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Whole-genome doubling (WGD) is a recurrent event in human cancers and it promotes chromosomal instability and acquisition of aneuploidies1–8. However, the three-dimensional organization of chromatin in WGD cells and its contribution to oncogenic phenotypes are currently unknown. Here we show that in p53-deficient cells, WGD induces loss of chromatin segregation (LCS). This event is characterized by reduced segregation between short and long chromosomes, A and B subcompartments and adjacent chromatin domains. LCS is driven by the downregulation of CTCF and H3K9me3 in cells that bypassed activation of the tetraploid checkpoint. Longitudinal analyses revealed that LCS primes genomic regions for subcompartment repositioning in WGD cells. This results in chromatin and epigenetic changes associated with oncogene activation in tumours ensuing from WGD cells. Notably, subcompartment repositioning events were largely independent of chromosomal alterations, which indicates that these were complementary mechanisms contributing to tumour development and progression. Overall, LCS initiates chromatin conformation changes that ultimately result in oncogenic epigenetic and transcriptional modifications, which suggests that chromatin evolution is a hallmark of WGD-driven cancer.

In developmental biology, the regulation of stem cell plasticity and differentiation remains an open question. CBP(CREB-binding protein)/p300 is a conserved gene family that functions as a transcriptional co-activator and plays important roles in a wide range of cellular processes, including cell death, the DNA damage response, and tumorigenesis. The acetyl transferase activity of CBPs is particularly important, as histone and non-histone acetylation results in changes in chromatin architecture and protein activity that affect gene expression. Many studies have described the conserved functions of CBP/p300 in stem cell proliferation and differentiation. The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is an excellent model for the in vivo study of the molecular mechanisms underlying stem cell differentiation during regeneration. However, how this process is regulated genetically and epigenetically is not well-understood yet. We identified 5 distinct Smed-cbp genes in S. mediterranea that show different expression patterns. Functional analyses revealed that Smed-cbp-2 appears to be essential for stem cell maintenance. On the other hand, the silencing of Smed-cbp-3 resulted in the growth of blastemas that were apparently normal, but remained largely unpigmented and undifferentiated. Smed-cbp-3 silencing also affected the differentiation of several cell lineages including neural, epidermal, digestive, and excretory cell types. Finally, we analysed the predicted interactomes of CBP-2 and CBP-3 as an initial step to better understand their functions in planarian stem cell biology. Our results indicate that planarian cbp genes play key roles in stem cell maintenance and differentiation.

Enhancers play important roles in controlling gene expression in a choreographed spatial and temporal manner during development. However, it is unclear how these regulatory regions are established during differentiation. Here we investigated the genome-wide binding profile of the forkhead transcription factor FOXK2 in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and downstream cell types. This transcription factor is bound to thousands of regulatory regions in human ESCs, and binding at many sites is maintained as cells differentiate to mesendodermal and neural precursor cell (NPC) types, alongside the emergence of new binding regions. FOXK2 binding is generally associated with active histone marks in any given cell type. Furthermore newly acquired, or retained FOXK2 binding regions show elevated levels of activating histone marks following differentiation to NPCs. In keeping with this association with activating marks, we demonstrate a role for FOXK transcription factors in gene activation during NPC differentiation. FOXK2 occupancy in ESCs is therefore an early mark for delineating the regulatory regions, which become activated in later lineages.

The nuclear lamina plays an important role in the regulation of chromatin organization and gene positioning in animals. CROWDED NUCLEI (CRWN) is a strong candidate for the plant nuclear lamina protein in Arabidopsis thaliana but its biological function was largely unknown. Here, we show that CRWNs localize at the nuclear lamina and build the meshwork structure. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and RNA-seq analyses revealed that CRWNs regulate chromatin distribution and gene expression. More than 2000 differentially expressed genes were identified in the crwn1crwn4 double mutant. Copper-associated (CA) genes that form a gene cluster on chromosome 5 were among the downregulated genes in the double mutant exhibiting low tolerance to excess copper. Our analyses showed this low tolerance to copper was associated with the suppression of CA gene expression and that CRWN1 interacts with the CA gene locus, enabling the locus to localize at the nuclear lamina under excess copper conditions., The nuclear lamina regulates chromatin organization and gene positioning. Here the authors show that CROWDED NUCLEI proteins contribute to the meshwork lamina structure in Arabidopsis nuclei and regulate copper tolerance by promoting lamina association and expression of copper response genes.

Background Genome-wide association studies have reported more than 100 risk loci for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These loci are shown to be enriched in immune cell-specific enhancers, but the analysis so far has excluded stromal cells, such as synovial fibroblasts (FLS), despite their crucial involvement in the pathogenesis of RA. Here we integrate DNA architecture, 3D chromatin interactions, DNA accessibility, and gene expression in FLS, B cells, and T cells with genetic fine mapping of RA loci. Results We identify putative causal variants, enhancers, genes, and cell types for 30–60% of RA loci and demonstrate that FLS account for up to 24% of RA heritability. TNF stimulation of FLS alters the organization of topologically associating domains, chromatin state, and the expression of putative causal genes such as TNFAIP3 and IFNAR1. Several putative causal genes constitute RA-relevant functional networks in FLS with roles in cellular proliferation and activation. Finally, we demonstrate that risk variants can have joint-specific effects on target gene expression in RA FLS, which may contribute to the development of the characteristic pattern of joint involvement in RA. Conclusion Overall, our research provides the first direct evidence for a causal role of FLS in the genetic susceptibility for RA accounting for up to a quarter of RA heritability. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-021-02460-6.

