation of the chromatin structure of liver cell nuclei after vagotomy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butusova, N N; Zhukotskiĭ, A V; Sherbo, I V; Gribkov, E N; Dubovaia, T K

    1989-05-01

    The morphometric analysis of the interphase chromatine structure of the hepatic cells nuclei was carried out on the automated TV installation for the quantitative analysis of images "IBAS-2" (by the OPTON firm, the FRG) according to 50 optical and geometric parameters during various periods (1.2 and 4 weeks) after the vagotomy operation. It is determined that upper-molecular organisation of chromatine undergoes the biggest changes one week after operation, and changes of granular component are more informative than changes of the nongranular component (with the difference 15-20%). It was also revealed that chromatine components differ in tinctorial properties, which are evidently dependent on physicochemical characteristics of the chromatine under various functional conditions of the cell. As a result of the correlation analysis the group of morphometric indices of chromatine structure was revealed, which are highly correlated with level of transcription activity of chromatine during various terms after denervation. The correlation quotient of these parameters is 0.85-0.97. The summing up: vagus denervation of the liver causes changes in the morphofunctional organisation of the chromatine.

  4. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Bone Remodeling*

    OpenAIRE

    Raggatt, Liza J.; Partridge, Nicola C.

    2010-01-01

    Physiological bone remodeling is a highly coordinated process responsible for bone resorption and formation and is necessary to repair damaged bone and to maintain mineral homeostasis. In addition to the traditional bone cells (osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes) that are necessary for bone remodeling, several immune cells have also been implicated in bone disease. This minireview discusses physiological bone remodeling, outlining the traditional bone biology dogma in light of emerging ...

  5. Chromatin architecture: A new dimension in the dynamic control of gene expression

    KAUST Repository

    Ramirez Prado, Juan Sebastian; Rodriguez-Granados, Natalia Yaneth; Ariel, Federico; Raynaud, Cé cile; Benhamed, Moussa

    2016-01-01

    As the most recent evidence of eukaryotic cell complexity, genome architecture has astounded the scientific community and prompted a variety of technical and cognitive challenges. Several technologies have emerged and evidenced the integration of chromatin packaging and topology, epigenetic processes, and transcription for the pertinent regulation of gene expression. In the present addendum we present and discuss some of our recent research, directed toward the holistic comprehension of the processes by which plants respond to environmental and developmental stimuli. We propose that the study of genome topology and genomic interactions is essential for the understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind a phenotype. Even though our knowledge and understanding of genome architecture and hierarchy has improved substantially in the last few years -in Arabidopsis and other eukaryotes -, there is still a long way ahead in this relatively new field of study. For this, it is necessary to take advantage of the high resolution of the emerging available techniques, and perform integrative approaches with which it will be possible to depict the role of chromatin architecture in the regulation of transcription and ultimately, physiological processes.

  6. Chromatin architecture: A new dimension in the dynamic control of gene expression

    KAUST Repository

    Ramirez Prado, Juan Sebastian

    2016-09-10

    As the most recent evidence of eukaryotic cell complexity, genome architecture has astounded the scientific community and prompted a variety of technical and cognitive challenges. Several technologies have emerged and evidenced the integration of chromatin packaging and topology, epigenetic processes, and transcription for the pertinent regulation of gene expression. In the present addendum we present and discuss some of our recent research, directed toward the holistic comprehension of the processes by which plants respond to environmental and developmental stimuli. We propose that the study of genome topology and genomic interactions is essential for the understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind a phenotype. Even though our knowledge and understanding of genome architecture and hierarchy has improved substantially in the last few years -in Arabidopsis and other eukaryotes -, there is still a long way ahead in this relatively new field of study. For this, it is necessary to take advantage of the high resolution of the emerging available techniques, and perform integrative approaches with which it will be possible to depict the role of chromatin architecture in the regulation of transcription and ultimately, physiological processes.

  7. Nanoscale changes in chromatin organization represent the initial steps of tumorigenesis: a transmission electron microscopy study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cherkezyan, Lusik; Backman, Vadim; Stypula-Cyrus, Yolanda; Subramanian, Hariharan; White, Craig; Dela Cruz, Mart; Wali, Ramesh K; Goldberg, Michael J; Bianchi, Laura K; Roy, Hemant K

