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Proper expression of genes requires communication with their regulatory elements that can be located elsewhere along the chromosome. The physics of chromatin fibers imposes a range of constraints on such communication. The molecular and biophysical mechanisms by which chromosomal communication is established, or prevented, have become a topic of intense study, and important roles for the spatial organization of chromosomes are being discovered. Here we present a view of the interphase 3D genome characterized by extensive physical compartmentalization and insulation on the one hand and facilitated long-range interactions on the other. We propose the existence of topological machines dedicated to set up and to exploit a 3D genome organization to both promote and censor communication along and between chromosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topological state of chromosomes determines their mechanical properties, dynamics, and function. Recent work indicated that interphase chromosomes are largely free of entanglements. Here, we use Hi-C, polymer simulations, and multi-contact 3C and find that, by contrast, mitotic chromosomes are self-entangled. We explore how a mitotic self-entangled state is converted into an unentangled interphase state during mitotic exit. Most mitotic entanglements are removed during anaphase/telophase, with remaining ones removed during early G1, in a topoisomerase-II-dependent process. Polymer models suggest a two-stage disentanglement pathway: first, decondensation of mitotic chromosomes with remaining condensin loops produces entropic forces that bias topoisomerase II activity toward decatenation. At the second stage, the loops are released, and the formation of new entanglements is prevented by lower topoisomerase II activity, allowing the establishment of unentangled and territorial G1 chromosomes. When mitotic entanglements are not removed in experiments and models, a normal interphase state cannot be acquired. [Display omitted] • Mitotic chromatids are self-entangled, whereas interphase chromosomes are not • Disentanglement during mitotic exit involves regulated topoisomerase II activity • Decondensation drives topoisomerase-II-dependent decatenation of mitotic loops • Removal of mitotic entanglements is required to establish a normal interphase nucleus Recent work indicated that interphase chromosomes are largely free of entanglements. Here, Hildebrand and Polovnikov et al. combine experiments with computer simulations to show that mitotic chromosomes are self-entangled. The results suggest a robust biophysical mechanism of chromosome disentanglement during mitotic exit that relies on regulated activity of topoisomerase II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The cell fate decision between interferon-producing plasmacytoid DC (pDC) and antigen-presenting classical DC (cDC) is controlled by the E protein transcription factor TCF4 (E2-2). We report that TCF4 comprises two transcriptional isoforms, both of which are required for optimal pDC development in vitro. The long Tcf4 isoform is expressed specifically in pDCs, and its deletion in mice impaired pDCs development and led to the expansion of non-canonical CD8 + cDCs. The expression of Tcf4 commenced in progenitors and was further upregulated in pDCs, correlating with stage-specific activity of multiple enhancer elements. A conserved enhancer downstream of Tcf4 was required for its upregulation during pDC differentiation, revealing a positive feedback loop. The expression of Tcf4 and the resulting pDC differentiation were selectively sensitive to the inhibition of enhancer-binding BET protein activity. Thus, lineage-specifying function of E proteins is facilitated by lineage-specific isoform expression and by BET-dependent feedback regulation through distal regulatory elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) sustain long-term reconstitution of hematopoiesis in transplantation recipients, yet their role in the endogenous steady-state hematopoiesis remains unclear. In particular, recent studies suggested that HSCs provide a relatively minor contribution to immune cell development in adults. We directed transgene expression in a fraction of HSCs that maintained reconstituting activity during serial transplantations. Inducible genetic labeling showed that transgene-expressing HSCs gave rise to other phenotypic HSCs, confirming their top position in the differentiation hierarchy. The labeled HSCs rapidly contributed to committed progenitors of all lineages and to mature myeloid cells and lymphocytes, but not to B-1a cells or tissue macrophages. Importantly, labeled HSCs gave rise to more than two-thirds of all myeloid cells and platelets in adult mice, and this contribution could be accelerated by an induced interferon response. Thus, classically defined HSCs maintain immune cell development in the steady state and during systemic cytokine responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Mammalian interphase chromosomes interact with the nuclear lamina (NL) through hundreds of large lamina-associated domains (LADs). We report a method to map NL contacts genome-wide in single human cells. Analysis of nearly 400 maps reveals a core architecture consisting of gene-poor LADs that contact the NL with high cell-to-cell consistency, interspersed by LADs with more variable NL interactions. The variable contacts tend to be cell-type specific and are more sensitive to changes in genome ploidy than the consistent contacts. Single-cell maps indicate that NL contacts involve multivalent interactions over hundreds of kilobases. Moreover, we observe extensive intra-chromosomal coordination of NL contacts, even over tens of megabases. Such coordinated loci exhibit preferential interactions as detected by Hi-C. Finally, the consistency of NL contacts is inversely linked to gene activity in single cells and correlates positively with the heterochromatic histone modification H3K9me3. These results highlight fundamental principles of single-cell chromatin organization. Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR-10b is silenced in normal neuroglial cells of the brain but commonly activated in glioma, where it assumes an essential tumor-promoting role. We demonstrate that the entire miR-10b-hosting HOXD locus is activated in glioma via the cis -acting mechanism involving 3D chromatin reorganization and CTCF-cohesin-mediated looping. This mechanism requires two interacting lncRNAs, HOXD-AS2 and LINC01116, one associated with HOXD3/HOXD4/miR-10b promoter and another with the remote enhancer. Knockdown of either lncRNA in glioma cells alters CTCF and cohesin binding, abolishes chromatin looping, inhibits the expression of all genes within HOXD locus, and leads to glioma cell death. Conversely, in cortical astrocytes, enhancer activation is sufficient for HOXD/miR-10b locus reorganization, gene derepression, and neoplastic cell transformation. LINC01116 RNA is essential for this process. Our results demonstrate the interplay of two lncRNAs in the chromatin folding and concordant regulation of miR-10b and multiple HOXD genes normally silenced in astrocytes and triggering the neoplastic glial transformation. [Display omitted] • Chromatin topology of the HOXD locus is altered between the brain and glioblastoma • lncRNAs regulate CTCF/cohesin-dependent loop formation and HOXD gene expression • Activation of LINC01116 enhancer RNA leads to astrocyte transformation • The transformation depends on the loop formation and miR-10b derepression Deforzh et al. investigated a common mechanism of HOXD/miR-10b genes' derepression in glioblastoma and revealed the coordinated activity of two lncRNAs, HOXD-embedded HOXD-AS2 and distant enhancer-associated LINC01116, in CTCF/cohesin binding, chromatin topology, and astrocyte transformation. The work shed light on the molecular mechanisms of gliomagenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Stem cells (SC) exhibit a unique capacity for self-renewal in an undifferentiated state. It is unclear whether the self-renewal of pluripotent embryonic SC (ESC) and of tissue-specific adult SC such as hematopoietic SC (HSC) is controlled by common mechanisms. The deletion of transcription factor Zfx impaired the self-renewal but not the differentiation capacity of murine ESC; conversely, Zfx overexpression facilitated ESC self-renewal by opposing differentiation. Furthermore, Zfx deletion abolished the maintenance of adult HSC but did not affect erythromyeloid progenitors or fetal HSC. Zfx-deficient ESC and HSC showed increased apoptosis and SC-specific upregulation of stress-inducible genes. Zfx directly activated common target genes in ESC and HSC, as well as ESC-specific target genes including ESC self-renewal regulators Tbx3 and Tcl1. These studies identify Zfx as a shared transcriptional regulator of ESC and HSC, suggesting a common genetic basis of self-renewal in embryonic and adult SC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Before zygotic genome activation (ZGA), the quiescent genome undergoes reprogramming to transition into the transcriptionally active state. However, the mechanisms underlying euchromatin establishment during early embryogenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation (H4K16ac) is maintained from oocytes to fertilized embryos in Drosophila and mammals. H4K16ac forms large domains that control nucleosome accessibility of promoters prior to ZGA in flies. Maternal depletion of MOF acetyltransferase leading to H4K16ac loss causes aberrant RNA Pol II recruitment, compromises the 3D organization of the active genomic compartments during ZGA, and causes downregulation of post-zygotically expressed genes. Germline depletion of histone deacetylases revealed that other acetyl marks cannot compensate for H4K16ac loss in the oocyte. Moreover, zygotic re-expression of MOF was neither able to restore embryonic viability nor onset of X chromosome dosage compensation. Thus, maternal H4K16ac provides an instructive function to the offspring, priming future gene activation. • Evolutionarily conserved H4K16ac transmission from the maternal germline • Maternal MOF and H4K16ac prime gene activation in a sex-independent manner • Zygotic MOF fails to rescue embryonic lethality caused by maternal MOF loss • X chromosome dosage compensation onset in males relies on maternal H4K16ac The developmental events following gamete fusion are guided by maternally provided mRNAs and proteins prior to zygotic genome activation. Samata et al. show that H4K16ac transmission from the maternal germline poises genes for future activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, 3C-related methods have provided remarkable insights into chromosome folding in vivo. To overcome the limited resolution of prior studies, we extend a recently developed Hi-C variant, Micro-C, to map chromosome architecture at nucleosome resolution in human ESCs and fibroblasts. Micro-C robustly captures known features of chromosome folding including compartment organization, topologically associating domains, and interactions between CTCF binding sites. In addition, Micro-C provides a detailed map of nucleosome positions and localizes contact domain boundaries with nucleosomal precision. Compared to Hi-C, Micro-C exhibits an order of magnitude greater dynamic range, allowing the identification of ∼20,000 additional loops in each cell type. Many newly identified peaks are localized along extrusion stripes and form transitive grids, consistent with their anchors being pause sites impeding cohesin-dependent loop extrusion. Our analyses comprise the highest-resolution maps of chromosome folding in human cells to date, providing a valuable resource for studies of chromosome organization. • Micro-C provides nucleosome resolution maps of chromosome folding • The resolution and signal-to-noise are significantly improved relative to Hi-C • Thousands of new loops are identified, suggesting weak pauses to loop extrusion • New loops suggest TADs represent heterogeneous collections of transient loops Krietenstein et al. extend analyses of chromosome folding to nucleosome resolution in human cells. These ultra-deep Micro-C maps capture known features of chromosomes with improved signal-to-noise, identifying tens of thousands of new looping interactions. Newly identified loops reveal weak pause sites along cohesin extrusion tracks, providing insight into TAD structural heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Several general principles of global 3D genome organization have recently been established, including non-random positioning of chromosomes and genes in the cell nucleus, distinct chromatin compartments, and topologically associating domains (TADs). However, the extent and nature of cell-to-cell and cell-intrinsic variability in genome architecture are still poorly characterized. Here, we systematically probe heterogeneity in genome organization. High-throughput optical mapping of several hundred intra-chromosomal interactions in individual human fibroblasts demonstrates low association frequencies, which are determined by genomic distance, higher-order chromatin architecture, and chromatin environment. The structure of TADs is variable between individual cells, and inter-TAD associations are common. Furthermore, single-cell analysis reveals independent behavior of individual alleles in single nuclei. Our observations reveal extensive variability and heterogeneity in genome organization at the level of individual alleles and demonstrate the coexistence of a broad spectrum of genome configurations in a cell population. Graphical Abstract Highlights • Genome organization is highly variable between individual cells • Physical interaction between any two genome regions is a relatively rare event • The structure of TADs is malleable and variable between individual cells • The interactions of two alleles in the same nucleus are independent of each other High-throughput imaging of several hundred chromatin interactions in individual cells reveals extensive heterogenity in spatial genome organization at the single-cell level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Compared to noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as rRNAs and ribozymes, for which high-resolution structures abound, little is known about the tertiary structures of mRNAs. In eukaryotic cells, newly made mRNAs are packaged with proteins in highly compacted mRNA particles (mRNPs), but the manner of this mRNA compaction is unknown. Here, we developed and implemented RIPPLiT (RNA immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation in tandem), a transcriptome-wide method for probing the 3D conformations of RNAs stably associated with defined proteins, in this case, exon junction complex (EJC) core factors. EJCs multimerize with other mRNP components to form megadalton-sized complexes that protect large swaths of newly synthesized mRNAs from endonuclease digestion. Unlike ncRNPs, wherein strong locus-specific structures predominate, mRNPs behave more like flexible polymers. Polymer analysis of proximity ligation data for hundreds of mRNA species demonstrates that nascent and pre-translational mammalian mRNAs are compacted by their associated proteins into linear rod-like structures. Graphical Abstract Highlights • RIPPLiT captures 3D structure information in diverse RNA protein complexes (RNPs) • RIPPLiT provides RNA-RNA proximity information independent of secondary structure • Spliced mRNAs behave like flexible polymers without strong locus-specific structures • Polymer analysis reveals that pre-translational mRNPs form linear rods Metkar et al. developed a new toolkit, a biochemical approach, RIPPLiT and a bioinformatics suite to capture and analyze higher-order organization of RNPs. They were able to enrich for interactions within mRNAs and further, using polymer analysis on 100 s of mRNAs, identified a unifying principle for mRNP packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The molecular mechanisms underlying folding of mammalian chromosomes remain poorly understood. The transcription factor CTCF is a candidate regulator of chromosomal structure. Using the auxin-inducible degron system in mouse embryonic stem cells, we show that CTCF is absolutely and dose-dependently required for looping between CTCF target sites and insulation of topologically associating domains (TADs). Restoring CTCF reinstates proper architecture on altered chromosomes, indicating a powerful instructive function for CTCF in chromatin folding. CTCF remains essential for TAD organization in non-dividing cells. Surprisingly, active and inactive genome compartments remain properly segregated upon CTCF depletion, revealing that compartmentalization of mammalian chromosomes emerges independently of proper insulation of TADs. Furthermore, our data support that CTCF mediates transcriptional insulator function through enhancer blocking but not as a direct barrier to heterochromatin spreading. Beyond defining the functions of CTCF in chromosome folding, these results provide new fundamental insights into the rules governing mammalian genome organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topologically associating domains (TADs) are fundamental structural and functional building blocks of human interphase chromosomes, yet the mechanisms of TAD formation remain unclear. Here, we propose that loop extrusion underlies TAD formation. In this process, cis-acting loop-extruding factors, likely cohesins, form progressively larger loops but stall at TAD boundaries due to interactions with boundary proteins, including CTCF. Using polymer simulations, we show that this model produces TADs and finer-scale features of Hi-C data. Each TAD emerges from multiple loops dynamically formed through extrusion, contrary to typical illustrations of single static loops. Loop extrusion both explains diverse experimental observations-including the preferential orientation of CTCF motifs, enrichments of architectural proteins at TAD boundaries, and boundary deletion experiments-and makes specific predictions for the depletion of CTCF versus cohesin. Finally, loop extrusion has potentially far-ranging consequences for processes such as enhancer-promoter interactions, orientation-specific chromosomal looping, and compaction of mitotic chromosomes., (Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

During cell division, chromosomes are compacted in length by more than a 100-fold. A wide range of experiments demonstrated that in their compacted state, mammalian chromosomes form arrays of closely stacked consecutive ∼100 kb loops. The mechanism underlying the active process of chromosome compaction into a stack of loops is unknown. Here we test the hypothesis that chromosomes are compacted by enzymatic machines that actively extrude chromatin loops. When such loop-extruding factors (LEF) bind to chromosomes, they progressively bridge sites that are further away along the chromosome, thus extruding a loop. We demonstrate that collective action of LEFs leads to formation of a dynamic array of consecutive loops. Simulations and an analytically solved model identify two distinct steady states: a sparse state, where loops are highly dynamic but provide little compaction; and a dense state, where there are more stable loops and dramatic chromosome compaction. We find that human chromosomes operate at the border of the dense steady state. Our analysis also shows how the macroscopic characteristics of the loop array are determined by the microscopic properties of LEFs and their abundance. When the number of LEFs are used that match experimentally based estimates, the model can quantitatively reproduce the average loop length, the degree of compaction, and the general loop-array morphology of compact human chromosomes. Our study demonstrates that efficient chromosome compaction can be achieved solely by an active loop-extrusion process., (Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The relationship between the host and its microbiota is challenging to understand because both microbial communities and their environments are highly variable. We have developed a set of techniques based on population dynamics and information theory to address this challenge. These methods identify additional bacterial taxa associated with pediatric Crohn disease and can detect significant changes in microbial communities with fewer samples than previous statistical approaches required. We have also substantially improved the accuracy of the diagnosis based on the microbiota from stool samples, and we found that the ecological niche of a microbe predicts its role in Crohn disease. Bacteria typically residing in the lumen of healthy individuals decrease in disease, whereas bacteria typically residing on the mucosa of healthy individuals increase in disease. Our results also show that the associations with Crohn disease are evolutionarily conserved and provide a mutual information-based method to depict dysbiosis., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Tumor-propagating cells in acute leukemia maintain a stem/progenitor-like immature phenotype and proliferative capacity. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) originate from different lineages through distinct oncogenic events such as MLL fusions and Notch signaling, respectively. We found that Zfx, a transcription factor that controls hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal, controls the initiation and maintenance of AML caused by MLL-AF9 fusion and of T-ALL caused by Notch1 activation. In both leukemia types, Zfx prevents differentiation and activates gene sets characteristic of immature cells of the respective lineages. In addition, endogenous Zfx contributes to gene induction and transformation by Myc overexpression in myeloid progenitors. Key Zfx target genes include the mitochondrial enzymes Ptpmt1 and Idh2, whose overexpression partially rescues the propagation of Zfx-deficient AML. These results show that distinct leukemia types maintain their undifferentiated phenotype and self-renewal by exploiting a common stem-cell-related genetic regulator., (Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The p53 protein, a transcription factor of key importance in tumorigenesis, is suggested to diffuse one-dimensionally along DNA via its C-terminal domain, a process that is proposed to regulate gene activation both positively and negatively. There has been no direct observation of p53 moving along DNA, however, and little is known about the mechanism and rate of its translocation. Here, we use single-molecule techniques to visualize, in real time, the one-dimensional diffusion of p53 along DNA. The one-dimensional diffusion coefficient is measured to be close to the theoretical limit, indicative of movement along a free energy landscape with low activation barriers. We further investigate the mechanism of translocation and determine that p53 is capable of sliding--moving along DNA while in continuous contact with the duplex, rather than through a series of hops between nearby bases.

Understanding the relationships between the structure (topology) and function of biological networks is a central question of systems biology. The idea that topology is a major determinant of systems function has become an attractive and highly disputed hypothesis. Although structural analysis of interaction networks demonstrates a correlation between the topological properties of a node (protein, gene) in the network and its functional essentiality, the analysis of metabolic networks fails to find such correlations. In contrast, approaches utilizing both the topology and biochemical parameters of metabolic networks, e.g., flux balance analysis, are more successful in predicting phenotypes of knockout strains. We reconcile these seemingly conflicting results by showing that the topology of the metabolic networks of both Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are, in fact, sufficient to predict the viability of knockout strains with accuracy comparable to flux balance analysis on large, unbiased mutant data sets. This surprising result is obtained by introducing a novel topology-based measure of network transport: synthetic accessibility. We also show that other popular topology-based characteristics such as node degree, graph diameter, and node usage (betweenness) fail to predict the viability of E. coli mutant strains. The success of synthetic accessibility demonstrates its ability to capture the essential properties of the metabolic network, such as the branching of chemical reactions and the directed transport of material from inputs to outputs. Our results strongly support a link between the topology and function of biological networks and, in agreement with recent genetic studies, emphasize the minimal role of flux rerouting in providing robustness of mutant strains.

Recognition and binding of specific sites on DNA by proteins is central for many cellular functions such as transcription, replication, and recombination. In the process of recognition, a protein rapidly searches for its specific site on a long DNA molecule and then strongly binds this site. Here we aim to find a mechanism that can provide both a fast search (1-10 s) and high stability of the specific protein-DNA complex (Kd=10(-15)-10(-8) M). Earlier studies have suggested that rapid search involves sliding of the protein along the DNA. Here we consider sliding as a one-dimensional diffusion in a sequence-dependent rough energy landscape. We demonstrate that, despite the landscape's roughness, rapid search can be achieved if one-dimensional sliding is accompanied by three-dimensional diffusion. We estimate the range of the specific and nonspecific DNA-binding energy required for rapid search and suggest experiments that can test our mechanism. We show that optimal search requires a protein to spend half of its time sliding along the DNA and the other half diffusing in three dimensions. We also establish that, paradoxically, realistic energy functions cannot provide both rapid search and strong binding of a rigid protein. To reconcile these two fundamental requirements we propose a search-and-fold mechanism that involves the coupling of protein binding and partial protein folding. The proposed mechanism has several important biological implications for search in the presence of other proteins and nucleosomes, simultaneous search by several proteins, etc. The proposed mechanism also provides a new framework for interpretation of experimental and structural data on protein-DNA interactions.