Sun-loving plants perceive the proximity of potential light-competing neighboring plants as a reduction in the red:far-red ratio (R:FR), which elicits a suite of responses called the “shade avoidance syndrome” (SAS). Changes in R:FR are primarily perceived by phytochrome B (phyB), whereas UV-B perceived by UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) elicits opposing responses to provide a counterbalance to SAS, including reduced shade-induced hypocotyl and petiole elongation. Here we show at the genome-wide level that UVR8 broadly suppresses shade-induced gene expression. A subset of this gene regulation is dependent on the UVR8-stabilized atypical bHLH transcription regulator LONG HYPOCOTYL IN FAR-RED 1 (HFR1), which functions in part redundantly with PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 3-LIKE 1 (PIL1). In parallel, UVR8 signaling decreases protein levels of the key positive regulators of SAS, namely the bHLH transcription factors PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and PIF5, in a COP1-dependent but HFR1-independent manner. We propose that UV-B antagonizes SAS via two mechanisms: degradation of PIF4 and PIF5, and HFR1- and PIL1-mediated inhibition of PIF4 and PIF5 function. This work highlights the importance of typical and atypical bHLH transcription regulators for the integration of light signals from different photoreceptors and provides further mechanistic insight into the crosstalk of UVR8 signaling and SAS., Author summary Sunlight provides the energy that powers photosynthesis and is thus of the utmost importance for plant growth and development. Plants grow in constantly changing environments, including highly variable light conditions. They have evolved specific light sensors (photoreceptors) that allow optimization of photosynthesis and survival, and adjusting growth and development to the prevailing environment. An intriguing example is the perception of competitors due to changes in the light transmitted and reflected by their leaves. As red light, but not far-red, is strongly absorbed by photosynthetic pigments, the red:far-red ratio (R:FR) is strongly reduced in the presence of competitors which is sensed by the phytochrome red/far-red photoreceptors. Detection of competitors results in stem elongation in shade-intolerant plants to overtop the neighbors and reach full sunlight (shade avoidance syndrome). UV-B sensed by the UVR8 photoreceptor inhibits shade avoidance by reducing the abundance and activity of specific transcriptional regulators PIF4 and PIF5. We have discovered an important role for an atypical transcriptional regulator HFR1 that is stabilized under UV-B, strongly contributing to the UVR8 photoreceptor-mediated repression of shade responses by counteracting PIF4 and PIF5 activities. This contributes significantly to a deeper mechanistic understanding of how plants integrate information from a complex light environment.

The bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are promising drug targets for cancer and immune diseases. However, BET inhibition effects have been studied more in the context of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) than BRD2, and the BET protein association to histone H4-hyperacetylated chromatin is not understood at the genome-wide level. Here, we report transcription start site (TSS)-resolution integrative analyses of ChIP-seq and transcriptome profiles in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line H23. We show that di-acetylation at K5 and K8 of histone H4 (H4K5acK8ac) co-localizes with H3K27ac and BRD2 in the majority of active enhancers and promoters, where BRD2 has a stronger association with H4K5acK8ac than H3K27ac. Although BET inhibition by JQ1 led to complete reduction of BRD2 binding to chromatin, only local changes of H4K5acK8ac levels were observed, suggesting that recruitment of BRD2 does not influence global histone H4 hyperacetylation levels. This finding supports a model in which recruitment of BET proteins via histone H4 hyperacetylation is predominant over hyperacetylation of histone H4 by BET protein-associated acetyltransferases. In addition, we found that a remarkable number of BRD2-bound genes, including MYC and its downstream target genes, were transcriptionally upregulated upon JQ1 treatment. Using BRD2-enriched sites and transcriptional activity analysis, we identified candidate transcription factors potentially involved in the JQ1 response in BRD2-dependent and -independent manner.

Non-allelic histone variants are considered as epigenetic factors that regulate genomic DNA functions in eukaryotic chromosomes. In this study, we identified three new human histone H3 variants (named H3.6, H3.7, and H3.8), which were previously annotated as pseudogenes. H3.6 and H3.8 conserve the H3.3-specific amino acid residues, but H3.7 shares the specific amino acid residues with H3.1. We successfully reconstituted the nucleosome containing H3.6 in vitro and determined its crystal structure. In the H3.6 nucleosome, the H3.6-specific Val62 residue hydrophobically contacts the cognate H4 molecule, but its contact area is smaller than that of the corresponding H3.3 Ile62 residue. The thermal stability assay revealed that the H3.6 nucleosome is substantially unstable, as compared to the H3.3 nucleosome. Interestingly, mutational analysis demonstrated that the H3.6 Val62 residue is fully responsible for the H3.6 nucleosome instability, probably because of the weakened hydrophobic interaction with H4. We also reconstituted the nucleosome containing H3.8, but its thermal stability was quite low. In contrast, purified H3.7 failed to form nucleosomes in vitro. The identification and characterization of these novel human histone H3 variants provide important new insights into understanding the epigenetic regulation of the human genome.