    2014-01-01

    Nuclear alterations are a well-known manifestation of cancer. However, little is known about the early, microscopically-undetectable stages of malignant transformation. Based on the phenomenon of field cancerization, the tissue in the field of a tumor can be used to identify and study the initiating events of carcinogenesis. Morphological changes in nuclear organization have been implicated in the field of colorectal cancer (CRC), and we hypothesize that characterization of chromatin alterations in the early stages of CRC will provide insight into cancer progression, as well as serve as a biomarker for early detection, risk stratification and prevention. For this study we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of nuclei harboring pre-neoplastic CRC alterations in two models: a carcinogen-treated animal model of early CRC, and microscopically normal-appearing tissue in the field of human CRC. We quantify the chromatin arrangement using approaches with two levels of complexity: 1) binary, where chromatin is separated into areas of dense heterochromatin and loose euchromatin, and 2) grey-scale, where the statistics of continuous mass-density distribution within the nucleus is quantified by its spatial correlation function. We established an increase in heterochromatin content and clump size, as well as a loss of its characteristic peripheral positioning in microscopically normal pre-neoplastic cell nuclei. Additionally, the analysis of chromatin density showed that its spatial distribution is altered from a fractal to a stretched exponential. We characterize quantitatively and qualitatively the nanoscale structural alterations preceding cancer development, which may allow for the establishment of promising new biomarkers for cancer risk stratification and diagnosis. The findings of this study confirm that ultrastructural changes of chromatin in field carcinogenesis represent early neoplastic events leading to the development of well

  8. Dynamics of Lung Defense in Pneumonia: Resistance, Resilience, and Remodeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinton, Lee J.; Mizgerd, Joseph P.

    2015-01-01

    Pneumonia is initiated by microbes in the lung, but physiological processes integrating responses across diverse cell types and organ systems dictate the outcome of respiratory infection. Resistance, or actions of the host to eradicate living microbes, in the lungs involves a combination of innate and adaptive immune responses triggered by air-space infection. Resilience, or the ability of the host tissues to withstand the physiologically damaging effects of microbial and immune activities, is equally complex, precisely regulated, and determinative. Both immune resistance and tissue resilience are dynamic and change throughout the lifetime, but we are only beginning to understand such remodeling and how it contributes to the incidence of severe pneumonias, which diminishes as childhood progresses and then increases again among the elderly. Here, we review the concepts of resistance, resilience, and remodeling as they apply to pneumonia, highlighting recent advances and current significant knowledge gaps. PMID:25148693

  9. High-throughput assessment of context-dependent effects of chromatin proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brueckner, L. (Laura); Van Arensbergen, J. (Joris); Akhtar, W. (Waseem); L. Pagie (Ludo); B. van Steensel (Bas)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Chromatin proteins control gene activity in a concerted manner. We developed a high-throughput assay to study the effects of the local chromatin environment on the regulatory activity of a protein of interest. The assay combines a previously reported multiplexing strategy

  10. Modifiers of notch transcriptional activity identified by genome-wide RNAi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Firnhaber Christopher B

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Notch signaling pathway regulates a diverse array of developmental processes, and aberrant Notch signaling can lead to diseases, including cancer. To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic network that integrates into Notch signaling, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila cell culture to identify genes that modify Notch-dependent transcription. Results Employing complementary data analyses, we found 399 putative modifiers: 189 promoting and 210 antagonizing Notch activated transcription. These modifiers included several known Notch interactors, validating the robustness of the assay. Many novel modifiers were also identified, covering a range of cellular localizations from the extracellular matrix to the nucleus, as well as a large number of proteins with unknown function. Chromatin-modifying proteins represent a major class of genes identified, including histone deacetylase and demethylase complex components and other chromatin modifying, remodeling and replacement factors. A protein-protein interaction map of the Notch-dependent transcription modifiers revealed that a large number of the identified proteins interact physically with these core chromatin components. Conclusions The genome-wide RNAi screen identified many genes that can modulate Notch transcriptional output. A protein interaction map of the identified genes highlighted a network of chromatin-modifying enzymes and remodelers that regulate Notch transcription. Our results open new avenues to explore the mechanisms of Notch signal regulation and the integration of this pathway into diverse cellular processes.

