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The cohesin complex spatially organizes interphase chromatin by bringing distal genomic loci into close physical proximity, looping out the intervening DNA. Mutation of cohesin complex subunits is observed in cancer and developmental disorders, but the mechanisms through which these mutations may contribute to disease remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate a recurrent missense mutation to the hinge domain of the cohesin subunit SMC1A, observed in acute myeloid leukemia. Engineering this mutation into murine embryonic stem cells caused widespread changes in gene expression, including dysregulation of the pluripotency gene expression program. This mutation reduced cohesin levels at promoters and enhancers, decreased DNA loops and interactions across short genomic distances, and weakened insulation at CTCF-mediated DNA loops. These findings provide insight into how altered cohesin function contributes to disease and identify a requirement for the cohesin hinge domain in three-dimensional chromatin structure. Author summary: Mammalian genomes consist of multiple meters of DNA which must be highly folded in order to fit inside of the nucleus. This folding is regulated at multiple scales by different biological mechanisms. The spatial organization of the genome is closely linked to its function, including the spatial and temporal expression of genes. Especially important for gene control is the partitioning of chromosomes into DNA loops, which are formed when two distal loci are brought into close contact. The folding of the genome into DNA loops is performed by cohesin and CTCF. The molecular basis for how DNA loops dynamically form and function in gene control is poorly understood. Here, we investigate a recurrent cancer mutation in cohesin and show that it causes altered folding of the genome into DNA loops and misexpression of many genes. This finding is important because cohesin mutations are common in many cancers and yet there is little understanding of how cohesin defects may contribute to disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The three-dimensional organization of the genome in the nucleus plays an integral role in many biological processes, including gene expression. The genome is folded into DNA loops that bring together distal regulatory elements and genes. Cohesin, a ring-shaped protein complex, is a major player in the formation of DNA loops. Cohesin is composed of a core trimer and one of two variant STAG subunits, STAG1 or STAG2. It is not understood whether variant STAG proteins give rise to cohesin complexes with distinct functions. Recent studies have begun to characterize the roles of STAG1 and STAG2, with partially contradictory results. Results: Here, we generate stable single-knockout embryonic stem cell lines to investigate the individual contributions of STAG1 and STAG2 in regulating cohesin chromosomal localization and function. We report both overlapping roles for STAG1 and STAG2 in cohesin localization and somewhat distinct roles in gene expression. STAG1 and STAG2 occupy the same sites across the genome, yet do not exist together in a higher order complex. Despite their shared localization, STAG1 and STAG2 have both distinct and redundant effects on gene expression. Loss of both STAG1 and STAG2 causes widespread transcriptome dysregulation, altered cohesin DNA occupancy, and reduced cell proliferation. Conclusions: Together, this work reveals the requirement of at least one STAG protein for proper cohesin function. STAG1 and STAG2 have independent roles in cohesin localization and both overlapping and distinct roles in gene expression. The roles of STAG1 and STAG2 in mouse embryonic stem cells may be somewhat different than in other cell types, due to their relative expression levels. These results advance our understanding of the link between mammalian genome organization and gene expression during development and disease contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]