Gene expression governs cell fate, and is regulated via a complex interplay of transcription factors and molecules that change chromatin structure. Advances in sequencing-based assays have enabled investigation of these processes genome-wide, leading to large datasets that combine information on the dynamics of gene expression, transcription factor binding and chromatin structure as cells differentiate. While numerous studies focus on the effects of these features on broader gene regulation, less work has been done on the mechanisms of gene-specific transcriptional control. In this study, we have focussed on the latter by integrating gene expression data for the in vitro differentiation of murine ES cells to macrophages and cardiomyocytes, with dynamic data on chromatin structure, epigenetics and transcription factor binding. Combining a novel strategy to identify communities of related control elements with a penalized regression approach, we developed individual models to identify the potential control elements predictive of the expression of each gene. Our models were compared to an existing method and evaluated using the existing literature and new experimental data from embryonic stem cell differentiation reporter assays. Our method is able to identify transcriptional control elements in a gene specific manner that reflect known regulatory relationships and to generate useful hypotheses for further testing., Author summary The inherited information in our DNA genomes is a code which defines both the functional units (proteins, nucleic acids etc.), and patterns of their usage, necessary to make life. The genome in mammals, such as man and mouse, has genes which code for about 20000 different proteins, but the usage of these proteins differs in each different type of cell within these complex multicellular organisms. How this differential usage is controlled in known as genetic regulation, and that is what we study here. We know that the details lie in how genes are turned on and off, but until the advent of high-throughput sequencing technology a genome-wide study was nearly impossible. Further complicating our efforts to understand genetic regulation is the involvement of parts of the genome that were previously deemed junk. In this work, we have focussed on how the genes are controlled at various developmental stages in mouse, by looking at the sequencing data from different regulatory mechanisms such as protein binding and local changes to DNA packaging etc. On a gene-by-gene basis, we have built statistical models that predict how genes are controlled when cells develop. These predictions provide a focus for future experimental studies of genetic regulation.

Lymphopoiesis requires the activation of lineage-specific genes embedded in naive, inaccessible chromatin or in primed, accessible chromatin. The mechanisms responsible for de novo gain of chromatin accessibility, known as "pioneer" function, remain poorly defined. Here, we showed that the EBF1 C-terminal domain (CTD) is required for the regulation of a specific gene set involved in B cell fate decision and differentiation, independently of activation and repression functions. Using genome-wide analysis of DNaseI hypersensitivity and DNA methylation in multipotent Ebf1(-/-) progenitors and derivative EBF1wt- or EBF1ΔC-expressing cells, we found that the CTD promoted chromatin accessibility and DNA demethylation in previously naive chromatin. The CTD allowed EBF1 to bind at inaccessible genomic regions that offer limited co-occupancy by other transcription factors, whereas the CTD was dispensable for EBF1 binding at regions that are occupied by multiple transcription factors. Thus, the CTD enables EBF1 to confer permissive lineage-specific changes in progenitor chromatin landscape.

Various types of repetitive sequences are dysregulated in cancer. In Ewing sarcoma, the oncogenic fusion protein EWS-FLI1 induces chromatin features typical of active enhancers at GGAA microsatellite repeats, but the function of these sites has not been directly demonstrated. Here, by combining nascent transcription profiling with epigenome editing, we found that a subset of GGAA microsatellite repeats is transcriptionally active in Ewing sarcoma and that silencing individual repeats abolishes local nascent transcription and leads to markedly reduced expression of putative target genes. Epigenome silencing of these repeat sites does not affect gene expression in unrelated cells, can prevent the induction of gene expression by EWS-FLI1, and, in the case of a GGAA repeat that controls SOX2 expression from a distance of 470 kb, is sufficient to impair the growth of Ewing sarcoma xenografts. Using an experimental approach that is broadly applicable to testing different types of repetitive genomic elements, our study directly demonstrates that specific repeat microsatellites can have critical gene regulation functions in cancer and thus represent tumor-specific vulnerabilities that may be exploited to develop new therapies.

To better understand the tissue-specific regulation of chromatin state in cell-fate determination and animal development, we defined the tissue-specific expression of all 36 C. elegans presumptive lysine methyltransferase (KMT) genes using single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH). Most KMTs were expressed in only one or two tissues. The germline was the tissue with the broadest KMT expression. We found that the germline-expressed C. elegans protein SET-17, which has a SET domain similar to that of the PRDM9 and PRDM7 SET-domain proteins, promotes fertility by regulating gene expression in primary spermatocytes. SET-17 drives the transcription of spermatocyte-specific genes from four genomic clusters to promote spermatid development. SET-17 is concentrated in stable chromatin-associated nuclear foci at actively transcribed msp (major sperm protein) gene clusters, which we term msp locus bodies. Our results reveal the function of a PRDM9/7-family SET-domain protein in spermatocyte transcription. We propose that the spatial intranuclear organization of chromatin factors might be a conserved mechanism in tissue-specific control of transcription., National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant GM24663), NIH/National Cancer Institute Physical Sciences Oncology Center (U54CA1438 74), National Institutes of Health (U.S.) Pioneer Award (8 DP1 CA174420- 05)

Bivalent H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 chromatin domains in embryonic stem cells keep active developmental regulatory genes expressed at very low levels and poised for activation. Here, we show an alternative and previously unknown bivalent modified histone signature in lineage-committed mesenchymal stem cells and preadipocytes that pairs H3K4me3 with H3K9me3 to maintain adipogenic master regulatory genes (Cebpa and Pparg) expressed at low levels yet poised for activation when differentiation is required. We show lineage-specific gene-body DNA methylation recruits H3K9 methyltransferase SETDB1, which methylates H3K9 immediately downstream of transcription start sites marked with H3K4me3 to establish the bivalent domain. At the Cebpa locus, this prevents transcription factor C/EBPβ binding, histone acetylation, and further H3K4me3 deposition and is associated with pausing of RNA polymerase II, which limits Cebpa gene expression and adipogenesis.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) implicate the PHACTR1 locus (6p24) in risk for five vascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, migraine headache, cervical artery dissection, fibromuscular dysplasia, and hypertension. Through genetic fine mapping, we prioritized rs9349379, a common SNP in the third intron of the PHACTR1 gene, as the putative causal variant. Epigenomic data from human tissue revealed an enhancer signature at rs9349379 exclusively in aorta, suggesting a regulatory function for this SNP in the vasculature. CRISPR-edited stem cell-derived endothelial cells demonstrate rs9349379 regulates expression of endothelin 1 (EDN1), a gene located 600 kb upstream of PHACTR1. The known physiologic effects of EDN1 on the vasculature may explain the pattern of risk for the five associated diseases. Overall, these data illustrate the integration of genetic, phenotypic, and epigenetic analysis to identify the biologic mechanism by which a common, non-coding variant can distally regulate a gene and contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple vascular diseases.