  11. Probing the role of HDACs and mechanisms of chromatin-mediated neuroplasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haggarty, Stephen J; Tsai, Li-Huei

    2011-07-01

    Advancing our understanding of neuroplasticity and the development of novel therapeutics based upon this knowledge is critical in order to improve the treatment and prevention of a myriad of nervous system disorders. Epigenetic mechanisms of neuroplasticity involve the post-translational modification of chromatin and the recruitment or loss of macromolecular complexes that control neuronal activity-dependent gene expression. While over a century after Ramón y Cajal first described nuclear subcompartments and foci that we now know correspond to sites of active transcription with acetylated histones that are under epigenetic control, the rate and extent to which epigenetic processes act in a dynamic and combinatorial fashion to shape experience-dependent phenotypic and behavioral plasticity in response to various types of neuronal stimuli over a range of time scales is only now coming into focus. With growing recognition that a subset of human diseases involving cognitive dysfunction can be classified as 'chromatinopathies', in which aberrant chromatin-mediated neuroplasticity plays a causal role in the underlying disease pathophysiology, understanding the molecular nature of epigenetic mechanisms in the nervous system may provide important new avenues for the development of novel therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the chemistry and neurobiology of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) family of chromatin-modifying enzymes, outline the role of HDACs in the epigenetic control of neuronal function, and discuss the potential relevance of these epigenetic mechanisms to the development of therapeutics aiming to enhance memory and neuroplasticity. Finally, open questions, challenges, and critical needs for the field of 'neuroepigenetics' in the years to come will be summarized. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Initial high-resolution microscopic mapping of active and inactive regulatory sequences proves non-random 3D arrangements in chromatin domain clusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Marion; Schmid, Volker J; Kraus, Felix; Markaki, Yolanda; Hellmann, Ines; Maiser, Andreas; Leonhardt, Heinrich; John, Sam; Stamatoyannopoulos, John; Cremer, Thomas

    2017-08-07

    The association of active transcription regulatory elements (TREs) with DNAse I hypersensitivity (DHS[+]) and an 'open' local chromatin configuration has long been known. However, the 3D topography of TREs within the nuclear landscape of individual cells in relation to their active or inactive status has remained elusive. Here, we explored the 3D nuclear topography of active and inactive TREs in the context of a recently proposed model for a functionally defined nuclear architecture, where an active and an inactive nuclear compartment (ANC-INC) form two spatially co-aligned and functionally interacting networks. Using 3D structured illumination microscopy, we performed 3D FISH with differently labeled DNA probe sets targeting either sites with DHS[+], apparently active TREs, or DHS[-] sites harboring inactive TREs. Using an in-house image analysis tool, DNA targets were quantitatively mapped on chromatin compaction shaped 3D nuclear landscapes. Our analyses present evidence for a radial 3D organization of chromatin domain clusters (CDCs) with layers of increasing chromatin compaction from the periphery to the CDC core. Segments harboring active TREs are significantly enriched at the decondensed periphery of CDCs with loops penetrating into interchromatin compartment channels, constituting the ANC. In contrast, segments lacking active TREs (DHS[-]) are enriched toward the compacted interior of CDCs (INC). Our results add further evidence in support of the ANC-INC network model. The different 3D topographies of DHS[+] and DHS[-] sites suggest positional changes of TREs between the ANC and INC depending on their functional state, which might provide additional protection against an inappropriate activation. Our finding of a structural organization of CDCs based on radially arranged layers of different chromatin compaction levels indicates a complex higher-order chromatin organization beyond a dichotomic classification of chromatin into an 'open,' active and 'closed

  13. Probing chromatin structure with nuclease sensitivity assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, R I; Khosla, S; Feil, R

    2001-01-01

    To further our understanding of genomic imprinting it will be essential to identify key control elements, and to investigate their regulation by both epigenetic modifications (such as DNA methylation) and trans-acting factors. So far, sequence elements that regulate parental allele-specific gene expression have been identified in a number of imprinted loci, either because of their differential DNA methylation or through functional studies in transgenic mice (1,2). A systematic search for allele-specific chromatin features constitutes an alternative strategy to identify elements that regulate imprinting. The validity of such an in vivo chromatin approach derives from the fact that in several known imprinting control-elements, a specialized organization of chromatin characterized by nuclease hypersensitivity is present on only one of the two parental chromosome (3). For example, the differentially methylated 5 -portion of the human SNRPN gene-a sequence element that controls imprinting in the Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes' domain on chromosome 15q11- q13-has strong DNase-I hypersensitive sites on the unmethylated paternal chromosome (4). A differentially methylated region that regulates the imprinting of H19 and that of the neighboring insulin-like growth factor-2 gene on mouse chromosome 7 was also found to have parental chromosome-specific hypersensitive sites (5,6). The precise nature of the allelic nuclease hypersensitivity in these and other imprinted loci remains to be determined in more detail, for example, by applying complementary chromatin methodologies (7,8). However, it is commonly observed that a nuclease hypersensitive site corresponds to a small region where nucleosomes are absent or partially disrupted.

  14. Homoeologous chromatin exchange in a radiation-induced gene transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dvorak, J.; Knott, D.R.

    1977-01-01

    Some of the ionizing-radiation-induced translocations between alien and wheat chromosomes show no deleterious effects and are transmitted normally through the pollen. Translocations of this type will be called ''compensating''. In one such compensating translocation, designated T4, it was found that chromatin in the long arm of wheat chromosome 7D was replaced with homoeologous chromatin of the Agropyron chromosome

  15. Homoeologous chromatin exchange in a radiation-induced gene transfer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dvorak, J; Knott, D R [Department of Crop Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    1977-03-01

    Some of the ionizing-radiation-induced translocations between alien and wheat chromosomes show no deleterious effects and are transmitted normally through the pollen. Translocations of this type will be called ''compensating''. In one such compensating translocation, designated T4, it was found that chromatin in the long arm of wheat chromosome 7D was replaced with homologous chromatin of the Agropyron chromosome.

  16. Quantitating the effect of prosthesis design on femoral remodeling using high-resolution region-free densitometric analysis (DXA-RFA)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farzi, Mohsen; Morris, Richard M; Penny, Jeannette

    2017-01-01

    Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the reference standard method used to study bone mineral density (BMD) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, the subtle, spatially complex changes in bone mass due to strain-adaptive bone remodeling relevant to different prosthesis designs are not ......Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the reference standard method used to study bone mineral density (BMD) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, the subtle, spatially complex changes in bone mass due to strain-adaptive bone remodeling relevant to different prosthesis designs...... using scans acquired during two previous randomized clinical trials (2004 to 2009); one comparing three cemented prosthesis design geometries, and the other comparing a hip resurfacing versus a conventional cementless prosthesis. DXA RFA resolved subtle differences in magnitude and area of bone...... remodeling between prosthesis designs not previously identified in conventional DXA analyses. A mean bone loss of 10.3%, 12.1%, and 11.1% occurred for the three cemented prostheses within a bone area fraction of 14.8%, 14.4%, and 6.2%, mostly within the lesser trochanter (p 

  17. Analysis of Myc-induced histone modifications on target chromatin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Martinato

    Full Text Available The c-myc proto-oncogene is induced by mitogens and is a central regulator of cell growth and differentiation. The c-myc product, Myc, is a transcription factor that binds a multitude of genomic sites, estimated to be over 10-15% of all promoter regions. Target promoters generally pre-exist in an active or poised chromatin state that is further modified by Myc, contributing to fine transcriptional regulation (activation or repression of the afferent gene. Among other mechanisms, Myc recruits histone acetyl-transferases to target chromatin and locally promotes hyper-acetylation of multiple lysines on histones H3 and H4, although the identity and combination of the modified lysines is unknown. Whether Myc dynamically regulates other histone modifications (or marks at its binding sites also remains to be addressed. Here, we used quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP to profile a total of 24 lysine-acetylation and -methylation marks modulated by Myc at target promoters in a human B-cell line with a regulatable c-myc transgene. Myc binding promoted acetylation of multiple lysines, primarily of H3K9, H3K14, H3K18, H4K5 and H4K12, but significantly also of H4K8, H4K91 and H2AK5. Dimethylation of H3K79 was also selectively induced at target promoters. A majority of target promoters showed co-induction of multiple marks - in various combinations - correlating with recruitment of the two HATs tested (Tip60 and HBO1, incorporation of the histone variant H2A.Z and transcriptional activation. Based on this and previous findings, we surmise that Myc recruits the Tip60/p400 complex to achieve a coordinated histone acetylation/exchange reaction at activated promoters. Our data are also consistent with the additive and redundant role of multiple acetylation events in transcriptional activation.

  18. Discovery of transcription factors and regulatory regions driving in vivo tumor development by ATAC-seq and FAIRE-seq open chromatin profiling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristofer Davie

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Genomic enhancers regulate spatio-temporal gene expression by recruiting specific combinations of transcription factors (TFs. When TFs are bound to active regulatory regions, they displace canonical nucleosomes, making these regions biochemically detectable as nucleosome-depleted regions or accessible/open chromatin. Here we ask whether open chromatin profiling can be used to identify the entire repertoire of active promoters and enhancers underlying tissue-specific gene expression during normal development and oncogenesis in vivo. To this end, we first compare two different approaches to detect open chromatin in vivo using the Drosophila eye primordium as a model system: FAIRE-seq, based on physical separation of open versus closed chromatin; and ATAC-seq, based on preferential integration of a transposon into open chromatin. We find that both methods reproducibly capture the tissue-specific chromatin activity of regulatory regions, including promoters, enhancers, and insulators. Using both techniques, we screened for regulatory regions that become ectopically active during Ras-dependent oncogenesis, and identified 3778 regions that become (over-activated during tumor development. Next, we applied motif discovery to search for candidate transcription factors that could bind these regions and identified AP-1 and Stat92E as key regulators. We validated the importance of Stat92E in the development of the tumors by introducing a loss of function Stat92E mutant, which was sufficient to rescue the tumor phenotype. Additionally we tested if the predicted Stat92E responsive regulatory regions are genuine, using ectopic induction of JAK/STAT signaling in developing eye discs, and observed that similar chromatin changes indeed occurred. Finally, we determine that these are functionally significant regulatory changes, as nearby target genes are up- or down-regulated. In conclusion, we show that FAIRE-seq and ATAC-seq based open chromatin profiling