The question of how self-interacting chromatin domains in interphase chromosomes are structured and generated dominates current discussions on eukaryotic chromosomes. Numerical simulations using standard polymer models have been helpful in testing the validity of various models of chromosome organization. Experimental contact maps can be compared with simulated contact maps and thus verify how good is the model. With increasing resolution of experimental contact maps, it became apparent though that active processes need to be introduced into models to recapitulate the experimental data. Since transcribing RNA polymerases are very strong molecular motors that induce axial rotation of transcribed DNA, we present here models that include such rotational motors. We also include into our models swivels and sites for intersegmental passages that account for action of DNA topoisomerases releasing torsional stress. Using these elements in our models, we show that transcription-induced supercoiling generated in the regions with divergent-transcription and supercoiling relaxation occurring between these regions are sufficient to explain formation of self-interacting chromatin domains in chromosomes of fission yeast (S. pombe).

SUN proteins in the inner nuclear membrane function in mitotic membrane remodeling during nuclear envelope breakdown., SUN proteins reside in the inner nuclear membrane and form complexes with KASH proteins of the outer nuclear membrane that connect the nuclear envelope (NE) to the cytoskeleton. These complexes have well-established functions in nuclear anchorage and migration in interphase, but little is known about their involvement in mitotic processes. Our analysis demonstrates that simultaneous depletion of human SUN1 and SUN2 delayed removal of membranes from chromatin during NE breakdown (NEBD) and impaired the formation of prophase NE invaginations (PNEIs), similar to microtubule depolymerization or down-regulation of the dynein cofactors NudE/EL. In addition, overexpression of dominant-negative SUN and KASH constructs reduced the occurrence of PNEI, indicating a requirement for functional SUN–KASH complexes in NE remodeling. Codepletion of SUN1/2 slowed cell proliferation and resulted in an accumulation of morphologically defective and disoriented mitotic spindles. Quantification of mitotic timing revealed a delay between NEBD and chromatin separation, indicating a role of SUN proteins in bipolar spindle assembly and mitotic progression.

The cytokine interleukin-1α (IL-1α) is synthesized as a 31kDa peptide that lacks a leader peptide and is not secreted by the conventional secretory pathway. A distinctive characteristic of pro-IL-1α is the presence of a nuclear localization sequence in its amino-terminal moiety that allows its translocation to the nucleus. However no nuclear function(s) of the endogenous pro-IL-1α has been reported to date. In the present study, we used murine macrophages that produce IL-1α in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli, to gain further insight into the biology of the endogenous IL-1α protein in innate immune cells. We show that endogenous IL-1α is essentially found as a chromatin-associated nuclear protein in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In contrast to IL-1β, IL-1α was not released upon inflammasome activation unless significant cell damage occurred. IL-1β mRNA and protein levels were specifically decreased in IL-1α deficient macrophages after LPS stimulation. However, overexpression of human pro-IL-1α did not rescue this defective IL-1β production, suggesting that this finding might be related to the insertion of the targeting construct into the IL-1 locus, rather than to a specific nuclear function of pro-IL-1α. Finally, by using both genomic and proteomic approaches, we could not identify a nuclear function of IL-1α. Taken together, these observations suggest that in macrophages IL-1α primarily acts as an alarmin that is rapidly released upon cell damage to activate early mechanisms of host defense.

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.

Background Exponentially increasing numbers of NGS-based epigenomic datasets in public repositories like GEO constitute an enormous source of information that is invaluable for integrative and comparative studies of gene regulatory mechanisms. One of today’s challenges for such studies is to identify functionally informative local and global patterns of chromatin states in order to describe the regulatory impact of the epigenome in normal cell physiology and in case of pathological aberrations. Critically, the most preferred Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation-Sequencing (ChIP-Seq) is inherently prone to significant variability between assays, which poses significant challenge on comparative studies. One challenge concerns data normalization to adjust sequencing depth variation. Results Currently existing tools either apply linear scaling corrections and/or are restricted to specific genomic regions, which can be prone to biases. To overcome these restrictions without any external biases, we developed Epimetheus, a genome-wide quantile-based multi-profile normalization tool for histone modification data and related datasets. Conclusions Epimetheus has been successfully used to normalize epigenomics data in previous studies on X inactivation in breast cancer and in integrative studies of neuronal cell fate acquisition and tumorigenic transformation; Epimetheus is freely available to the scientific community. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12859-017-1655-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To better understand genome regulation, it is important to uncover the role of transcription factors in the process of chromatin structure establishment and maintenance. Here we present a data-driven approach to systematically characterise transcription factors that are relevant for this process. Our method uses a linear mixed modelling approach to combine datasets of transcription factor binding motif enrichments in open chromatin and gene expression across the same set of cell lines. Applying this approach to the ENCODE dataset, we confirm already known and imply numerous novel transcription factors that play a role in the establishment or maintenance of open chromatin. In particular, our approach rediscovers many factors that have been annotated as pioneer factors., Author Summary Transcription factor binding occurs mainly in regions of open chromatin. For many transcription factors, it is unclear whether binding is the cause or the consequence of open chromatin. Here, we used datasets on open chromatin and gene expression provided by the ENCODE project to predict which transcription factors drive transitions between open and closed states. A signature of such a factor is that its expression values are correlated to chromatin accessibility at its motif across the same set of cell lines. Our method assesses this correlation while accounting for the fact that some tested cell lines are more related than others. We find many transcription factors showing evidence of driving transitions and a high proportion of these transcription factors are known pioneer factors, i.e., they play a role in opening up closed chromatin.

Summary Polycomb repressor complexes (PRCs) are important chromatin modifiers fundamentally implicated in pluripotency and cancer. Polycomb silencing in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be accompanied by active chromatin and primed RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), but the relationship between PRCs and RNAPII remains unclear genome-wide. We mapped PRC repression markers and four RNAPII states in ESCs using ChIP-seq, and found that PRC targets exhibit a range of RNAPII variants. First, developmental PRC targets are bound by unproductive RNAPII (S5p+S7p−S2p−) genome-wide. Sequential ChIP, Ring1B depletion, and genome-wide correlations show that PRCs and RNAPII-S5p physically bind to the same chromatin and functionally synergize. Second, we identify a cohort of genes marked by PRC and elongating RNAPII (S5p+S7p+S2p+); they produce mRNA and protein, and their expression increases upon PRC1 knockdown. We show that this group of PRC targets switches between active and PRC-repressed states within the ESC population, and that many have roles in metabolism., Graphical Abstract Highlights ► A unique RNAPII variant (S5p+S7p−S2p−) binds PRC targets genome-wide in ESCs ► RNAPII-S5p and PRC coincide in time and localization, and show proportional abundance ► Novel, active PRC-target genes identified in ESCs include metabolic genes ► Active PRC targets switch between on/off (active/PRC) states in the ESC population

Vertebrate DNA can be chemically modified by methylation of the 5 position of the cytosine base in the context of CpG dinucleotides. This modification creates a binding site for MBD (methyl-CpG-binding domain) proteins which target chromatin-modifying activities that are thought to contribute to transcriptional repression and maintain heterochromatic regions of the genome. In contrast with DNA methylation, which is found broadly across vertebrate genomes, non-methylated DNA is concentrated in regions known as CGIs (CpG islands). Recently, a family of proteins which encode a ZF-CxxC (zinc finger-CxxC) domain have been shown to specifically recognize non-methylated DNA and recruit chromatin-modifying activities to CGI elements. For example, CFP1 (CxxC finger protein 1), MLL (mixed lineage leukaemia protein), KDM (lysine demethylase) 2A and KDM2B regulate lysine methylation on histone tails, whereas TET (ten-eleven translocation) 1 and TET3 hydroxylate methylated cytosine bases. In the present review, we discuss the most recent advances in our understanding of how ZF-CxxC domain-containing proteins recognize non-methylated DNA and describe their role in chromatin modification at CGIs. © 2013 The Author(s).

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) modifies chromatin to maintain genes in a repressed state during development. PRC2 is primarily associated with CpG islands at repressed genes and also possesses RNA binding activity. However, the RNAs that bind PRC2 in cells, the subunits that mediate these interactions, and the role of RNA in PRC2 recruitment to chromatin all remain unclear. By performing iCLIP for PRC2 in comparison with other RNA binding proteins, we show here that PRC2 binds nascent RNA at essentially all active genes. Although interacting with RNA promiscuously, PRC2 binding is enriched at specific locations within RNAs, primarily exon–intron boundaries and the 3′ UTR. Deletion of other PRC2 subunits reveals that SUZ12 is sufficient to establish this RNA binding profile. Contrary to prevailing models, we also demonstrate that the interaction of PRC2 with RNA or chromatin is mutually antagonistic in cells and in vitro. RNA degradation in cells triggers PRC2 recruitment to CpG islands at active genes. Correspondingly, the release of PRC2 from chromatin in cells increases RNA binding. Consistent with this, RNA and nucleosomes compete for PRC2 binding in vitro. We propose that RNA prevents PRC2 recruitment to chromatin at active genes and that mutual antagonism between RNA and chromatin underlies the pattern of PRC2 chromatin association across the genome.

Histone modifications are thought to regulate chromatin structure, transcription and other nuclear processes. Histone methylation was originally believed to be an irreversible modification that could only be removed by histone eviction or by dilution during DNA replication. However, the isolation of two families of enzymes that can demethylate histones has changed this notion. The biochemical activities of these histone demethylases towards specific Lys residues on histones, and in some cases non-histone substrates, have highlighted their importance in developmental control, cell-fate decisions and disease. Their ability to be regulated through protein-targeting complexes and post-translational modifications is also beginning to shed light on how they provide dynamic control during transcription.

Histone modifications are thought to regulate chromatin structure, transcription and other nuclear processes. Histone methylation was originally believed to be an irreversible modification that could only be removed by histone eviction or by dilution during DNA replication. However, the isolation of two families of enzymes that can demethylate histones has changed this notion. The biochemical activities of these histone demethylases towards specific Lys residues on histones, and in some cases non-histone substrates, have highlighted their importance in developmental control, cell-fate decisions and disease. Their ability to be regulated through protein-targeting complexes and post-translational modifications is also beginning to shed light on how they provide dynamic control during transcription.

Location, Location, Location Cell division is orchestrated by a complex signaling pathway that ensures the correct segregation of newly replicated chromosomes to the two daughter cells. The pathway is controlled in part by restricting the activity of critical regulators to specific subcellular locations. For example, the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is recruited to chromosomes during mitosis where it oversees kinetochore activity and cytokinesis (see Perspective by Musacchio ). Wang et al. (p. 231 , published online 12 August), Kelly et al. (p. 235 , published online 12 August), and Yamagishi et al. (p. 239 ) now show that the phosphorylation of the chromatin protein, histone H3, acts to bring the CPC to chromosomes, thereby activating its aurora B kinase subunit. The Survivin subunit of CPC binds specifically to phosphorylated H3, with the phosphorylation at centromeres being carried out by the mitosis-specific kinase, haspin. Furthermore, Bub1 phosphorylation of histone H2A recruits shugoshin, a centromeric CPC adapter. Thus, these two histone marks in combination define the inner centromere.