  19. Chromatin organisation and cancer prognosis: a pan-cancer study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleppe, Andreas; Albregtsen, Fritz; Vlatkovic, Ljiljana; Pradhan, Manohar; Nielsen, Birgitte; Hveem, Tarjei S; Askautrud, Hanne A; Kristensen, Gunnar B; Nesbakken, Arild; Trovik, Jone; Wæhre, Håkon; Tomlinson, Ian; Shepherd, Neil A; Novelli, Marco; Kerr, David J; Danielsen, Håvard E

    2018-03-01

    Chromatin organisation affects gene expression and regional mutation frequencies and contributes to carcinogenesis. Aberrant organisation of DNA has been correlated with cancer prognosis in analyses of the chromatin component of tumour cell nuclei using image texture analysis. As yet, the methodology has not been sufficiently validated to permit its clinical application. We aimed to define and validate a novel prognostic biomarker for the automatic detection of heterogeneous chromatin organisation. Machine learning algorithms analysed the chromatin organisation in 461 000 images of tumour cell nuclei stained for DNA from 390 patients (discovery cohort) treated for stage I or II colorectal cancer at the Aker University Hospital (Oslo, Norway). The resulting marker of chromatin heterogeneity, termed Nucleotyping, was subsequently independently validated in six patient cohorts: 442 patients with stage I or II colorectal cancer in the Gloucester Colorectal Cancer Study (UK); 391 patients with stage II colorectal cancer in the QUASAR 2 trial; 246 patients with stage I ovarian carcinoma; 354 patients with uterine sarcoma; 307 patients with prostate carcinoma; and 791 patients with endometrial carcinoma. The primary outcome was cancer-specific survival. In all patient cohorts, patients with chromatin heterogeneous tumours had worse cancer-specific survival than patients with chromatin homogeneous tumours (univariable analysis hazard ratio [HR] 1·7, 95% CI 1·2-2·5, in the discovery cohort; 1·8, 1·0-3·0, in the Gloucester validation cohort; 2·2, 1·1-4·5, in the QUASAR 2 validation cohort; 3·1, 1·9-5·0, in the ovarian carcinoma cohort; 2·5, 1·8-3·4, in the uterine sarcoma cohort; 2·3, 1·2-4·6, in the prostate carcinoma cohort; and 4·3, 2·8-6·8, in the endometrial carcinoma cohort). After adjusting for established prognostic patient characteristics in multivariable analyses, Nucleotyping was prognostic in all cohorts except for the prostate carcinoma

  20. Modification of a Volume-Overload Heart Failure Model to Track Myocardial Remodeling and Device-Related Reverse Remodeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuzun, Egemen; Bick, Roger; Kadipasaoglu, Cihan; Conger, Jeffrey L.; Poindexter, Brian J.; Gregoric, Igor D.; Frazier, O. H.; Towbin, Jeffrey A.; Radovancevic, Branislav

    2011-01-01

    Purpose. To provide an ovine model of ventricular remodeling and reverse remodeling by creating congestive heart failure (CHF) and then treating it by implanting a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Methods. We induced volume-overload heart failure in 2 sheep; 20 weeks later, we implanted an LVAD and assessed recovery 11 weeks thereafter. We examined changes in histologic and hemodynamic data and levels of cellular markers of CHF. Results. After CHF induction, we found increases in LV end-diastolic pressure, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, wall thickness, left atrial diameter, and atrial natriuretic protein (ANP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels; β-adrenergic receptor (BAR) and dystrophin expression decreased markedly. Biopsies confirmed LV remodeling. After LVAD support, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, wall thickness, and mass, and ANP and ET-1 levels decreased. Histopathologic and hemodynamic markers improved, and BAR and dystrophin expression normalized. Conclusions. We describe a successful sheep model for ventricular and reverse remodeling. PMID:22347659