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) has an essential role in heterochromatin formation and mitotic progression through its interaction with various proteins. We have identified a unique HP1alpha-binding protein, POGZ (pogo transposable element-derived protein with zinc finger domain), using an advanced proteomics approach. Proteins generally interact with HP1 through a PxVxL (where x is any amino-acid residue) motif; however, POGZ was found to bind to HP1alpha through a zinc-finger-like motif. Binding by POGZ, mediated through its zinc-finger-like motif, competed with PxVxL proteins and destabilized the HP1alpha-chromatin interaction. Depletion experiments confirmed that the POGZ HP1-binding domain is essential for normal mitotic progression and dissociation of HP1alpha from mitotic chromosome arms. Furthermore, POGZ is required for the correct activation and dissociation of Aurora B kinase from chromosome arms during M phase. These results reveal POGZ as an essential protein that links HP1alpha dissociation with Aurora B kinase activation during mitosis.

In diverse eukaryotes, constitutively silent sequences, such as transposons and repeats, are marked by methylation at histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me). Although selective H3K9me is critical for maintaining genome integrity, mechanisms to exclude H3K9me from active genes remain largely unexplored. Here, we show in Arabidopsis that the exclusion depends on a histone demethylase gene, IBM1 (increase in BONSAI methylation). Loss-of-function ibm1 mutation results in ectopic H3K9me and non-CG methylation in thousands of genes. The ibm1-induced genic H3K9me depends on both histone methylase KYP/SUVH4 and DNA methylase CMT3, suggesting interdependence of two epigenetic marks--H3K9me and non-CG methylation. Notably, IBM1 enhances loss of H3K9me in transcriptionally de-repressed sequences. Furthermore, disruption of transcription in genes induces ectopic non-CG methylation, which mimics the loss of IBM1 function. We propose that active chromatin is stabilized by an autocatalytic loop of transcription and H3K9 demethylation. This process counteracts a similarly autocatalytic accumulation of silent epigenetic marks, H3K9me and non-CG methylation.

The Wnt pathway is a key regulator of embryonic development and stem cell self-renewal, and hyperactivation of the Wnt signalling is associated with many human cancers. The central player in the Wnt pathway is beta-catenin, a cytoplasmic protein whose function is tightly controlled by ubiquitination and degradation, however the precise regulation of beta-catenin stability/degradation remains elusive. Here, we report a new mechanism of beta-catenin ubiquitination acting in the context of chromatin. This mechanism is mediated by the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex component TRRAP and Skp1, an invariable component of the Skp-Cullin-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex. TRRAP interacts with Skp1/SCF and mediates its recruitment to beta-catenin target promoter in chromatin. TRRAP deletion leads to a reduced level of beta-catenin ubiquitination, lower degradation rate and accumulation of beta-catenin protein. Furthermore, recruitment of Skp1 to chromatin and ubiquitination of chromatin-bound beta-catenin are abolished upon TRRAP knock-down, leading to an abnormal retention of beta-catenin at the chromatin and concomitant hyperactivation of the canonical Wnt pathway. These results demonstrate that there is a distinct regulatory mechanism for beta-catenin ubiquitination/ destruction acting in the nucleus which functionally complements cytoplasmic destruction of beta-catenin and prevents its oncogenic stabilization and chronic activation of the canonical Wnt pathway.

The homeobox transcription factor Pdx-1 is necessary for pancreas organogenesis and beta cell function, however, most Pdx-1-regulated genes are unknown. To further the understanding of Pdx-1 in beta cell biology, we have characterized its genomic targets in NIT-1 cells, a mouse insulinoma cell line. To identify novel targets, we developed a microarray that includes traditional promoters as well as non-coding conserved elements, micro-RNAs, and elements identified through an unbiased approach termed serial analysis of chromatin occupancy. In total, 583 new Pdx-1 target genes were identified, many of which contribute to energy sensing and insulin release in pancreatic beta cells. By analyzing 31 of the protein-coding Pdx-1 target genes, we show that 29 are expressed in beta cells and, of these, 68% are down- or up-regulated in cells expressing a dominant negative mutant of Pdx-1. We additionally show that many Pdx-1 targets also interact with NeuroD1/BETA2, including the micro-RNA miR-375, a known regulator of insulin secretion.

Contains fulltext : 174530.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Copy number variants (CNVs) are major contributors to genomic imbalance disorders. Phenotyping of 137 unrelated deletion and reciprocal duplication carriers of the distal 16p11.2 220 kb BP2-BP3 interval showed that these rearrangements are associated with autism spectrum disorders and mirror phenotypes of obesity/underweight and macrocephaly/microcephaly. Such phenotypes were previously associated with rearrangements of the non-overlapping proximal 16p11.2 600 kb BP4-BP5 interval. These two CNV-prone regions at 16p11.2 are reciprocally engaged in complex chromatin looping, as successfully confirmed by 4C-seq, fluorescence in situ hybridization and Hi-C, as well as coordinated expression and regulation of encompassed genes. We observed that genes differentially expressed in 16p11.2 BP4-BP5 CNV carriers are concomitantly modified in their chromatin interactions, suggesting that disruption of chromatin interplays could participate in the observed phenotypes. We also identified cis- and trans-acting chromatin contacts to other genomic regions previously associated with analogous phenotypes. For example, we uncovered that individuals with reciprocal rearrangements of the trans-contacted 2p15 locus similarly display mirror phenotypes on head circumference and weight. Our results indicate that chromosomal contacts' maps could uncover functionally and clinically related genes.

Background: The Nuclear Factor I (NFI) family of DNA binding proteins (also called CCAAT box transcription factors or CTF) is involved in both DNA replication and gene expression regulation. Using chromatin immuno-precipitation and high throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq), we performed a genome-wide mapping of NFI DNA binding sites in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Results: We found that in vivo and in vitro NFI DNA binding specificities are indistinguishable, as in vivo ChIP-Seq NFI binding sites matched predictions based on previously established position weight matrix models of its in vitro binding specificity. Combining ChIP-Seq with mRNA profiling data, we found that NFI preferentially associates with highly expressed genes that it up-regulates, while binding sites were under-represented at expressed but unregulated genes. Genomic binding also correlated with markers of transcribed genes such as histone modifications H3K4me3 and H3K36me3, even outside of annotated transcribed loci, implying NFI in the control of the deposition of these modifications. Positional correlation between + and - strand ChIP-Seq tags revealed that, in contrast to other transcription factors, NFI associates with a nucleosomal length of cleavage-resistant DNA, suggesting an interaction with positioned nucleosomes. In addition, NFI binding prominently occurred at boundaries displaying discontinuities in histone modifications specific of expressed and silent chromatin, such as loci submitted to parental allele-specific imprinted expression. Conclusions: Our data thus suggest that NFI nucleosomal interaction may contribute to the partitioning of distinct chromatin domains and to epigenetic gene expression regulation. NFI ChIP-Seq and input control DNA data were deposited at Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository under accession number GSE15844. Gene expression microarray data for mouse embryonic fibroblasts are on GEO accession number GSE15871.

Chromatin states are believed to play a key role in distinct patterns of gene expression essential for self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs); however, the genes governing the establishment and propagation of the chromatin signature characteristic of pluripotent cells are poorly understood. Here, we show that conditional deletion of the histone acetyltransferase cofactor Trrap in mouse ESCs triggers unscheduled differentiation associated with loss of histone acetylation, condensation of chromatin into distinct foci (heterochromatization), and uncoupling of H3K4 dimethylation and H3K27 trimethylation. Trrap loss results in downregulation of stemness master genes Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2 and marked upregulation of specific differentiation markers from the three germ layers. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis of genome-wide binding revealed a significant overlap between Oct4 and Trrap binding in ESCs but not in differentiated mouse embryonic fibroblasts, further supporting a functional interaction between Trrap and Oct4 in the maintenance of stemness. Remarkably, failure to downregulate Trrap prevents differentiation of ESCs, suggesting that downregulation of Trrap may be a critical step guiding transcriptional reprogramming and differentiation of ESCs. These findings establish Trrap as a critical part of the mechanism that restricts differentiation and promotes the maintenance of key features of ESCs.

The mission of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project is to enable the scientific and medical communities to interpret the human genome sequence and apply it to understand human biology and improve health. The ENCODE Consortium is integrating multiple technologies and approaches in a collective effort to discover and define the functional elements encoded in the human genome, including genes, transcripts, and transcriptional regulatory regions, together with their attendant chromatin states and DNA methylation patterns. In the process, standards to ensure high-quality data have been implemented, and novel algorithms have been developed to facilitate analysis. Data and derived results are made available through a freely accessible database. Here we provide an overview of the project and the resources it is generating and illustrate the application of ENCODE data to interpret the human genome., National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.), National Institutes of Health (U.S.)

Expert Rev Med Devices

BACKGROUND: The assembly of nucleosomes to higher-order chromatin structures is finely tuned by the relative affinities of histones for chaperones and nucleosomal binding sites. The myeloid leukaemia protein SET/TAF-Ibeta belongs to the NAP1 family of histone chaperones and participates in several chromatin-based mechanisms, such as chromatin assembly, nucleosome reorganisation and transcriptional activation. To better understand the histone chaperone function of SET/TAF-Ibeta, we designed several SET/TAF-Ibeta truncations, examined their structural integrity by circular Dichroism and assessed qualitatively and quantitatively the histone binding properties of wild-type protein and mutant forms using GST-pull down experiments and fluorescence spectroscopy-based binding assays. RESULTS: Wild type SET/TAF-Ibeta binds to histones H2B and H3 with Kd values of 2.87 and 0.15 microM, respectively. The preferential binding of SET/TAF-Ibeta to histone H3 is mediated by its central region and the globular part of H3. On the contrary, the acidic C-terminal tail and the amino-terminal dimerisation domain of SET/TAF-Ibeta, as well as the H3 amino-terminal tail, are dispensable for this interaction. CONCLUSION: This type of analysis allowed us to assess the relative affinities of SET/TAF-Ibeta for different histones and identify the domains of the protein required for effective histone recognition. Our findings are consistent with recent structural studies of SET/TAF-Ibeta and can be valuable to understand the role of SET/TAF-Ibeta in chromatin function. BMC Biochem

The conserved Target Of Rapamycin (TOR) growth control signaling pathway is a major regulator of genes required for protein synthesis. The ubiquitous toxic metalloid arsenic, as well as mercury and nickel, are shown here to efficiently inhibit the rapamycin-sensitive TORC1 (TOR complex 1) protein kinase. This rapid inhibition of the TORC1 kinase is demonstrated in vivo by the dephosphorylation and inactivation of its downstream effector, the yeast S6 kinase homolog Sch9. Arsenic, mercury, and nickel cause reduction of transcription of ribosome biogenesis genes, which are under the control of Sfp1, a TORC1-regulated transcriptional activator. We report that arsenic stress deactivates Sfp1 as it becomes dephosphorylated, dissociates from chromatin, and exits the nucleus. Curiously, whereas loss of SFP1 function leads to increased arsenic resistance, absence of TOR1 or SCH9 has the opposite effect suggesting that TORC1 has a role beyond down-regulation of Sfp1. Indeed, we show that arsenic activates the transcription factors Msn2 and Msn4 both of which are targets of TORC1 and protein kinase A (PKA). In contrast to TORC1, PKA activity is not repressed during acute arsenic stress. A normal level of PKA activity might serve to dampen the stress response since hyperactive Msn2 will decrease arsenic tolerance. Thus arsenic toxicity in yeast might be determined by the balance between chronic activation of general stress factors in combination with lowered TORC1 kinase activity.

International audience; During transcription, proteins assemble sequentially with nascent RNA to generate a messenger ribonucleoprotein particle (mRNP). The THO complex and its associated Sub2p helicase are functionally implicated in both transcription and mRNP biogenesis but their precise function remains elusive. We show here that THO/Sub2p mutation leads to the accumulation of a stalled intermediate in mRNP biogenesis that contains nuclear pore components and polyadenylation factors in association with chromatin. Microarray analyses of genomic loci that are aberrantly docked to the nuclear pore in mutants allowed the identification of approximately 400 novel validated target genes that require THO /Sub2p for efficient expression. Our data strongly suggests that the THO complex/Sub2p function is required to coordinate events leading to the acquisition of export competence at a step that follows commitment to 3'-processing.

Chromatin modifications at core histones including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination play an important role in diverse biological processes. Acetylation of specific lysine residues within the N terminus tails of core histones is arguably the most studied histone modification; however, its precise roles in different cellular processes and how it is disrupted in human diseases remain poorly understood. In the last decade, a number of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) enzymes responsible for histone acetylation, has been identified and functional studies have begun to unravel their biological functions. The activity of many HATs is dependent on HAT complexes, the multiprotein assemblies that contain one HAT catalytic subunit, adapter proteins, several other molecules of unknown function and a large protein called TRansformation/tRanscription domain-Associated Protein (TRRAP). As a common component of many HAT complexes, TRRAP appears to be responsible for the recruitment of these complexes to chromatin during transcription, replication and DNA repair. Recent studies have shed new light on the role of TRRAP in HAT complexes as well as mechanisms by which it mediates diverse cellular processes. Thus, TRRAP appears to be responsible for a concerted and context-dependent recruitment of HATs and coordination of distinct chromatin-based processes, suggesting that its deregulation may contribute to diseases. In this review, we summarize recent developments in our understanding of the function of TRRAP and TRRAP-containing HAT complexes in normal cellular processes and speculate on the mechanism underlying abnormal events that may lead to human diseases such as cancer.

The transcription factors RFX and CIITA are major players in regulation of the expression of all classical and nonclassical major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) genes. RFX nucleates the formation of a multiprotein complex, called the MHC-II enhanceosome, on MHC-II promoters. Assembly of this enhanceosome is an obligatory step for recruitment of the coactivator CIITA and thus for activation of MHC-II gene transcription. We have analyzed the function of the ankyrin repeat-containing protein RFXANK, which forms the heterotrimeric RFX complex together with RFX5 and RFXAP. We discovered that ANKRA2, the closest paralogue of RFXANK, can substitute for RFXANK in the activation of MHC-II genes and that this ability is mediated by its ankyrin repeat domain (ARD). This finding provided the basis for a high-resolution structure-function analysis of the ARD of RFXANK, which allowed us to map the RFX5 interaction domain and residues critical for assembly of the RFX complex. We also found that mutations in the fourth ankyrin repeat of RFXANK abolish assembly of the enhanceosome on MHC-II promoters in vivo but not in vitro, suggesting a new role of RFXANK in facilitating promoter occupation in the context of chromatin.

A large number of recent studies have demonstrated that many important aspects of plant development are regulated by heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes in DNA sequence. Rather, these regulatory mechanisms involve modifications of chromatin structure that affect the accessibility of target genes to regulatory factors that can control their expression. The central component of chromatin is the nucleosome, containing the highly conserved histone proteins that are known to be subject to a wide range of post-translational modifications, which act as recognition codes for the binding of chromatin-associated factors. In addition to these histone modifications, DNA methylation can also have a dramatic influence on gene expression. To accommodate the burgeoning interest of the plant science community in the epigenetic control of plant development, a series of methods used routinely in our laboratories have been compiled that can facilitate the characterization of putative chromatin-binding factors at the biochemical, molecular and cellular levels.

NC2 is a heterodimeric regulator of transcription that plays both positive and negative roles in vivo. Here we show that the alpha and beta subunits of yeast NC2 are not always associated in a tight complex. Rather, their association is regulated, in particular by glucose depletion. Indeed, stable NC2 alpha/beta complexes can only be purified from cells after the diauxic shift when glucose has been depleted from the growth medium. In vivo, the presence of NC2 alpha, but not NC2 beta, at promoters generally correlates with the presence of TBP and transcriptional activity. In contrast, increased presence of NC2 beta relative to TBP correlates with transcriptional repression. NC2 is regulated by phosphorylation. We found that mutation of genes encoding casein kinase II (CKII) subunits as well as potential CKII phosphorylation sites in NC2 alpha and beta affected gene repression. Interestingly, NC2-dependent repression in the phosphorylation site mutants was only perturbed in high glucose when NC2 beta and NC2 alpha are not associated, but not after the diauxic shift when NC2 alpha and beta form stable complexes. Thus, the separation of NC2 alpha and beta function indicated by these mutants also supports the existence of multiple NC2 complexes with different functions in transcription.